Cannon Beach, Oregon

Cannon Beach is our first stop along the Oregon coast.  After setting up camp, we decided to go exploring the area.  We rode back to a beach town that we had passed through on our way to Cannon Beach.  The ocean town of "Seaside" was bustling with tourist.  We found a place to park and walked to the waterfront area.  The streets were lined with all sorts of shops and places to eat.  We saw a "Pronto Pup" stand and stopped for a freshly dipped pup.  It was oh, so good!  We browsed through some of the shops before heading on to the beach.  This is where you will find a sign commemorating the "End of the Lewis and Clark Trail".   We stopped for a photo op and headed back to Cannon Beach.

 

 

 

 

Overlooking the beach at Seaside.

 

These starfish lights were hung on all of the lamp posts along the streets.  I'm sure that was a pretty sight at night.

Back at Cannon Beach.  We got up early the next morning to drive down to

"Haystack Rock".  When the tide is out, you can walk around the tidal pools and look for brightly colored starfish.  We were told by one of the locals that the Starfish used to be there by the hundreds, but they are dying and only a fraction of them are now in the tidal pools.  Scientists do not know what is causing them to disappear.

We were pleasantly surprised to see as many as we did.  It was so great to see these creatures and to look for Puffins.  These birds, along with seagulls and other shorebirds nest out on the rock.  Volunteers had set up telescopes for viewing birds on the rock.  We got to see a Puffin nesting. 

 

 

Haystack Rock is a 235 foot sea stack.  It can be reached by land at low tide.

 

 

 

 

Up closer......People walking around the tidal pools.

 

 

Below are some of the pictures we took of the Starfish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was truly beautiful!

 

  

Viewing the birds.

 

 

 

We stopped to take a picture of these flower at the top of the path leading down to the beach.  Look closely.....you can see how far down we had to climb.