Pebbles and Pete Depart and then the rest of us

Saturday, September 19 and on to Home

After a quick breakfast, Pebbles and Pete get on the road for home. They have a long drive ahead of them. I think they had a good time.

The rest of us decide to stay another week, but alas, the park will kick us out Wednesday morning because they have a 14 day limit. Oh well, we will enjoy the rest of our stay.

Betty and Wilma at the fort

We spent the day just relaxing around the area. We went out to the Fort to see what was happening, but the Friends of Fort Stevens picnic didn't draw us in.  We did walk around the area for a while, then went out to the Petey I overlook for lunch.  We really enjoyed that, because there were some whales in the area that came in fairly close. We watched them for a couple of hours, and then saw another feeding frenzy happening. There were literally thousands of birds, really causing some white water. They took their time slowly moving south down the beach. We had to use the binocs to really see them good (so no more pictures), but it was truly awesome.  We even shared the binocs with some Canadians parked nearby, and they were also amazed.

We ended the afternoon going back out to the river overlook to watch the ship traffic and pelicans. There was a cruise ship in port in Astoria, so we had to wait until they left so we could get some pictures of it going by.  They seem so huge going by. It's fun to see them on the river.  We went back out there Sunday evening, and another cruise ship was in port. Fun!

More of the same on Monday and Tuesday, with no more fish caught. Sunday was foggy and drizzly, and Monday was windy and cold. Tuesday there was a lot of seaweed in the water, and it's no fun just catching it, so they didn't stay out.  Monday and Tuesday nights we had big campfires to use up the rest of the wood.

Wednesday we said goodbye to the park for another year. What a good trip we have had! You should all come and share in the fun.

Sorry for the delays in posting the blog. Computer problems and connection problems caused grief!

Pilot boat

Coral Princess

Jewel of the Seas

more ship traffic

fairly tame elk along the road

Ho Hum Week at the Beach

Monday thru Friday, September 14 to 18

Pebbles and Pete's campsite

The guys fish everyday, the dogs get walked, the women shop, cook, read, and take it easy. The weather is pretty nice, ho hum, ho hum. What a life.

our campsites

There were fish caught, and some of them were keepers while we had to turn back at least as many as we could keep because they were either wild or Chinook. They were still enjoying the catching!  Tuesday night the guys had to get another fishing license for a couple more days so they could continue the fun.

Think this was one that had to go back

keeper

keeper

another keeper

get him!

We had Pebbles and Pete's freezer about full before they pulled out, and we had another fish meal cooked over the campfire, with baked potatoes and baked onion cooked in the coals. Absolutely delish!  And campfires about every night with marshmallows to roast.

It's fun to see the ships go by so close to the river's edge.

Some of the fisher's vehicles (see the Tracker) with ship going by

This must be someone rich and famous!

Car Carrier

 Had a fairly hard rain one night, but it was gone by the time we stirred in the morning. It really has been pretty nice.

The Tracker has been to the rescue again and again. What a good little helper it has been.

Stuck - Not 4x4

Little engine to the rescue - The stuck driver laughed when the Tracker came to the rescue

Success but the tow rope came off

Out far enough to gain traction and get back on pavement

stuck at the fishing hole

Again!

The proud little engine that could!

Must have been Thursday evening we went out to the river overlook to watch the boats and enjoy the scenery. The pelicans are really fun to watch. The gulls and other birds kind of mob them when they dive in, but I don't think they are able to steal much away. The pelicans wait a minute, then you can see them gulp down their catch.

River Overlook, with old fort pilings

Before we left the overlook, we watched a feeding frenzy. Don't know what the catch was, but hundreds of birds were in a frenzy getting whatever it was. It was awesome to watch. Hundreds and hundreds of little black birds, plus probably a hundred pelicans, and hundreds of gulls and smaller white diving birds.  They had the water pretty stirred up with all their splashing.

Feeding Frenzy

Friday Pebbles and Pete took the Tracker and toured the coast down to Tillamook. Visited the cheese factory and several other places along the coast.

