Going Back to Cali! - Road-tripping Home from Washington State

Here we are at the last post of my trip to Washington State last summer.  To easily catch up, click on this awesome link!

I got up fairly early to drive back because I wanted to spend some time driving down the coast, which is a longer route. I made a brief stop by the Grays Harbor light station hoping for a cool pic.

It actually wasn't at all as expected.  When I think of a lighthouse/lightstation, it's usually on a rocky beach somewhere.  Here the harbor is about 3-4 blocks down the street and the lighthouse is surrounded by trees and grass.

As I was heading back threw town, I passed Blackbeard's brewery where we had eaten a few days before.  If you are ever in Grays Harbor County, this place in Westport is definitely a must!  Delicious pizza and excellent beer!

The pic above is of the more family-oriented pizza/bar and the one below is their second building across the parking lot where they have a stylish brewery.

Okay, I really can't post these long road trips so late.  Too much is going on in life and now I can't remember what river this was!  I know it was between Westport and Astoria because of the sequence, but even a long look at a map isn't refreshing my memory.  Wah, wah.

Oh well, it doesn't make the scenery any less amazing!  

I just loved this old, decrepit boat.  Such character!

And now we interrupt this road trip for an art break.

Now you know art is subjective, but I definitely love these two photos!  In a town along the road, whose name goes unremembered, I stopped at a Safeway to use the restroom and buy a sandwich.  

Scattered throughout the main part of town were these cool art installations of metal people doing various things and poses.  I decided to shoot this happy woman out for a walk in the sun's bright rays.  She protects herself and blocks the sun.  Meanwhile...

This man soaks in the sun's golden rays.  

And, finally, I reached the mouth of the Columbia River!  

Next stop was Cape Meares on the outside of Tillamook Bay, Oregon.  It's a lovely drive and I saw lots of deer!  So many that I really had to drive a lot slower than I normally would.  

It's a cool place to walk around, which I took advantage of to stretch my legs.  One of the very interesting things on this site is the Octopus Tree.  This is a 250 year old Sitka Spruce and no one really knows how it came to look so odd. 

Here is an excellent, quick read to introduce you to the strangest tree in Oregon!

And of course this site, which hosts the shortest lighthouse in Oregon, sits on a cliff high above the beautiful Oregon Coast. 

It's situated in a fairly heavy pine forest with a downhill path (on the way to the ocean) which views the top of the squat lighthouse with it's beautiful red glass.

One of my favorite shots is this black and white/sin city edit.  
The ripples on the ocean look amazing. 

The sun was beginning to set into the Pacific, which made the glass gleam.  I just love this photo with the sun directly behind the tip top. 

Did I mention this lighthouse is short?  It's only 38' tall, but I assume that the brilliant Fresnel lens with it's alternating red and clear glass surround made up for it's lack of height.  And the cliff too, of course. 

The crescent moon was high in the sky behind the lighthouse which I thought looked pretty cool even though it's not that clear. 

From the south trail (which has convenient benches for catching your breath on the hike back to the parking lot) there is a gorgeous view of Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge.

Just past Lincoln City, the sun was almost set so I decided to stretch my legs one last time and then head inland to I-5 to cut down on some driving time (hopefully).

Similar, but two different photos with different lighting settings and editing technique. 

I like them both.

FLASH FORWARD! 

Approximately 10 hours later, the sun was rising somewhere to the East in Northern California!

And I was just about home after a wonderful trip filled with family, nature, music, fun, and happiness.  

Can't wait for the next long trip!

xoxo

Nikon D3300

Point Reyes National Seashore April 10, 2016 - The Beginning

Last weekend, my wanderlust was at full force.  Probably because I was trying to avoid doing my taxes and other not-fun stuff.  So I decided to get up before dawn and head to Point Reyes National Seashore in search of exercise, fresh air, and animals. 

The blue hour before dawn came as I was making my way past Vallejo and down Highway 37 along the San Pablo Bay.  Of course I had to stop and take some photos since there are lots of cool bridges along the way. 

I did not count on the mosquitoes that swarmed me when I got out to take the picture.  
Yikes!  It was worth it though.  

My next "detour" came when I tried to follow my memory on a shortcut.  Of course, I haven't been to Point Reyes for many years, and the old memory ain't what it used to be.  But luckily, my detour looped me back underneath Highway 37 where I found some delightful sights to capture. 

This is the Petaluma river heading toward Black John Slough.  The blue hour creates such lovely contrast and reflections.  Heading in the opposite direction where the Petaluma meets San Pablo Bay, is a very photogenic swing bridge for the railroad tracks. 

And in the middle, is Highway 37 and the Black Point boat launch. 

Detour over and with dawn in full effect, I got back on Highway 37 and made my way to Point Reyes. I got to the park before the lighthouse was open, but I decided to head there anyway and just walk around the area. 

The first resident to greet me was a gorgeous Turkey Vulture.  Well, gorgeous in his own way. :-)

He put up with me for quite awhile, but then he decided to take his beauty elsewhere. 

All over Point Reyes are working cattle ranches. This is somewhat controversial, especially after the occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon.  You can read more about the lawsuit over the ranches if you're interested.

But for me, I enjoy seeing the cattle.  They're cute... 

...even when they're blocking the road. 

I parked near the Sea Lion Overlook and decided to walk around for awhile and take some photos.  It was a bit foggy with some intermittent rain, but not too bad.  Made for some interesting photos, especially with all the wet, brown fencing. 

As I was walking around, I was thrilled to see some Black-tailed Deer.  I was happy that the deer seemed pretty okay with me walking around.  Of course these photos are with a zoom lens, but I was right below them on a road.  I really try to never approach too close so as not to stress an animal.  If they stand up, etc., you're too close and stressing them out.  

Just down the road, I ran into some nosy Ravens.  What a contrast from the silent deer!

This is the little path to the Sea Lion Overlook.  

There were sea lions to be overlooked, so the name is fitting.  However it's pretty far down to the rocks/ocean so it's kind of hard to be sure what you're looking at!  Here is a way zoomed in photo of the three I was fortunate to overlook through my lens.

There were so many wildflowers!  Including beautiful wild Iris all over the place.

I parked at the Lighthouse parking lot and began the walk over the hills. It's a nice little walk on a paved road, but be forewarned...there are hills.  And if you want to get down to the actual lighthouse, there are stairs.  Many, many stairs.  

This shot is of the 11-mile long Point Reyes Beach.  The weather was clearing up, but there were random fog banks rolling in front time to time. 

Cypress tree over the road by old, abandoned structures from the original lighthouse complex.

The rocks around the lighthouse are amazing. It's called Point Reyes Conglomerate and consists of chert pebbles and volcanic rock separated by beds of graded sandstone.  The rocks are millions of years old.  Fascinating and beautiful.

Next post we will make the trek down the stairs and explore the lighthouse and it's surroundings! 

xoxo

Nikon D3300