LOOKOUT BIRTHDAY TIMES, ETC!!!

Nothing like a 5 mile round-trip hike up and down hills and switchbacks to Lookout Point to prove that the Scout can kick my hiking butt. It was so worth it, though. Again, no words. But, seeing the Scout on her birthday as happy as clam dip to be sharing this overwhelming vista made it seem like it was my birthday, too!

After Lookout Point, we high-tailed it to a restaurant called The Pirate's Cove. Great view, great mashed potatoes, good wine, good steak, lousy seafood (go figure), too expensive (refigure). After dinner, we made our way around Cape Meares Lighthouse and finally ended up back in Netarts (which we began referring to as Retarts and/or Netards) where we were staying at a pretty ridiculous "cottage". We found a bar down on the water called The Schooner. The Scout will hold-forth on the great time we had there with Dave, Amy, Trish, and Lavelle.
Below, you will see a photo of the interior of our "cottage". It was way more funny than disappointing.

You know, when you're a photo-stylist, you can't pass up an opportunity like this one. The Scout didn't have to do any work; this photo just took itself.

When we checked out in the morning, the fellow at the desk told me in his broken English that he had once delivered corn seed to a farmer in Minnesota and he gave him coffee and pie, so every time he rents to a Minnesotan, "I am so happy". Hmmmm. (Wonder how he'd like to house Norm Coleman?!?!?!)

This morning, we hit the Tillamook Air Museum. It's housed in a blimp hanger built in 1943 for coastal patrolling -- the hanger itself is known as the world's largest wooden structure. It's footprint is 7 acres (!!!!). Anyway, we spent about 2 hours there looking at all the old WWII fighters and bombers, some later model aircraft, and a lot of photos and memorabilia. The highlight for me was to walk around this beauty - the Chance-Vaught F4U-4 Corsair, my favorite airplane (every boy has a favorite airplane --- Rev. Boyce, I will send you photos of their P-38 Lightning ... pristine!).

Tonight, we found the best lodging so far on our trip. A little cottage on the Long Beach Peninsula. We'll be posting from here, but AGAIN the Navigator has to go out to the front of the cottage to get Wi-Fi access, while the Scout sits at our dining room table internetting away at will. Oh, well .... there can be no complaining after a find like this (which was spotted by Scout, of course, as we drove frantically looking and as our disappointment began to rise with every place we looked at ... there's even a fire crackling away in our fireplace.