We are now on the Oregon coast at Seaside. The structure you're looking at is a place for cars to turn around at the end of Broadway, a street filled with souvenir and gift shops. The beach is filled with people on a Sunday afternoon. Seaside has been a tourist town since the 1850's. A luxury hotel was built named Seaside House, and eventually the area was known as Seaside. In the background you can see Tillamook Head, aka "Terrible Tillie." Seaside is in a beautiful setting, but it's kinda like Branson-by-the-sea. This was taken at the far end of Cannon Beach. In the distance you can see Haystack Rock, a landmark for the entire area. Cannon Beach is far nicer and more up-scale than Seaside, and almost as crowded. We rode the motorcycle down and had lunch at Mo's,where they claim to have the best clam chowder in the world.

This is the Columbia River emptying into the Pacific. The bridge is realllllllllllly high. It crosses the river to Washington from a town named Astoria, after John Jacob Astor who established a fur trading post here in 1811. Astoria was the town used for the movie "Goonies". It is a very picturesque place, with steep streets and tiny little houses built side by side up the hills. It has a kind of faded Victorian look, and like Seaside and Cannon Beach the flowers are amazing! The cities hang baskets from light poles in the old down town shopping districts

Just outside of Astoria is the reproduction of Fort Clatsop. This was were Lewis and Clark spent the winter after reaching the ocean. On our way back to the highway we saw a herd of wild elk grazing in a field there. I think Astoria may have been my favorite town. It wasn't as crowded or "touristy" as the other two, the people were just as friendly, and they have a Costco! They also have a restaurant called The Silver Salmon that makes a mean clam chowder.

This photo was taken in the campground we're staying in. The clouds are manufactured just off to the right and roll up over the mountain.

This is really a beautiful place to spend the summer. We hear that Kansas City has been warmish of late, but the highs here are in the 60's and low 70's. We turned the furnace on one morning, and use the fireplace most nights.

Highway 101 is perfect for riding the motorcycle on with great views of the ocean, but the traffic can be tough. At least with the bike finding a parking place is a lot easier, and you never know when you'll find a great clam chowder place.