We arrived in Aberdeen, WA on a gray, dreary, and rainy Sunday afternoon. We would soon come to learn that just about every day here is gray, dreary, and rainy this time of year. We immediately started looking for a place to live and after viewing numerous rentals that have a better chance of being condemned than being occupied, we found a diamond in the rough. It's a tiny two bedroom house that was recently renovated. More importantly, the landlord was anxious to have tenants, so we were able to move in on Monday. Just like that, our housing hunt was over. It was certainly a much smoother process than in the Tri-Cities.
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| Amanda calls it a shed, I prefer cottage |
Since we are getting so good at this moving business, we were able to quickly unpack, get set up, and relax in our new home. We even splurged and bought a $20 coffee table from Walmart!
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| The disc chairs made the trip too, riding on the bike rack! |
Aberdeen and it's neighbor Hoquiam (where our job is located) are old logging communities. They are located at the tip of Grays Harbor, an inlet from the Pacific Ocean. This is great because we are only about 30 minutes from Washington beaches and in a prime area for whale watching. The downside is that we are now in a tsunami hazard zone. Fantastic. First we had to worry about tornadoes in Illinois, then volcanoes when we got to Washington, now we have to watch out for tsunamis. Luckily, there hasn't been a tsunami warning here in quite some time, and hopefully that trend continues.
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| RUN FOR THE HILLS!!! |
Further exploration of the area has yielded some really neat shops, good restaurants, and an excellent farmers market. We need more time though to truly figure out all the ins and outs of Aberdeen and Hoquiam. Overall though, it seems like an area with a lot of character despite it's gloomy first impression.
However, just as soon as we got settled in, it was time to leave again. With two weeks off between the end of our last job and the start of this one, we decided to take a road trip to California to see the sights and visit some friends.
We hit the road (again) following the coastal highway through Washington and into Oregon. Since we first arrived in Washington, people have been raving about the Oregon coast. Well I can definitively say that it did not disappoint. It is so different from the Atlantic Coast because of the stunning rock formations, jagged cliffs, and rugged surf. We made far too many stops to mention here, but a few of the highlights were:
- Ecola State Park/Cannon Beach: The wind was so strong that we couldn't even walk along the scenic path for fear of being blown off the cliff. Seeing Haystack Rock made the soggy trip worth it though.
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| My poncho got torn apart by the winds |
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| You don't see that at the Jersey shore |
- Tillamook Jerky Outlet: Two feet of beef jerky for $1, nothing wrong with that.
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| Amanda was a fan |
- The Devil's Churn: A deep chasm surrounded by rocky shoreline that must be carefully navigated as waves crash all around you.
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| Nonstop churning |
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| Don't turn your back or a sneaker wave will get you |
- Devil's Punch Bowl: This circular opening in the rocks formed when two separate caves collapsed in on one another
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| I don't know why everything is named after the Devil |
- Oregon Dunes: Apparently they are amazing, but we didn't see them. Maybe next time.
We saw so much along the Oregon Coast. Despite a constant downpour of rain, each stop was more beautiful than the next. We can't even imagine what it looks like when the weather cooperates. That might completely blow my mind.
Upon completion of the Oregon Coast, we entered into California where our first order of business was learning about the Redwoods in Crescent City, CA. A very helpful National Park Ranger told us what we should take time to see and where we should camp. We followed his advice and spent some time on the California beaches before heading inland and through the Redwood forest.
The Redwoods are the tallest living organism on Earth, and can live for over 2,000 years. When you visit the Redwoods, you almost expect to see dinosaurs walking around. It is impossible to describe the scale of these massive trees, hopefully this picture can help:
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| No, it doesn't help. Trust me, they are really big trees |
Spending time camping among these giant trees was a great way to cap off our time traveling along the Pacific Coast. It is a trip that makes you appreciate how different our country is from one coast to the other.
Our next stops were San Francisco and Sacramento. I can't have all the fun, though. I'm going to let Amanda fill you in on that leg of the journey. Check back soon!
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