Lewis and Clark National Historical Park

Wednesday, June 6th-We had a great field trip with Aunt Debbie today.  We did a lot of driving but we saw some awesome things.
We started at Astoria  which is called the little San Francisco of the Pacific Northwest.  It is very quaint and is perched above the Columbia River and Pacific Ocean.  Aunt Debbie took us to the column which was erected in 1926 to commerate the discovery, exploration and settlement of the Pacific Northwest.  This 125 foot tall concrete column is adorned with murals depicting scenes from Oregon history.  It was a clear day today and we could see the Columbia River, Lewis and Clark river and the Pacific ocean.  The best part was the excitement and joy watching Janae and Stefan fly their balsom airplanes from the top.  Another great idea from Aunt Debbie.

The Columbia River

Astoria in the background

We then drove down the Oregon coast a bit and went to the Lewis and Clark National Historic Site at Fort Clatsop.  Built on the banks of the Netul River (now the Lewis and Clark River), this was the third winter encampment for the Corps of Discovery from December 1805-March1806.  "Ocian in view! O! the joy."  When Capt. Clark wrote these words in his journal, he was not standing at the Pacific Ocean but the Columbia River esturary.  It would be another couple weeks before he would see the ocean.  It was overlooking Cannon Beach that he would see the ocean. 

The expedition was President Thomas Jefferson's idea.  He had for years been fascinated by the vast and virtually unknown territory west of the Mississippi.  In 1803, he announced his plans to send an exploratory party by rivers to the Pacific.  He chose Lewis to head it, and Lewis selected Clark,his friend and former commanding officer, to share the responsibilites. They were to explore the Missouri River to its source, then establish the most direct water route to the Pacific, makingscientific and geographic observations alongthe way. They were also to learn what they could of Indian tribes they encountered. 

They started near St. Louis and wintered at Fort Mandan.  They then left in April and when they got to Idaho, Sacagawea's people helped them get horses for the grueling trip over the Continental Divide. 

During their time at Fort Clatsop, Clatsop and Chinook Indians whom Clark described as close bargainers,came to the fort almost daily to visit and trade.  The captains wrote often in their journals about the tribes'appearance, habits, living conditions, lodges, and abilities as hunters and fishermen.

The visitor center movies were very good.  They got a grant from a 12 year old daughter of a Clatsop park ranger to redo the movie. It was very good having an Indian woman narrate it.  She pointed out that other white men had just come to trade but these people stayed.  When visiting back and forth, the Indians were never asked to spend the night as they would offer.  In the end, when the Discovery Corp was to go home, they were negotiating for a new canoe.  The indians wouldn't sell it for their desired price, so they stole it.  The Indian chief came and confronted Lewis.  He offered his apology and gave them the fort after they returned home.  Disappointing to hear this story. However, it ended with  the Inidan actors who are the actual people, stating but we are still here.

I think Sacagawea was the real hero.  How she cooked and survived in this miserable climate with a baby is unbelievable.  It rained all but 12 days of the 106 that they here.  She was only 19 which probably helped and the oldest person was Lewis and Clark, in their early thirties.

We then went further south to visit Cannon Beach.  It got it's name after a navy vessel ran aground on the Columbia River Bar, split in half and part of the deck with a cannon attached to it washed ashore  here.  Beautiful beach.  The large rock is the haystack and is a popular picture background.  This is where Lewis and Clark and Company saw the ocean for the first time when they came to see a beeched whale.

The grocery store where we had the best homemade soup from the deli.

Our last stop was at Fort Stevens State Park to see the historic ship wreck from the English iron ship "Peter Iredale" from 1906.

We ended this great day flying balsam airplanes at the military bunkers and seeing an observation point where the Columbia meets the Pacific.

Pacific ocean meets the Columai at end point of break wall.

