Gary-Summer: January 14, 2023

Saturday, January 14, 2023

January 14, 2023 - Lincoln City

D River

Title: January 14, 2023 - Lincoln City
Hike Info : Description : Trail Lessons : Background : Extra Photo's : Animals

Hike Info:

Type:Walking

Description:

Its Saturday and Andrea and Lawrence have slept in. I woke around 8 and just laid there. This is not my usual way of operating. But then again, if I was home, I would have been awake and doing things. So being a bit passive is probably good.

Andrea gets up and starts making waffles. There is an assortment of varieties. Mine is plain, because that is the kind of guy I am. But all is tasty and filling. After breakfast, there is a discussion on dishwasher pods. Steven brought up a video and we watched it. I will admit, it is enlightening dishwasher video in which I learned more about dishwashers than I ever wanted to know. Bottom line is that the guy did not like pods, but in both ours and the ones in Salem, we will all probably keep using them. Earlier, Steven told a funny story about a bicycle being towed in a race between Porsches. This led me to the Little Nash Rambler video.

Eleanor's

Then the discussion turned to what do we want to do today? Andrea suggested several hikes over on the coast. They included Agnes Creek Open Loop, Cutler Wetlands Open Space Loop and Adler Island Nature Trail. This seemed agreeable to us. We choose Agnes Creek Open Spaces as possibly the least muddy. Also Andrea is interested in trying out Mo’s restaurant with its clam chowder. So we set out with Andrea driving. Lawrence decided to stay back and enjoy some solitude, but loaned us the use of his more roomy car.

Lunch from Eleanor's

It takes a little more than an hour to drive to Lincoln City. Previously Andrea had Sherri and I listen to a podcast called Exploring Oregon. One of the things was having to do with Lincoln City-the shortest river in the world. Coming into town, we see the sign for the D River, the world’s shortest river. It has a claim of 440’ long. There is a large lake further down which drains into the D River. We stop and look at the river. It is wide enough, but very wadeable to cross it. It does start to rain a bit while we are examining it.

Driftwood at Taft Park

By this time it is around 2pm and everybody, except me, is hungry. So Andrea takes us down the coast to Mo’s. But when we saw the crowd in Mo’s, we shied away from there. There is a brewery close by, but Steven points to Google which says this is the most crowded time. There is a beachfront place right across from Mo’s called Eleanor’s Undertow Takeout. These large hot dogs catch our eye, so we go there. The interior is closed due to COVID staffing shortage, but we can order at the window. And we do-four hot dogs, four Italian soda’s and one Marion Berry pie a la mode. A bit expensive. But we had a delightful talk with the owner. She said that grandmother was a pioneer in this area and her mother started up the place-that is the Eleanors. The lady is not young. She says her mother is 98 now. Like I said, a delightful talk. She points out some picnic tables we can sit at down the way.

Starting the beach walk

This is the Taft Beachfront Park. The hot dogs are, well, hot dogs. And yet the whole dining experience is wonderful. A wind sometimes blows our wrappers around, which we dutifully retrieve.But the sun shines on us just enough to make us comfortable.

Instead of going to Agnes Creek, we get up and walk the beach. The waves are being built up form the winds and the darkening skies give us a feeling of a wonderful storm heading our way. But we walk on anyway. I am mesmerized by the spray coming off the top of the waves. So I stop and take many pictures as we go along. Steven spots a mystery light way on the horizon. This would keep up guessing for a long while. It does not bob like a ship, but it seems too far offshore for a lighthouse. If this was around Los Angeles, we would say an oil derrick. When I looked closer, I can see what looks like the scaffold. Maybe it is a fishing trawler?

What is that light

The Beach

That is a mystery which we would conjecture off and on as we walked. Still even with the wind and then a good dose of rain, there is an element of freshness in this walk. It is what our family loves to do-walk among the elements, well maybe not in a driving rain. Still to feel and interact with nature. It is a good exchange-instead of going to Agnes Creek, this walk has been a great delight. So good we are able to do things differently than what has been planned. One of my sayings is that you plan so you can do something differently.

Steven, Andrea and Gary

Andrea drives us back to her house. It seems a bit longer coming back and I keep nodding off. Thankfully Andrea has youth on her side and does not. It is good to be back. We have left overs. Andrea has too much energy and does her’s and Lawrence’s nightly yoga with Adriene. Then we play a long round of Nature Fluxx. Then it is time to go to bed.

Trail Lesson: You plan so you can do something differently.

Background

River. After visiting the D River, it is understandable to ask, what is a river? Doesn’t it have to be long? Or maybe a certain width? Or at least a certain flow? According to Wikipedia, A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of water. Small rivers can be referred to using names such as creek, brook, rivulet, and rill. There are no official definitions for the generic term river as applied to geographic features, According to the National Geographic, it is a large body of fresh, flowing water. So tell me, is 440’ of flowing water, large? Even the USGS gives a nebulous answer. So my guess is that if you find a some water flowing, particularly if it ends up in the ocean, it is a river. I wonder, can I count the water coming out of my rain barrel a river?

Eleanor’s Undertow Takeout. We had a hot dog lunch from Eleanor’s. The hot dogs were good and large, the bun was fresh. But the sauce was really good. We also had some Italian sodas to drink-tasty. What was even better was the conversation with the owner. She is a pioneer’s descendant and her mother was the original Eleanor. It was fun talking with her. The actual eating part of this was closed due to a shortage of workers. But there is a park with good tables about 200’ away which has a good place to enjoy the meal. But do not forget to order the Marion Berry pie. It was enjoyed greatly.

Extra Photo's