Deja Vu – all over again

Early Morning Frost - Oregon Dunes

Harbor Seal – Cape Perpetua

Tidepool – Bandon Beach

 

 

Ben-G Tours is looking for a new director

 

A little windy and cool at Oregon Dunes

On January 5 we were sitting at Ft. Stevens on the Columbia and it was pouring.  Now we’re back and conditions haven’t changed.  We did have pretty good weather coming up the Oregon coast and we were able to fill in some of the gaps from the way down.  Oregon Dunes NRA was pretty interesting and we did some hiking out on th dunes.  But now its back to the sound of rain on aluminum, and it’s getting old.  Once we finished up around Newport we came up to Greys Harbor for the shorebird migration.  Thats been OK and there’s about 60,000 birds here now.  They’re pretty visible but only photographable at high tide when most of the mudflats are covered and they have to concentrate.  The big discovery however was the desad whale that washed up on th beach, the second within a couple weeks.  It’s an immature grey.  Too bd theres no grizzlies here, as that would keep them busy for awhile. We’ll leave here tomorrow and go back down to Cannon Beach for the rest of the trip.  We’re looking forward to meeting Jim and Susan, friends from Boise. Hopefully they’lll bring some sunshine.

Devils Punchbowl - Oregon Coast

 

Stellars Sea Lion - Sea Lion Caves

 

Courting Oysteercatchers

Shorebirds - Greys Harbor

 

 

Sea Stacks - Bandon Beach

 

Oregon Again

Marsh Wren, Humbolt NWR

It’s been awhile since we’ve posted, but we’ve been at some places that had no wi-fi.  We made it back to Big Sur to pick up those places we missed and I’m glad we did.  Both were pretty nice.  Then it was back to Monterey, where we paid our $10 just to drive by Pebble Beach (Alice had a 4 under 67 going before we were chased by the guards).  We also saw the famous cypress tree that the Pebble Beach Company has copyrighted so that nobody can use a photograph of it without their permission. No kidding.  There were signs all over warning photographers.  I’m currently looking for a way to get it on a cheap brand of toilet paper.

Elkhorn Slough was going to be a major stop,  but they’re only open from 9 to 5 and not on Mondays, which is when we were there.  Whats with that? How do they expect anybody to get pictures?

Then on to San Francisco, where we met Sharon and Steve Morehouse from Dillon.  A day of cable cars, Fishman’s Wharf, excellent Chinese food and a tour of a WWII submarine.  Steve and Sharon passed on the opportunity to spend the night in the cramper in exchange for their motel room.  Whats happened to any sense of adventure?

Back up Ca 1 up to Ft. Bragg, where we revisited Bowling Ball Beach with better tide conditions, and then onto the redwoods.  We didn’t get any fog and the rhododendrons aren’t blooming yet. We did catch the elk on the beach, but nowhere where I could get a shot of the ocean.   Then on to Eureka and the Humboldt NWR, and finally back to Oregon yesterday.  California was fun with a lot to see and do, but it was expensive.  Gas prices dropped 48 cents a gallon when we crossed the border.   Good light last night and this morning, but cloudy now.  Hope this isn’t going to be another rain out.

Sea Otter - Elkhorn Slough

 

McWay Falls, Big Sur

 

Sea Arch, Big Sur

 

Marbled Godwits, San Francisco

 

Sea Lions and cormaronts, Monterey

Sea Stack and cormorant, Mendocino County

 

Concretions, Bowling Ball Beach

 

Old Man reading, Mendicino County

 

Wave splash, Brookings, Or.

Banana Slug, Redwoods

Fern Canyon, Redwooods

Trilium, Redwoods