Our neighbors in the campground told us about a great beach at Oswald West State Park, so we decided to check it out. They said we should park in the huge "Safeway" parking lot next to the road and walk under the highway to the beach. But first, we had to stop at Silver Point to photograph from our favorite spot. We are determined to get some good photos from this spot.
Then, it was south over a series of headlands to SS West. The parking lot was, indeed, huge and provided plenty of places to park. We hiked under the highway bridge and walked into a primeval forest. It looked like something out of the Pennsylvanian era. There were ferns everywhere with plants in the bog with leaves a foot or more across. The spruce and fir trees were gigantic and completely shaded the stream area. Trees that had died and were now lying prostrate on the ground sprouted new life as seedlings grew on their "backs." It wasn't quite the Olympic rain forest, but it was impressive.
As advertised, the beach at Smuggler Cove
was small and intimate with a very small waterfall at the far end. There was nothing photographically unique
about the area, but it was well worth the time.
As we drove north back to camp, the sunset looked promising so we drove directly to
Ecola State Park.
We were a little early, so we sat in the car and read our books until the light started changing.
I shot all the best angles and scenes from Tuesday, and then I noticed the light on Tilly, the Tillamook Lighthouse.
The lighthouse was silhouetted against the setting sun.
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