On the Road with The Nowotny's

On Friday we took a drive up to Astoria, Oregon on the 101. There are so many large and small towns along the way, it was quite enjoyable. We started out early, since Astoria is about 2 hours from where we were staying. . The 101 weaves through green inland valleys and a breathtaking coastline. Paul and I both remarked that the northern Oregon coast line is spectacular, but we were glad that we didn‘t have to drive the trailer through it on our way to Lincoln City from Washington. Here is a picture looking north to Cannon Beach

In Astoria we drove around the old town and stopped and walked the dogs along the Columbia River. There is an interesting history about Astoria and the Columbia River. The town has burned down twice in the early 1900 since they built it on piers, in the river. After the second fire, I guess that the towns people finally figured out that they have to clear and level the land adjacent to the river to build their town. These pictures show the piers that the old town was built on, as well a the big boat traffic that delivers many different kinds of cargo up river.

Here is Sassy posing in front of an anchor at the Maritime Museum on the Columbia River.

This picture not only shows the piers that the old town was built on but also, the Astoria-Megler Bridge that spans from the Oregon coast to the Washington coast. It is a continuous truss bridge that spans the mouth of the Columbia River. The span was the last segment of U.S. Route 101 between Olympia, Washington and Los Angeles, California. It is the longest continuous truss bridge in North America.

On our way back to Lincoln City, we decided to stop at the Tillamook cheese factory to take a tour and perhaps buy some ice cream. While I like to visit factories and sample their different items, Tillamook was way too commercialized for us. We walked in and after a quick look of our choices and the crowds, we decided that we can get Tillamook cheese anywhere, so we left. I can wait until I get to the Lolita Cheese Factory in Lolita, Ca to sample cheese and buy some cheese.

The last couple of days we have been enjoying the weather, blue skies, temperature on the high 60’s - low 70’s and a nice breeze blowing. Yesterday we went to the farmer’s market for some onions, garlic and tomatoes for the sauce, and some good bread, for the steamed clams and pasta we were making for dinner. Yum!!