This is not my ocean

Greetings now from OR, the NH of the west.  As I wrote earlier, we started in Seattle bright and early, heading out of town immediately on the interstate.  This was good since it appears that everyone else was heading into town on the opposite side of the highway.  Our 4 lanes were pretty open.

Shortly after Tacoma we turned west and headed toward the end of land.  First passing super size metal bull sculptures in a field of cows, real cows, though.  Maybe the bulls were supposed to keep the girls inline? It was a nice sunny day, but in the distance we could see mountains with a cloud sitting on it.  So it wasn't a surprise when we entered into the mt and the world became overcast.  I thought it would go when we got through the other side...it didn't.

Our first real destination was Aberdeen, home of Curt Cobain.  We did tour the one horse town, though we never found the memorial park with the cement g'tar.  It's okay.  He looks a lot like where he came from.  Which is to say if a town could wear work boots and flannel, be a heavy smoker, and a bit depressed - well, that's Aberdeen.  I'm pretty sure any kid not stoned there has the bus schedule memorized.

We decided to keep going along the more scenic and rural coastal route.  A 50 mile detour, but one that promised ocean.  Soon we arrived in Westport, WA and we got our first view of the Pacific.  It was anti-climatic.  The small beach town (perhaps it had a fifth of a horse?) ended at a rocky wall at the ocean.  Though there were four notable things here:  1. a tower for tourist to climb so they could see over the rocks at the ocean.  I did.  It was not exiting, but did prompt me to think about is an ocean, an ocean, an ocean?  2.  There were these birds that at first we thought were pelicans, but upon further view were not.,  They are more like pelican's skinny, western cousins.  3.  Was the coffee shop - in which, of course I got tea - to go.,  Out of the over 100 choices (I thought we were in coffee country?)  I chose the Hawaiian - a tropical fruity blend, that they insisted on taking 7 minutes (no more no less) to brew.  In  a pot,  Before putting it into a to go cup... coffee country?

 But last, but not least is they had a cat house at the rocks!  A roofed, wooden structure a few feet off the ground, with bedding and food.  Local people donate their time and food and the house is there for wayward homeless cats.  About 6 of there were there when we visited.  It warms my heart.

 So we moved on...to more trees and water.  Tall trees.  Very tall trees. And a real beach, in which I went in ankle deep into the Pacific.  It was cold.   Very, very cold.  The outside temp being about 60 did not help the water feel any warmer.  Perhaps not surprisingly there was also almost no one around.  It was like back home in Nov or Dec.  But it was different.  The beach is long, very long and flat.  The waves rougher, but more like they reach then they pull.

This beach had multiple sand dollars which we tried to collect.  It was good, but not really my ocean.  Still, not so foreign... yet.  Though there were these interesting plants.  They looked almost like a young pine, but they clearly had bean pods.  We'll have to do some research on this.  After much time there, I was cold enough to move on.  And we drove though a few more sad little towns.

Eventually we made it to Long Beach.  We didn't stop for the beach, but for the Kite Museum.  Our expectations were surpassed.  Though small, they had examples of kites from all over the world - Bali, Japan, China, Thailand.... very cool. We tried with instructions to make a paper crane.  It didn't work, but it was interesting.  Then, I was sucked in by a sign for Marsha's Free museum that promised oddities. I did walk in, but didn't stay.  Been there, done that - it was another one of those places that charges you a quarter to see the giant monkey, then hands you a mirror.  101 plastic animals and  faux stained glass window hangings.  We left and got a quick bite to eat.

Moving on, we proceeded into Astoria, OR across the wicked cool bridge,  Okay, I'd read about the bridge and that it was an attraction and I doubted, but really?  The bridge is the best thing in town.  It's got to be a couple of miles long and includes low straight flat portions and roller coaster hump.

 Otherwise, Astoria is yet another tired small town that appears to be struggling.

One of Astoria's great claims to fame is the filming of the Goonies.,    Despite my great nerdiness, I didn't really like the Goonies.  Not as much as I didn't like Gremlins, but still.  Astoria is also the home of the Oregon Movie museum.  A site I couldn't resist.  Sorry folks, it really isn't worth it. The museum is housed in what used to be the local jail.  The jail used to film the first scene in Goonies.,  Personally, it was more interesting to me to see a tiny, and I do mean tiny local jail.  The Goonies memorabilia did not compare with the empty 4 x 5 cell (of which they had 3) which held 4 people when in use.  Also interesting was the article on the wall from 2008, updated 2010 about the increased use of drugs in the area causing local statues to be stolen for the sale of the metal.

The museum did have three popular movie scenes set up with green screens that one could "reenact" famous scenes and have them emailed to themselves.,  Sorry kids, we did not engage.  The place was packed and well, just not worth it.  Like I said, not a Goonies fan, strike one, tired and running out of steam strike two and the jail was more interesting as a jail - strike three.

Astoria actually has had more interesting films made here - if you ask me - such as Free Willy, Kindergarten Cop and what no one will remember, Short Circuit.  But none of these were represented in the Museum.  OR though apparently has had a lot of films shot here.  I'm sure more to come....

More interesting, there was a HUGE tree outside and across the street though.  The biggest I've ever seen - to date.,  The trunk had to be at least 6 feet in diameter.  It was wider than our first apartment.  And around the corner they had on display a piece of a 600 year old Douglas Fir,.  It was the size of a military jeep.

Having driven a fair amount and spend much time on the beach, we then headed to find out prearranged room from which I write.,  It is located on Cannon Beach.  Cannon Beach might be one of those famous places filmed.  It is a beach with ginormous rocks in the middle of the surf. 

Like WA, here too the beach is long and flat.  The waves rougher and more continuously breaking all of there place.  It is not my ocean,  My ocean calls to me.  I feel a part of it.  I feel like it's rolling in to reach for me and wants me to come out into it.  This ocean is throwing itself at the shore, chasing not calling.

This is not my ocean.  I'm glad to visit it.  Like one visits the zoo, but doesn't want to live with those animals.  It is definitely NOT home.  And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I liked Iowa better.

We are currently exhausted, so tomorrow we are planning a slower day.