Oregon Coast - Beverly Beach to Ft. Stevens

 Time to leave Beverly Beach.  Before hooking up I take Gary back to Newport to see the Sea Lions.  Tucson did not like it at all.  Not as many this morning as yesterday afternoon, but still impressive

 While trying to coax Tucson onto the Pier with biscuits, I hear a big Splash, turn around to find all the Sea Lions have left the floating docks.

 Turns out it is time to repair them.  While the two workers are on the docks fixing them, another is up on the pier banging on the metal posts to keep them from coming back and attacking the workers because they do not like to be displaced.

 Most have relocated to a nearby rock

 They try to climb up onto a recently returned fishing boat

 The net is full of fish parts - probably for crab or shrimping.

 It's a pretty busy harbor

 Time to head out - we'll avoid the road too well traveled

 We get bits and pieces of sunshine up the coast

 We planned on staying at Ecola State Park and check out the coastline and try to catch a view of the Tillamook Lighthouse

 But we get there and it is closed due to road collapse.  I hike up the steep road to the beach to see if I can get a shot of the lighthouse and get caught in a hail storm only to find no view of the lighthouse. 

 We end up at Fort Stevens State Park.  Fortunately they have a site for one night as the next day is the Astoria Crab, Seafood and Wine Festival

Another nice Oregon Park. 

Tucson is ready for hike so we decide to walk to the Ship wreck on the beach.  I understood the ranger to say it was 1 mile.  Turned out to be closer to 2.  Hope the Turkey Breast in the oven doesn't get overdone.

Guess we won't take this trail

 

 The Peter Iredale was a four-masted steel sailing vessel that ran ashore on October 25, 1906, en route to the Columbia River. She was abandoned on Clatsop Spit at the beach by Fort Stevens.

Who sunk my battle ship?

Tucson finds a little doggy cabana

We come back to find our fire is still burning and stoke it up.

We burned a lot but still had 8 pieces left so we left them as we can't take them into Washington or Canada

The next morning on the way out we visit the fort.

The fort was built to protect the North against an English invasion from Canada, should the British join the Civil War on the Confederate side it was primarily an Earthwork.  

In 1897, to improve coastal and harbor defenses, Fort Stevens began a massive refortification program. When completed, eight concrete batteries – including mortars and long and short range rifles – were constructed. 

 There are still remnants of the Civil War days

 Next Stop Astoria