We discovered there are eleven lighthouses in Oregon and we decided we wanted to see them all. 

There are nine original lighthouses on the rugged Oregon coast, seven are open to the public and two are privately built, still certified by the US Coast Guard as lighthouses, however they are not open to the public. 

Leaving Henry at home for a rest day, Kim and I set off like a couple of intrepid explorers in search of lighthouses.

The first on our lighthouse list was Cape Blanco Lighthouse, a 19th century lighthouse perched on top of a tall peninsula with 200 foot cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean at the western most tippy tip of Oregon. It was named Cape Blanco, or white cape, by Spanish navigators in the early 17th century due to the appearance of the chalky white cliffs hugging the headland and the surrounding bay.

As we approached on a long and winding road, about five miles off the US101 Highway, we found ourselves driving through more and more mist and the hope of actually seeing the lighthouse began to fade.

We parked on the headland and fortunately we caught glimpses of the lighthouse through the dense sea mist that was swirling around us, shapeshifting, offering hazy views one moment then shrouding the lighthouse in clouds of mist the next. It was eerie!

We wrapped up warm and then took the short 1/4 mile hike out to the lighthouse.

The closer we got to the lighthouse, the clearer we could see it and by the time we approached the base, the mist had dissipated and the sun was deciding on whether to make an appearance.

On the headland, as well as the lighthouse, we could now see the foundational remnants of other buildings as well as a large white farmhouse style building, still standing, that had been converted in to a gallery, gift shop and museum. Tours were not available that day, but the gentleman in the museum answered all our questions and gave us some valuable information about the history of the lighthouse.

We learned that Cape Blanco Lighthouse is the oldest, continuously operating lighthouse on the Oregon coast. It was first lit on December 20th, 1870. We learned the bricks for the lighthouse were made in kilns on site rather than being transported from San Francisco due to the remoteness of the location and to make the construction of the lighthouse more cost efficient. The rest of the materials needed for the construction were brought in by boat. The location was selected to warn passing vessels of the reefs off shore and to provide a position fix for navigators. The circular brick tower was built 59 feet high and housed a Fresnal lens that cast a white light out to sea for approximately 22 nautical miles, to the curvature of the earth. The lighthouse suffered many storms and gales over the years. Roofs of the surrounding outbuildings were lost many times due to its exposed position and extreme buffeting by the wind, but the lighthouse always stood sturdy and strong. 

We walked around the plain, whitewashed lighthouse and could walk almost to the edge of the grassy cliff tops where the gulls were screaming at us to stay back, stay safe. The sun finally came out to say hello as the last of the mist disappeared and we finally got to see the full impact of the elevation, magnificent 360 degree views from the vantage point of the 245 foot cliff top over the sandy beached bay to the north and the rugged rocky sea stack strewn coastline to the south. We could even see the gentle curve of the earth on the horizon. Wow!

Leaning in to the wind, we took a moment to breathe in the history of the incredible feat of engineering standing before us.

It reminded me of an Indian proverb...

​In this case, it is not the shade that lasts for future generations, but light. Still shining and casting a protective, life-preserving light over the ocean before it, the lighthouse continues to save souls of whom the original architects and builders could never have dreamed.

​A blessing indeed.

Chasing waterfalls in Trinidad, California, was a joy!

We found leaves as big as your head with the most amazing colors of mustard yellows, rusty browns, lime greens and burnt oranges. The idyllic scenery was complete with the gently flowing waterfalls. Spectacular!

We puddled about in the water, hugged lots of trees and made a wish every time we caught a dancing leaf.

We are definitely seeing the change from Summer to Autumn. Feeling the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.

We had passed by The Trees Of Mystery, just outside Klamath in the far north of California, on our way up Highway 101 to get to Crescent City. You could not miss the giant fibreglass statues of Paul Bunyan and his beloved pet, Babe the Blue Ox standing in the well manicured gardens of the car park to this roadside attraction.
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We were excited to visit. When we arrived, we took our time walking around the huge statues and acquainting ourselves with the story of Paul Bunyan, the famed giant, plaid-jacketed, big booted, lumbering lumberjack of North American folklore, and his pet Blue Ox, Babe.

It was fitting that Paul Bunyan and Babe stood there welcoming us to the Trees of Mystery as the history and traditions of logging and particularly the carving of large hunks of wood into works of art was told as we walked along the interpretative trails.

I was actually familiar with Paul Bunyan. In the movie Fargo, a carved, rugged statue of him is glimpsed covered in snow as the murderers pass through the North Dakota town in the dead of winter. In fact I can't think of Paul Bunyan without also thinking of one of my absolute favorite actresses, Frances McDormand, in her Oscar winning role as Marge Gunderson in the movie.

