To the beach!

Hiya Gang,

Little Fox, Cocoa and Navy Beanie here fortifying ourselves before our beach hike. It's still a little chilly and windy so some hot cocoa to start off makes sense. 

Navy and I here (along w/ Haystack Rock) in the background.  Where's Cocoa you ask? Cocoa ditched us to look for remnants of the sand castle contest a few days ago. 

I'm glad that Navy Beanie is able to enjoy the beach and not trigger any lingering trauma from the Mouse Island Tsunami. 

So many cool rock formations. 

Anyone  know what these growths on the rocks are? 

The seabirds are out in full force.  Has anyone seen Cocoa? Should we be scared?  Sneakerwaves?

Little Fox sat me down and told me that he got a text from Cocoa.  Cocoa went to the cheese factory (being that there were no remnants of the sand castle contest just a few days ago). Phooey.

Off to find Cocoa.

About 50 miles south of Cannon Beach Little Fox drove me to the Tillmaook Cheese factory.  I guess a good place to find a mouse is at a free cheese tasting event.   Today's cheeses:

1) Fresh Curds, 2) Aged Cheddar, 3) Colby Jack.

Back before the pandemic they used to sample the more unique cheeses made at Tillamook, sigh.

The cheese process is running strong today.  Looks like they are making cheddar cheese.

Those are 40lbs blocks of cheese.

How does a mouse get a job here? 

You would think that cheese directly from the factory would be cheaper than the grocery store.  Nope, not here. However, it's hard to pas up the unique flavors (curds, chili garlic cheddar, smoked salmon). 

This is the line for the ice cream shop.  It's long, but it goes fast. Little Fox recommends Moose Tracks or Strawberry Cheesecake flavors.

It's hard to miss the cheese factory (according to the internet 1.3 million visit the factory annually).  That's a lot but not as many as Spirit Mountain Casino (3 million) or 2 million at Multnomah Falls).    Of course with an obvious sign like this it's hard to miss.

Shh, don't tell anyone but some of the best fish on the coast is located across the street at the Old Oregon Smokehouse.  Yes, it's in a doublewide and you have to eat in the car or outside but the fish is the best around. 

Well we found Cocoa but where did Little Fox scamper off to? 

 

Off to the beach!

Howdy folks, Little Fox, Navy and Beanie here.  We are off to Rockaway Beach on the Coast.  An amazing day for early February. 

First we started heading south trying to see the Twin Rocks.  You can see them in the way back of the picture. 

This is as close as we got due to an outlet that was way too hard to cross.

Onward....heading north, Cocoa is trying to wave to Sandy.   "Hiya Sandy, having a great time down here".

Trying to stay dry.  Navy is really taking well to the water. I worried my guests would be traumatized by the Mouse Island Tsunami of year ago. 

These stairs were found randomly on the beach.  Gotta use them just for fun. 

Time for lunch.  Cheese, turkey, avocado (ok on a sandwich) then a few slices of string cheese and apple. The humans are really upping their lunch game with Navy and Cocoa here. 

Just a few more minutes at the beach, it's so nice today (53 degrees) that we don't quite want to head home yet. 

 

Off to the Jetty.

 Hello Blog World. Little Fox here hanging out at the beach.

It's a nice 80 degrees back home so it should be a nice 65 degrees at the beach.  Note...it's not, it's cold and windy at the beach but the cold and wind doesn't stop this adventurer. 

Off in the distnace is Twin Rocks. I wonder why they are called Twin Rocks?

What's this building in the distance?  It looks like a lifeguard tower but this is the Northern Pacific and it's not really a swimming type of ocean up here.  Way too cold.

Perhaps if I can get a little closer to see what this tower is for.....well I never found out.  Sigh.

I did see this sign. Did you know that the word Tillamook (they have a cheese factory there and free samples....beanie, cocoa?????)

Anyway, Tillamook is a term in the Native American Coast Salish Tribes language meaning lands of many waters.

 Sure, the Pacific is here, the Kilchis River, and the Trask River is nearby but it rains ALOT here as well. I wonder if the Coast Salish were referring to the rivers, oceans or the rain?????

Okay, I have made it to the end.  Hanging out at the jetty. The Jetty is comprised of 37,000 tons of stone to resist the fierce force of ocean waves and extends about 5000 feet into the ocean.  Apparently explorer Robert Gray landed in Tillamook bay area (which includes 5 bays in the area). This Jetty provides access to one that is used by the fishing industry in the area (salmon, oysters, and crabs).  

