Yesterday, we drove south of Lincoln City. Today, we drove north to the Three Capes Scenic Drive. We wanted to drive it in the order in our guide book, so we drove to Tillamook first and then followed the loop south.
Cape Meares
was the first stop. It not only has a lighthouse, but is an excellent location for watching the birds that nest and breed on the cliffs
and off-shore rocks. Two volunteers had scopes set up to help the visitors identify the birds. We saw another eagle,
but had no chance for a good photo. It was a juvenile and his mottling fit in perfectly with the surrounding rocks.
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| Cape Meares Viewpoint & 3 Arch Rock | Cape Meares Lighthouse |
We walked down to the lighthouse and then circled back up the hill to the parking lot. Just as I was setting up to photograph from a viewing platform, I heard a scream right out in front of me. When I located the sound, I watched a bald eagle take down a seagull. The volunteers told us that there aren't enough fish in the area for the eagle's normal diet, so they have learned that the local birds are an easy meal. To say the seagull didn't have a chance is an understatement.
We shot the Three Arch Rocks with the ever-present cow parsnip in the foreground. It's getting to the point that we expect this wildflower in every picture.
The second cape on the drive was Cape Lookout. We drove into the park, but decided we didn't have the time or inclination to do the hike required for good images.
That left Cape Kiwanda. Cape Kiwanda is a bit of a throwback to when people could drive their cars onto the beach and
camp right on the sand. You can't camp on the beach at Cape
Kiwanda, but you can drive your car onto the beach and party
for the day. By the time we got there, the beach was crowded
and there were people everywhere. One of the first things
we saw when we got down to the beach was a giant sand dune
to the north with all these ants going up and down it. Only,
it wasn't ants. It was people. The dune had to be over a
150 feet tall and the only way to the top was up the dune face.
We chose a "lesser" trail up to a lower ridge that led out to a point where we could see toward the headland from the north. The sand trail was bad enough going up there. I can't imagine going up the steeper and much taller dune. We decided this ridge could be a good place to shoot sunset and hiked back down to the car to get lunch.
When sunset neared, we trudged back up the sand dune to our ridge on the headland. As it turns out, it wasn't "our" ridge. Instead, two young kids had gone beyond the boundary signs and were standing on a ridge that guaranteed they would be in every photo. They seemed adamant about showing the world how much in love they were. The good sunset light never materialized, and we got nothing. After the sun was gone and we were ready to hike back down, we noticed the clouds lighting up a bit to the north. We decided to see what would materialize. We were pleasantly surprised by the dramatic light on one section of the clouds. A man sitting on the sandstone cliff contemplating the day with the orange clouds overhead made for a good image, and the sunset wasn't a bust after all.
And then the fireworks started. There are signs all over the area and at the entrance to every beach or state park that fireworks are prohibited. It seems that everyone knows the rules aren't enforced. There were people who rivaled some of the public fireworks displays, and they had plenty to shoot. No one made any attempt to hide the fireworks. When they go 100 feet in the air and then display in 3 or 4 colors, they aren't worried about getting caught. As you looked around the beach, there were little groupings here and there sitting around a campfire on the beach. It was quite an atmosphere. I can only imagine what tomorrow night will be here.
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