Fort Vancuever National Historic Site, Washington

Tuesday, June 5th-We enjoyed visiting the fort with Aunt Debbie.  Sitting above the Columbia River, we learned that this fort was established by England's Hudson Bay Company in 1824.  The main function of the fort was a trading post for fur, especially beavors for the fashionable  hats. A hat at this time could cost an equivalent of our $3000.  Chinook Jargon was the trade language established.  It was interesting to learn that most of the artifacts were discovered from their garbage, the privys.  All waste was dumped down the toilets.  With the demise of the beavor hats and the 1849 gold rush, the Hudson Bay Company left the fort in the 1860s(not happily) and the US army took over.

Setting the beavor trap

Game Park Safari

Sunday, June 3rd-We had  an ambitious plan to get to Aunt Debbie's today in Vancuever, Washington.  We ended up being able to drive up 101 part of the way before cutting over.  We stopped for a break (albeit too long) at the Game Park Safari which is America's largest wild animal petting zoo.  It was very nice.  No maps or schedules to learn.  We freely looked at the animals and then an announcement was given to pet the baby wild animals.  It was really awesome.  We got to pet a baby cougar, bobcat, bear, and skunk. Janae loved holding the baby goats too.  We didn't make it to Aunt Debbie's until almost midnight.

Redwoods

Saturday, June 2nd-We arrived at Jedediah Smith Campground last night and our neighbor came over and introduced herself.  She was a wealth of information on what to see in the park.  The next morning she came over to bring us some literature and we invited her to spend the day with us.  It was wonderful having a tour guide and she took us all over.  We got to experience all the terrain the Redwoods has to offer, trees, canyons and beach.

Stefan was thrilled to find this little guy at our campground

We started our journey driving on the Howland Hill Road that was open for the weekend.  Passed through wonderful trees and groves.  The wild rhodadenderans were beautiful against the backdrop of trees.

Our second stop was the Prairie Creek Visitor Center.

A surprise was seeing the poor elk antlers that got stuck in a Redwood tree and then got petrified.

The grove behind the visitor center was lovely and had many unique things to see.  The marks on this tree are the  footholds from the days of using long saws to cut the tree down.  Notice the hemlock trees growing out of top of stumps

We reallly enjoyed walking here.  The ferns were as stunning as the trees. Pictures don't do the filtered light justice.

A sample of an octapus tree.  Redwoods can grow over logs.

Enjoying the sword ferns.

Other trees like to grow out of these stumps.

With Barbara, our Redwood guide.

Our next stop was Fern Canyon.  It was almost an hour drive but so worth it.  This canyon is shown in Jurassic II movie and I can see why.  It is magical with all the ferns and moss on the walls.  Barbara pointed out the five finger ferns that were clinging to the walls.  Janae and Stefan had some freedom to run up the creek and explore and they loved it.  

This mama elk wasn't happy with us as we walked pass to the Fern Canyon.  Almost charged us.

Awesome view with the pond, elk and ocean in the background.  This was on way to the fern canyon.

We're free from our mom and dad!

Our next stop was Gold Bluffs Beach which was very close.  There had been a short-lived small gold mine on this beach.

The highlight here was skipping rocks.

We enjoyed seeing this pasture full of elk.  There was a little newborn that was so cute but the grass was too tall to see her in a photo.

On the drive home, the sun finally came out at around 8:00 p.m. and the views were stunning. Stefan said as we were driving back, "Thanks mom for bringing us on this trip. I like it more and more.  Today, Disney World and the Airboat ride were some of my favorites."

Barbara recommended this restaurant right at the beach in Crescent City. It's 8:30 at night and look how sunny it is. We're all starving. Janae and Stefan had calamari for the first time and were estatic over it.  We all were.  So fresh and meaty. We ordered more and learned they use the steak of the squid not the rubbery part that one normally gets.  Because it was so late when we left, we declined desert and told the kids it was too late for a campfire.  Stefan was very disappointed and a lady at a nearby table heard him and came over and said she had been watching him all night and that he was going to grow up to be really special. She gave him some money to buy desert.  Turns out it was a $20 bill.  She is an attorney from Australia who is about to be  married to the gentleman she was with, a professor at Stanford who won the Nobel Prize for discovering El Ninno and global warming research.  Never a dull moment.

THANK YOU BARBARA FOR SHARING THIS AWESOME DAY WITH US!! YOU MADE IT SO SPECIAL!