HISTORIC ISSUES
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Vol.17
No.2 - 7/15/1882 |
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Courtesy of the New York
State Historical Association Library, Cooperstown, N.Y (.PDF files)
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April 2009
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New York Canal Times -
Online newspaper
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Mercury Media Group
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Pacific Northwest (Part 7)
By Curt & Mariel Richardson |
It was another beautiful, clear, sunny day. Before leaving Coos Bay, we had a tour of the House of Myrtlewood. The Pacific Coast contains the world’s supply of this rare and beautiful wood. It takes over a century for the tree to grow large enough to have any commercial value.
This special hardwood, with its distinctive fragrance, can be fashioned into many forms by experienced artisans. Some purchases were necessary – a cribbage board for me and some carved sea gulls for Mariel. It was an interesting place!
From Coos Bay we traveled north on Route 101 through the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and some of the most scenic stretches of coastline in the world. The sand dunes there are among the largest in the world, reaching up to 400 feet high and more than a mile in length.
| | A hiking trail on Mount Hood. (Photo submitted) | |
With stops at the Umpqua Lighthouse State Park and other areas along the route, we were able to see the dunes up close and learn how they were formed.
At one stopping point, we were treated to a sighting of an eagle on the beach having his morning snack. We observed him for quite some time from our vantage point from the cliffs above. He had a large fish that he was standing on while feeding.
Closer visitors, two turkey vultures not more that five feet away from the eagle, were waiting for their turn but were continually kept at bay by the larger bird. After an extended time, the eagle walked to the water’s edge, waded in and then took flight. The two vultures quickly moved in and were joined by others that had been flying overhead.
We found an access to one of the beaches with the aid of a suspended rope and spent some time exploring and picking up interesting driftwood pieces, most of which we had to leave because we lacked space in the vans for such treasurers. The return trip, hand over hand up the steep cliff, was almost the undoing of many. Some needed a helping hand from above to complete the ascent.
A stop near the Sea Lion Caves gave us the opportunity to see some of these creatures from the tops of the cliffs. We continued north past Heceta Head and many state parks along this wonderful scenic route to Tillamook and the Mar-Clair Inn where we spent the night.
We couldn’t leave the dairy country without a visit to the locally famous Tillamook Cheese Plant. Here, we were treated not only to a self-guided tour of the plant, but also to their scrumptious freshly-made ice cream. This cooperative plant produces many different kinds of cheese and other dairy products for the market.
Cheese curd was to be the snack of the day as we headed inland on Route 6 through the Tillamook State Forest. Route 6 wound its way through the coastal range like a drunken snake. We bypassed Portland by taking Route 8 to Gales Creek on our way to Oregon City.
Many people on the trip expressed an interest in the Oregon Trail and the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center located in Oregon City, which is officially designated the true end of the Oregon National Historic Trail.
The interpretive center tells the compelling story of the trail by combining live history demonstrations, a mixed media show about the Oregon Trail journey, and exhibits of artifacts and heirlooms from the trail. All was very well presented.
We left Oregon City and made our way to U.S. Route 26 that took us into the Mount Hood National Forest and on to Oregon’s Mount Hood, with the highest elevation in Oregon at 11,239 feet.
After checking out the historic Timberline Lodge (in the depression of the 1930s, 500 workers were employed under the WPA program to build this magnificent structure), we took a hike on one of the many trails leading from the lodge. There was a lot less snow there than when Mariel and I stopped two weeks ago.
Along the walking trail, there was barely enough snow for the snow bunnies to entertain themselves. There were both skiers and snow boarders making good use of the deeper snow along the side of the trail. One skier skidded to a halt beside us and answered her cell phone! An interesting sideline was the snow-cat pulling a sled with two port-a-johns down the mountain.
Now, on to Mount St. Helens.
To be continued.
The Richardsons reside on Pumpkin Hook Road in Van Hornesville.
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Reader Discussion
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