Jim & June's Odyssey 081104
Trip Start
Aug 25, 2008
1
12
57
Trip End
Ongoing
Newport,
Oregon,
United States
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Drove from Woodburn to Salem to Newport along Hwy 20 (fast, narrow, curvy, lots of hills, a few hairpins, tree covered, scenic). The rain through the mountain pass was an unbelievable windshield double-slapper. Huge raindrops! As soon as we crossed the summit it was nice. We stayed at the Harbor Village RV Park in Newport, Oregon. It is across the street from a large harbor (home to the largest fishing fleet in Oregon) and the first thing we heard were Stellar Sea Lions in the distance - they never quit barking. The campground itself is nothing special and it wasn't quite big enough for our unit so we wouldn't stay here again. The weather announcers lamented that the winter rains were in the forecast with no let-up in sight. That night it started......
Because of the unrelenting rain, we were relegated to indoor activities doing the 100 yard mozey, drinking lousy coffee and eating baked tuna sandwiches, yuk! However we did get to see the Three Arch Rocks, the Aquarium, maritime Museum and the Yaquina Lighthouse which overlooks a significant seal and seabird nesting area. So many birds have struck and broken the windows that they've all been reinforced with Plexiglas screwed to the outside. This lighthouse is one of many strategically spaced 40 miles apart along the entire US pacific coastline. All of them are functional even though all mariners depend on radar and cell phones nowadays. A few were decommissioned but the navy/mariners petitioned the government to keep them functioning because they provided a sense of HOME. The "keepers" (whose only job was to fill the burning pot with linseed oil and ensuring the wick was 4" long) and the living quarters have disappeared since these facilities became remotely operated and are fully electric. Until now, I thought the light went around and around - not so, nothing goes around - it flashes a coded signal (similar to Morse Code) signifying its uniqueness. Typically the flash lasts 2 seconds - then a two second blackout - four second flash - two second blackout - four second flash then a 14 second blackout. In Morse code, this lighthouse emits a Źdit-dot-dot which translates to the letter "W". The typically dim light from a cheap and easily replaceable bulb is channeled through several prisms that create an intensely bright beam visible 20 miles away! Ingeniously, those 4" wicks were visible for 20 miles as well.
Other things we learned:
TILLIMOOK is pronounced Tillimuk
OREGON is pronounced Oragin
