Cape Meares Lighthouse / Pioneer Museum

I'm trying to catch up on my posts, so this one is rather long. Hopefully you will still enjoy the pictures and comments.

One of the things we like to do if traveling along a sea coast is visit lighthouses ... So, before leaving the Tillamook area, we drove to the Cape Meares lighthouse, one of the nine lighthouses along the coast of Oregon. 

The shortest of the lighthouses at 32-feet, it features an impressive, kerosene-powered lens. First lit on Jan. 1, 1890, the Fresnel lens was one of the most powerful and largest of its day. Mariners could spot the distinctive red-and-white flashes from more than 21 miles away.

Now inactive and a State Scenic Viewpoint, the lighthouse is a favorite spot for whale watching, as it sits atop a cliff overlooking the beautiful coastline. It's open to the public and visitors can climb the short staircase and peer inside the Fresnel lens. Pretty cool!

Next stop was the Pioneer Museum in downtown Tillamook. This was one of the best museums we've visited with excellent historical information of the area, preserved and well-presented for visitors. The second floor was dedicated to the most complete display of birds and wildlife, constructed by a local taxidermist and previous curator of the museum. Here are a few pictures of birds and animals, frozen in time.

We continued our travels down the coast stopping at various points to view the incredible scenery ... A few pictures here, starting with the Devils Punchbowl ... a camera lens just doesn't do these pictures justice!

Another lighthouse stop ... the Yaquina Head lighthouse in Newport, close to the Newport Elks Lodge where we parked for the night, with hookups, for $20.

A beautiful spot to view migrating whales during the season, this lighthouse sits atop a bluff at the mouth of the Yaquina River. Built in 1871 and decommissioned in 1874, it was officially restored as a privately maintained aid to navigation on December 7, 1996. 

Although recently closed to the public, it's now believed to be the oldest structure in Newport, surrounded by walking trails and a beautiful spot to view the Pacific Ocean. The rocks below are full of seabirds. Oregon State Parks manages an "interpretive center" close by, with displays, stories and movies of interest from the area.

Next, a short trip to Coos Bay, for dinner and visit with family. I snagged a really nice pull-through at the fairly new Bay Point RV Resort, right on the bay, just a two miles from their home. This was a very quiet and well appointed RV park, at a reasonable price-point. 

One of the more unusual things here was a fleet of 20 Airstream trailers, setup as cabins for rent. We thought at first it was an Airstream club gathering ... I've never seen this many Airstreams in one place!

Meanwhile, we are headed to Crescent City today, so more to come as we head back to California.