The Little Red Engine that Wished He Could

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Weather has been about perfect for over here. We are able to even have breakfast at the picnic table. It is a fishing day today (that is what the trip is all about afterall).  The Tracker is really nice for the fishermen. Holds their gear and all three as they make it out to the beach. Weekends are really busy along the fishing hole, and they had to go out farther than usual. The rest of us walked out to join them for a while. I'm getting all my days mixed up since I haven't been blogging every day (as if you hadn't noticed), but I think Sunday was a no catch day. We took the campers out and got spots along the access road, and just generally enjoyed the day.

As the guys were coming in off the river they noticed what they thought was trouble ahead. Yep, there was a stuck vehicle a little way off the main driving ruts. There was a family out there with an SUV, and it looked like they were in down to the axle. We could see they had a shovel and in trying to get out were ever going deeper. We can't take the campers out there to help them out, and the poor little Tracker just doesn't have enough muscle. Oh well, they drove the Tracker out to at least see if they could help. Pretty soon we saw them put the Tracker in front and hook up a tow rope. It looked kind of laughable.

But you could hear the Tracker saying To The Rescue! and as everyone was pushing, it tried. Poor little thing really tried, but no luck. But it wouldn't give up and take no for an answer. It tried again, saying I Think I Can, I Think I Can. Still couldn't. Try Again! I Know I Can, I Know I Can. IT MOVED A LITTLE BIT!!!!!

I can do it, I know I can! And with everyone out there pushing both vehicles, SUCCESS. And the little engine that could, did. And it pulled it all the way out to the road.

The little red engine was so proud, and the previously stuck family very grateful. Barney told us later that the shovel we thought they had was a little plastic sand bucket shovel.

We've been enjoying a campfire every evening with marshmallows to roast, but still turn in early so we can read for a while.

Stay tuned. This is not the last adventure for the little red engine.

2015 Fort Stevens Adventure

Tuesday, Sept 8 to Saturday, Sept 12, 2015

Finally heading out for some fun, we left home about 9:45 am. I don't think we have ever stopped at the first rest area, just 30 minutes out, but Barney wanted to be sure the Tracker was tracking! 

So far it looks like it is doing great. It will be really nice to have it at our destination!  This is the welcome to Oregon rest area, so Betty loaded us up with brochures for the coast area.

Stopped in LaGrand for lunch, but didn't have to go to the Grocery Outlet since the one near home opened recently. We used to have adventures to the purple roof (our code name for the Spaghetti Factory because the building had a purple roof you could see from the freeway) in Portland, and then both it and Trader Joe's opened in Vancouver so we would go there. Now we have both near home and never go. Oh well, we build new adventures as we go along.

After long hours of uneventful travel, we reached the outskirts of Portland, and headed north for our turnoff. Because it is convenient, we stopped to Wally-dock and shop in Longview, WA. About an hour and a half after arriving, we directed Pete and Debby into the same area, and everyone relaxed after a long drive, and got some last minute shopping done. This is the closest Wally World to our destination.

We didn't leave the area until around 10 am Wednesday, because it is only about a 50 mile drive from here, and there was no need to arrive early. Of course on the way in we stopped at the Bowpicker for their famous fish and chips and they were enjoyed by all except one who can't abide fish. She did chow down the chips though.

After a stop at Freddies for fishing licenses and last minute gear, we went on to the park and got checked in and stuffed in our places. 

Thursday was for fishing on the river, but none were to be caught. There were very few caught by any of the fisher people out there.  We also had to check out the overlook at the PTI and the jetty.

The fire area seems fairly small and didn't affect near as much as we had thought it might. All the trees are still intact and able to rough up the vents and anything else on our mobile roofs as we try to get situated along the fishing access road. All part of the fun. (until time to repair the damage!)

Friday was an early morning start to get to the charter for the day. The seas were not as calm as last year, and the catch not nearly as good.  Only two for the entire boat, but Pete got one of them, a nice Chinook, so we had a nice salmon dinner that evening. 

While the guys fished the girls went to Freddies and Costco, then drove out to the point to watch them come in.

Pete went out to fish Saturday morning, and said it was really crowded. Later we all went over to the fort to look around. There was supposed to be some cannon demos, but fire danger meant that had to be cancelled, so we just wandered all around the old fort grounds. Horseshoes and dominos followed a great lasagna meal, and then we all crashed early. Stay tuned for tales of I think I can, I think I can!