November 9-11, 2023 Fort Stevens State Park, Oregon

 High of 55, rainy and windy.

This was our second time visiting the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, WA. It is an excellent museum. The Columbia is a retired light ship. A light ship is deployed when there is no where to build a lighthouse. This one was at the mouth of the Columbia River. The Columbia River bar (where the huge Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean) is the most dangerous in the United States. With millions of gallons of fresh water colliding with ocean swells, creating waves as high as 40 feet, fog, bad winter storms and constantly shifting sand bars and shoals. The lightship has a fog horn and lights and coast guard rescue personnel.

Now days this huge red buoy takes the place of the light ship with a fog horn and warning lights.  A large coast guard ship is behind the buoy. Inside the light ship Columbia, the wheel house, the communications room and one of the bunk rooms. 

Inside the museum are these digital displays. The top one is real time of the entrance to the Columbia river showing the position of the ships in the river and the buoys. The bottom one shows time lapse world weather. The most dramatic display at the maritime museum is this huge coast guard ship on a gigantic wave in a storm rescuing a man  in the ocean. Those guys have a tough job. 

Art work on the pier, 'Caution rough waves' on the gang way to the ship, Columbia Light Ship, Sentinel of the Sea. After the museum John took me to dinner at the Buoy Brewery. He is here with his IPA and rock fish. 

We went out to the end of the peninsula to see if we could see the Columbia Bar. We are also camped in this park. They are doing construction on the south jetty, so it is closed at this point. We could not go to the point. There are big waves out there. 

John and I dressed for the beach in Washington. With the wind and the mist it was freezing. The view from the wild life viewing bunker of Trestle bay on the Columbia River. It was low tide and there were not a lot of birds.

John heading back on the boardwalk to the wild life viewing bunker. Elk on the beach of the Columbia river. 

We walked down to the beach at sunset- 5pm- to see the shipwreck of the  Peter Iredale. We have seen it before, but just the tall end of it before, This time the whole length of the ship as visible. And there was no sunset, it was practically dark with the clouds. It was dark on our hike back.