And So It Comes To An End

Sunday, June 21 - Happy Father's Day!!

Today was our last full day on the Lewis and Clark Caravan.  We enjoyed free time to do what we wished for most of the day and then closed out the day with a wonderful farewell dinner at a local restaurant, Dooger's Seafood and Grill.

Ken and I enjoyed a drive down 101 to a couple of the nearby seaside towns on the Oregon coast. The crowds were huge so we didn't hang around at Seaside but continued down to Cannon Beach. The streets were jammed with people but we managed to find a parking space and headed for the beach - our main goal was to get to the beach and walk along it enjoying the sea breezes and once again visiting Haystack Rock.  (it is over 200 feet tall) We had visited here back in the fall of 2009 but I really wanted to see the beauty of this spot once again.

The tide was out so we could see the "garden" near the seastacks

and enjoy the beauty of seaweed, shells, and even starfish alive and clinging to life while waiting for the tide waters to return and cover them up again.

Bob and Glenda Christian (Florida friends on this caravan) had just arrived also so we enjoyed just soaking up the beauty together and even got someone to take a picture of the four of us in front of the giant Haystack Rock

There are a few other "smaller" rocks nearby that are equally as beautiful

And lots of different birds make this home

Including a pair of  black oystercatchers each taking turns sitting on a nest in the rocks with "birders" taking turns observing and recording their behavior. (they are on the "of special concern" list)

On our walk to Haystack Rock we passed piles of sand - all that was left of the sand castle contest creations from yesterday.  This is a website picture of one of them.  Sure wish we could have seen them!  But the tides washed them away.

We met the Christians at this little cafe in town and enjoyed lunch together before going our separate ways again.

We searched out the salt works in Seaside where Lewis and Clark's men made salt for preserving meat and seasoning for their trip home to St. Louis.

We returned to the campground in time to clean up a bit and then head to a local restaurant, Dooger's Seafood & Grill, for our Lewis and Clark Caravan farewell dinner.

Thirty-five days of travel together has come to an end.  Tomorrow our motorhomes will head in a variety of different directions though one couple will be staying on and joining the Oregon Coast Caravan that starts in a couple of days.