Visiting Oceanside and Cape Meares State Park

Thursday, August 6th

We had an unplanned day on our hands. Kate did arrange to take a day off from work after all and was willing to be our guide once again. After much indecision on how to spend our last day, we finally all agreed that a trip to the Oregon coast might be fun! Kate thought it was about an hour and forty minute drive without traffic congestion. So off we went.

The beach was Oceanside not far from the town of Tillamook. We strolled the beach. While it was not crowded, there were others walking and sitting on the beach. Some children were building castles and forts. Interestingly, the several kids were playing in water that formed a pond on the beach. It probably was much warmer there than in the ocean itself. Here are some scenes from our walk.

In exploring the beach, we noticed this entrance. It was a tunnel that lead to the other side of the cliff. Of course, we had to walk through it.

This was supposed to be a nice family picture. Yes, well…

Houses on the hill above Oceanside Beach

Much of Oregon's coast has rocks. The water is cold and beaches are more for enjoyment rather than for swimming. — All along Oregon’s coast there are rocks. The water is cold and beaches appear more for enjoyment rather than for swimming.

Oceanside is a small town with a population of 361. There were a lot of rental properties. We had lunch at one of the two cafes we saw. It was Roseanna’s Cafe. Picking a table overlooking the ocean, we were able to have a very enjoyable lunch with a great view. After watching that seagull devour a crab, both Kate and I wanted seafood. We both chose a bowl of seafood chowder that was full of crab and clams. Yummy! For dessert, I ordered a marionberry cobbler. A marionberry is an indigenous blackberry found in this area. It looked a lot like raspberries and was very tart.

Before heading back to Portland, Kate took us to Cape Meares State Park. This park is located on a scenic overlook above Oceanside Beach. There is a lighthouse on the point that was built in 1889. The light today is automated.

Ever heard of an octopus tree? Well, there was a sign in the parking lot that pointed us to the “Octopus Tree.” We followed it to a huge tree that did indeed look like an octopus. It is a gigantic Sitka spruce that had a 50 foot base. The sign said no one is really sure how it got its shape. Legend has it that the Native American Tillamook tribe used it for special ceremonies since it could hold cedar canoes and other ritual objects. The tree is both a historical sight and a curiosity.

Sign at Cape Mears State Park — Sign at Cape Meares State Park

A view of the coast from a cliff at Cape Meares State Park — A view of the coast from an overview at Cape Meares State Park

The Octopus Tree- thought to be from 300 t0 400 years old — The Octopus Tree – thought to be about 250 years old

We headed back to Portland. Since we were back in town during rush hour, traffic was not good. I was glad Kate was driving and I know Frank was too!

Our time in Portland and the northwest was coming to a close. Our flight back home was tomorrow at 7 am and we needed to get the rental car back around 5. We programmed our GPS for the Thrifty Car Rental which is an off airport site. Before going to sleep, we bid farewell to Kate’s feline companions, Freddy and Scarfy. Kate’s roommate’s cat, Grady, took a real shine to Frank so he got a few scratches under his chin as well. But most of all we are sad to say goodbye to our daughter, thru-hiker Drop-n-roll. Thanks, Kate, for a being a great tour guide and hostess. We loved hiking the PCT with you, even if it only was for two miles!

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