You betcha!

I am also familiar with the iconic "Muffler Men" molded out of fiberglass, inspired by Paul Bunyan, that stand in gas station forecourts along my beloved Route 66 and other slightly decrepit byways in North America. Originally, the first 'Muffler Man" was created to carry an axe, appropriate for Paul Bunyan, but later the axe was replaced with the giant fiberglass man holding a muffler, tire, huge wrench or some other car related object as an advertisement to draw customers off the road to take a break from their journey, stop for some food and for some car maintenance. You can read more about the "Muffler Men" in my Route 66 photographic journey through Arizona.  You may need to scroll down until you arrive at the Flagstaff photos and the pics of the giant men. Check it out here.

Once upon a time the original folk tales Of Paul Bunyan began with American loggers sharing exaggerated stories around cosy campfires of a giant axman who could fell tall trees with a single chop. Their tales became embedded in to local lore, bringing awe and appreciation to the hard logging work they did across America, with their own sweat, spit and bare hands.

The loggers' stories of Paul Bunyan, strong and handsome with a chiseled jawline, over seven feet tall, with a stride of seven feet in length, striding across the plains, through the forests, doing the work of many were passed down, mouth to mouth, in the honored tradition of folk tales. According to their stories Paul Bunyan carved the Grand Canyon with his axe, created the Great Lakes as a personal drinking bowl for Babe, and if you keep a careful watch, you might be lucky enough to see Paul Bunyan riding Babe like a cowboy. Oh yeah!

At 49 feet high, the statue of Paul Bunyan at the Trees of Mystery is the tallest statue of the folklore hero in America. The stuff of legends! 

We made our way to the trails and spent a happy day meandering through the wide variety of trees, almost like a tree exhibition, crowded together for our enjoyment. One of my favorites was the ancient giant Redwood named the Brotherhood Tree.  It is one of the largest and oldest living things on the planet. It was named in hope for the brotherhood of man. It is over 2000 years old, 19 feet in diameter, 60 feet in circumference and 297 feet tall. Wow! We were awestruck standing next to a living entity that had been growing for much of recorded human history. We also enjoyed the Candelabra Tree, Elephant Tree and Cathedral Tree. 

Henry spotted Bigfoot, banana slugs and a giant mosquito.

I loved the "I love you" sign.

We had enormous fun bouncing our way along the 100 feet high aerial netted suspension bridges and platforms in the canopy of the Redwoods.  Of course Henry and Kim jumped as high and hard as they could (as if they were in a lift!) on the ropey bridges to make us all jiggle and giggle. Even the kids were laughing at us! Fun!

Henry grabbed my phone and took these lovely, flattering shots. Anyone else have a family member who takes daft pics?

Next we headed for the Skytrail where we took a gondola up the forested hillside, about 1/3 of a mile and 1,570 feet up, through the tallest of trees with a spectacular view at the top where you could see the Pacific Ocean glinting in the distance and incredible views of the Klamath River and back country. At the summit there was an observation deck called Ted's Ridge, where we took in the panoramic vistas.

We finished the day touring the most amazing Native North American Museum. After the Heard Museum in Phoenix, this has to be my favorite museum of tribal artifacts. It was truly incredible. More about the museum in my next blog post.

​This was a memorable day and once again, the trees were the stars.

Kim took this incredible photo of me and Henry walking in amongst the giant Redwoods on the Stout Grove Trail in the Jedediah Smith State Park.

​What an experience!

After an unplanned detour due to fires, we headed to our eighth stop on our Grand Adventure, Crescent City, California. On the way there, Henry began reading the reviews of the site we had booked and learned there had been several thefts, break-ins and some vandalism reported. So, on the fly, we cancelled that site and booked a new site, while we driving towards Eureka. Very last minute! Thankfully we hit the jackpot with Lighthouse Cove RV Park in Crescent City. It was literally right on the beach and the views of the bay and the lighthouse were fab.

​Still in California, but right on the border with Oregon, our plan was to explore the Redwoods National and State Parks in the region.

Henry adored the site and spent most of his afternoons on the beach on his phone chatting with friends, picking up rocks and shells and watching the seals surf in the waves, so close to shore you could see their dark pool-like eyes, twitching whiskers and smiley faces. I am so glad we changed sites and stayed on the beach instead.

We set off to explore the town of Crescent City, basically to find a launderette and a grocery store. It was all over very quickly as the town was tiny. The sea front road to the lighthouse was all torn up due to road work so we bypassed that and meandered around the streets. We found a Safeway and I spotted a tiny movie theater next door to it, which I stored in my memory as I knew the new Taylor Swift Eras Tour Movie was coming out soon.

I am a total Swiftie!