Following in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark

June 23rd and 24th, 2017

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark crossed the continent from east to west on behalf of President Thomas Jefferson in 1804 and 1805, reaching the Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Astoria in present-day Oregon.

We are coming from the south, from Waldport near Newport. During breakfast, we can observe seals on the other side of the bay from our campsite. Unfortunately, you can only see small black elongated spots, but I swear, it's true. The telephone booth just invites mischief. I haven't seen so many seals in years, like in the USA.

On the further drive, we once again notice the diverse names of the places. We end up in Garibaldi. When the town was founded, the Italian freedom fighter was a big trend in the USA. The town itself has nothing Italian. We eat an excellent BLT sandwich. The landlady was stationed in Neu-Ulm with her husband in the 80s. Our favorite bar sticker: 'Unsupervised children receive an espresso and a free puppy'.

We decide to skip the ride with the Western train, but on the way we meet the grinding lady. Slowly, we move away from the coastal dunes, and the route becomes more difficult to navigate, as many bays extend far into the land and reveal many marsh landscapes. In the brackish lagoons, there are countless dead and sick trees that apparently are left to themselves.

The campground at Willapa is located on a peninsula that was formerly managed by loggers. After apparently all the trees were felled, farmers settled there. It is the most remote place on our tour, but we can walk a few steps to the beach. And we can devour a giant pizza with a six-pack of IPA. So be it: we have booked two days.

During a digestion walk, we notice that the sea has shifted tide-wise. We will never meet it here, bad timing. Nevertheless, the walk is beautiful. The area has something of the Baltic Sea.

The next day we realize the difficulties that Lewis and Clark must have had. After traveling over 3,000 miles across the entire continent, the landscape here turns once again. The Pacific Ocean must be somewhere around here, but constantly, dead creek arms with dead trees come in between, and you have to take a huge detour again. One spot is called 'Cape Disappointment'.

We take a short hike in Willapa National Park, which brings us closer to the marsh and forest of this area. Everything is lovingly prepared for school classes and is really fun. We encounter a red-legged frog in an earlier developmental stage.

Then we visit the town of Ilwaco and stumble upon the Saturday market. There is self-carved, painted, baked, and even crochet winter hats at almost 30 degrees. Two Victorian ladies sing love songs from the American Songbook with an enthusiasm that seems inappropriate considering the many children present.