Enough chit chat....time to head back for a windy lunch. 

  (Editors Note: The Coast Salish lived up North in Washington, and BC but there was a small tribe living in Tillamook as well).  Who knew? (Besides the Coast Salish people).

Second Summer Adventure

I am a very lucky fox to experience a second summer.  Today I am at Oceanside Beach on the Pacific Ocean.

In attendance with me today is my trusty hiking pal Sequoia. 

I thought for sure that Sequoia would want to dig in this hole as he often digs in the sandpit at the neighborhood park.  Apparently, there was too much going on that he didn't have any interest in this hole. 

Onward....

This hike required some planning as there are some tight areas on the beach and if you visit during high tide you could be wading through the ocean instead of walking on the sand.  Saltwater and stuffy fur do not mix. 

Getting close to our turn-around point.  Along the route I found pilings....Professor Jones, my archaeology professor told me there used to be an old fishing pier here. 

Darn kelp

Time to refuel with a snack.

After lunch we started heading back.  Now that the tide is lower there is a secret tunnel at the beach.

Time to explore.  The beach on the other side of the tunnel is called "Star Trek Beach".  

If the tide was lower we could explore Agate Beach and if there is a negative tide then we could venture to Lost Boy Beach.  Perhaps another time. The humans stopped at a country store and I decided to venture out. 

Apparently, this old pump still works.  $5.00 a gallon. I guess they have a captive audience being the only pump in town.  

A good day at the beach. Even Sequoia is tired. 

 

Bear in charge blog 2.

Hey Blog World,
It's the bear in charge here.  I was told to take LF's roommates on a trip to the beach today because the weather is supposed to be above 60 degree.  

Rockaway Beach is a quiet beach town.  Yes, it has the requisite ice cream shops, kite shops, and random stuff (including a shop advertising the best Indian Food on the Oregon Coast) but shopping is not in the cards for me, I am off on a hike.  


Sequoia  decided to attend the trip with us.  I am more of a backpack traveling bear while Sequoia likes to run around like a crazy dog on the beach.  He LOVES the beach.

Off in the distance are the mountains of the coast range.  Angora peak, Neahkahnie 
Mountain and many unnamed hills.  Neahkahnie Mountain is supposedly where the first European explorers arrived while exploring this part of the word in 1693 (a Spanish boat shipwrecked on the spit near the mountain).  Of course the Tillamook and Clatsop Indians have been trading with each other via the  dangerous trails that  cross Neahkahnie  mountain long before the first Europeans arrived. 

From my understanding every stuffy has their hobby.  From reading LF's notes LF's hobby is hiking and archaeology.  Jerry's is eating snacks and gardening.  Ben's is cooking.  Sandy's is exploring, Droopy's is a bacon conesour, Beanie is an artist and adventurer, and Ajdin is professional tour guide and has a drivers license.    So......readers.....you are probably wondering what my passion is. 

I have two favorite activities.
1) Eating lunch.  I love lunch, not dinner, not breakfast not snacks just  lunch.  Speaking of lunch, it's lunch time now.  First I have a nice sandwich.  Yum. 

Rice crackers.  Now how do I switch orientation on my pictures?

Honeycrisp apples. The little piece of honeycrisp apple covered in sand on the dog's waterbottle was for Sequoia.  He decided to spit it out.  Crazy huh?

Hard to see but it's string cheese. 

Not a bad lunch but I think I should start coaching LF's roommates on how to make a better lunch.  For example, I could add seafood, fresh baked cookies, brownies, and Pirogis (A favorite of this bear).    

My other passion is that I am a certified ice cream connoisseur (yes, they actually have this).  

 Hopefully, I can convince LF's roommates to stop at one or two of these local shops so I can test out the ice cream.  Paws crossed.

Bear in charge signing off.

A day at the coast part 2

My vacation from a vacation has been great.  It's the second day at the Oregon Coast and low tide has allowed me to get to some areas covered by the waves.  

This rock was uncovered when the tide went away and there are a lot of shells on this rock and a few live fish.  Do you see the green thing?  What is that called? 

Looks like a secret low tide cave. 

The wall is awfully steep. 

My rock climbing skills aren't too sharp.  I think I better summon my roommates to help me up the wall. 

The waves were crashing on the rocks near the cave.  I didn't see any fish in the ocean but I know they are in there.  I might need to get a boat? 

A little further down the beach was a kite festival.  Don't I look good against the backdrop of all of these kites? 

Time to head home to work in the garden.  Goodbye Oregon Coast.....for now....