Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Long Beach, Cape Disappointment and Two Lighthouses
We love visiting the Long Beach Península on Washington’s southern coast, not only for the beach but also for the rugged scenery and history (this was the end of the road for Lewis and Clark), and the two lighthouses that help guide ships over the treacherous Columbia Bar, one of the world’s most dangerous crossings.
We rode our e-bikes on the Discovery Trail, a paved path through the dunes along the Pacific Ocean,
climbing through forest
to the North Head Lighthouse for views of the beach and mouth of the Columbia River.
“North Head Lighthouse was built to provide an aide to navigation for ships approaching from the north. Those ships could not see Cape Disappointment lighthouse, two miles to the south, in time to safely enter the Columbia River channel.
Construction began on North Head lighthouse in 1897 and it was completed and lit on May 16, 1898. “
History of the North Head Lighthouse
Later that day we drove to the Lewis and Clark Interpretative Center in Cape Disappointment State Park
and got a good look at the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, the first in the Pacific Northwest, completed in 1856.
On the way down we stopped by Waikiki Beach, so named I assume, for its soft sand and protected waters, making it safely swimmable.
But not always.
Photographers flock here during storms to catch the waves.
Someday, I may try to do the same.
That’s all for now.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 
Such a beautiful place, Susanne! And, yay for eBikes!
Thanks, John! Yes, indeed, we love our e-bikes! 🙂 🙂
Me too, I’m heading out for a ride today since Hilary apparently isn’t going to rain on Vegas today. The storm should be out of here by tomorrow, but it’s heading your way I think.
We’ll see. I don’t see anything in the forecast for Seattle, but the eastside of the mountains near Spokane could desperately use the rain as they fight wildfires.
I hope the rain falls on the needy areas!
So pretty! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I love visiting Washington state, hopefully we can visit again soon!
The Long Beach Peninsula is a great place to visit with lots of variety and not overrun with tourists! 🙂
What a lovely area! It seems to have it all! Thanks for taking us along on this beautiful adventure!
Thank you! It’s a special area and does seem to have it all! 😊😊
Nice photos Susanne. Both sides of the Columbia River have a lot to offer. So much history and such great views.
Thanks, Graham. Indeed, both sides are wonderful, and we never go to Long Beach, without crossing the bridge to Astoria.
Wonderful empty beaches and some magnificent scenery. In good weather, where you live is a lovely place to dwell.
Best wishes, Pete.
Thanks, Pete. I love Washington, as it does have so much natural beauty. And our summer weather is surprisingly good, this year especially.
Beautiful coastal scenery Susanne and in such lovely weather too! The lighthouses look great and I was interested to see the wonderful storm photos taken by others. I hope you get the chance to photograph similar in the future 😀
Thanks, Sarah. It’s a beautiful area and our weather has been perfect this summer. I’d seen pictures of the giant waves but only recently discovered where they were taken from. I hope to go down sometime during a storm to try to capture them at Cape Disappointment. As long as it’s safe!
Yes, stay safe!
That last photo deserves a WOW.
Yes! I found many photos online of the massive waves in front of the lighthouse. These were some of the free ones I could post.
Looks like a great adventure and I love those lighthouses. Lovely journey.
Thanks so much! We.had a lovely time. 😊