Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Long Beach, Hot Rods, Oysterville, Cape Disappointment and Waikiki
What do these have in common? Everything! We took them all in on our recent trip to Long Beach.
No matter how many times we visit the Long Beach Peninsula on Washington’s coast, there’s always something new to discover along with the old favorites. Isn’t that the beauty of travel?
For starters, there were the classic cars cruising up and down Long Beach’s main street, while folks pulled up chairs by the side of the road to watch them go by. It was Rod Run to the end of the World, a popular event in the Northwest for vintage car enthusiasts, one we’d never heard of. Everywhere we went we saw them and gawked.
(Click on the pictures in the galleries to enlarge them.)
We made the short drive up the Peninsula to Oysterville, where homes date back to the Civil War. (Too bad we don’t eat oysters.)
We walked the boardwalk along the beach in the morning and evening,
and rode our bicycles in the afternoon on the Discovery Trail.
We’ve done that before but this time we rode all the way up to the North Head lighthouse in Cape Disappointment State Park – thank goodness for battery powered bikes. There we learned North Head is one of the windiest places in the United States. The Weather Bureau operated a station here from 1902 – 1955 transmitting storm warnings and Columbia River bar observations. There’s also a WW2 bunker where soldiers stationed at Fort Canby watched both the weather and for enemies. Who knew?
We made another discovery at Cape Disappointment later – Waikiki Beach. No not that one – this beach sits between the North Jetty and the Cape and is popular for storm watching.
Photographers come here during the wild weather, hoping to catch the giant waves crashing in front of the lighthouse. I’ve seen their pictures, they’re marvelous. I’d like to return and try that myself someday.
And no trip to Long Beach is complete without catching sunset. Or, as it turns out, moonrise.
We arrived at the beach after dinner just as the clouds rolled in. The sunset a bit disappointing –
except for the pelicans.
But as we turned to go back into town, we saw the moon rising over the dunes.
You may remember I shared a few photos in an earlier post, while still on the road.
Here’s a few more.
That’s enough of Long Beach for now. I’ll save Astoria, just across the river, for another time.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 
Wow, Susanne! Your photos are incredibly beautiful! Thanks for sharing. āŗļø
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, John! Thank you! š
You are welcome. āŗļø
What John said! Absolutely beautiful. Thanks for taking me along to Long Beach.
Thanks for coming along! Glad you enjoyed the trip! š
A day well spent.
Yes indeed! Several days well spent.
š
Yes. I guess it would be a few days, considering the distance you covered. Such an adventurous area. I would love a chance to do the Discovery Trail.
Fun
Yes it was fun! It takes at least 2 hours to get there so we usually stay overnight. This time we spent 2 nights and a 3rd night in Astoria which made for a nice getaway. š
Wow āļø Thanks for sharing these photos. They bring back memories. I was last last there in 1989 for the Washington State International Kite Festival š
So glad you enjoyed it! š And to think after all these years I’ve never been to the Kite Festival! I better take that in someday!
https://washe240347587wordpresscom.files.wordpress.com/2019/04/wsikf2279x2321.jpg
Wonderful photos! The lighthouse pictures are really good!
Thanks so much! I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Lovely tour Susanne. Seeing the cars would have been fun and the area looks simply beautiful.
Thanks so much, Graham. It’s a special place and I never get tired of visiting. The cars were a bonus.
I love those first two 1950s cars, and I would definitely have tried some oysters in Oysterville.
Great selection of photos, Susanne.
Best wishes, Pete.
Thanks. Pete! We had a great time. And It was so fun to see all those classic cars cruising the streets. I never have liked oysters but if I did this was definitely the place to have them. š
All looks amazing! I like the look of Oysterville (but no oysters for me either, thank you!) and Cape Disappointment looks just my sort of coastline š
Thanks, Sarah. We love the area! So much to see and do with lots of history, too. š
What beautiul moon rises!
Thanks, Don. It was special to see!
Gorgeous photos – and such an undeveloped coast, considering that Oregon is much different….however, one big big issue – you don’t eat Oysters?!?!?!?!?! They are incredible!
Thanks. John. It is different from the Oregon Coast, sleepy and so authentic! We love visiting the area! I never have liked oysters though I’ve tried them before. Just can’t get over the texture!
Understood but we LOVE them! Fried, Stewed and of course, slurped raw! Completely agree on the coastal differences and for that I am happy…Oregon is very crowded!
You would enjoy visiting the Long Beach Peninsula, especially with all those oysters!
Beautiful. Reminds me of how much I need to be by the ocean again.
Thank you! I love the ocean and would miss being too far away from it!
Nice pics. I’ve always liked Chevy Bel Aires and 72 GTOs š
Thanks. It was fun to see all those old classics!