Some days . . .

. . . just don’t go as you expect. Well, most of our days are like that actually! I had thought that our one day at Cannon Beach might be spent by the sea (the clue’s in the name) – perhaps sitting reading a book, taking scenic photographs and wandering the galleries.

However, Gordon had another plan. It seemed to include something like a fort, a river and a bridge. It did not sound very exciting, but as the weather was not too brilliant and I remembered just how many people there had been in this place yesterday, I was happy to go along with it.
 
A while back I asked NannaK for some ideas of appropriate books to read whilst we were over here and she gave me a thoughtful list. I have been enjoying working through some of her ideas, but Gordon immediately alighted on the story of Lewis and Clark and their expedition to explore virtually unknown territory west of the Mississippi, (Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose). He got hold of a copy and has been reading it all the time we have been here. So his aim today was to drive further North towards the Columbia River and explore a little of what they saw when they eventually reached the Pacific. We visited Fort Clatsop and an associated Exhibition Centre. We crossed the long bridge over the River and found several places in Washington State along the Lewis/Clark Trail. We stopped at Dismal Nitch, where the group were stranded in bad weather. We found out a lot about the Chinook Indians at Station Camp (we also met a couple who explained that all the traffic coming away from Long Beach had been at a Clamming Festival (!). Eventually we found Cape Disappointment State Park and saw the Columbia River meet the Pacific, just as the Lewis and Clark had seen it. What a day!
   
Then on the way back we stopped at Ecola State Park and took photographs at the viewpoint - Cannon Beach with Haystack Rock and the overlapping peaks of the coastal mountains. I was struggling to choose a picture from the many photos today, so in the end decided on the iconic view.