Diane had never been to Oregon or to the Pacific Ocean, so we drove down to Seaside, Oregon for the evening. We were able to get there just before sunset.

We drove back up the coast along scenic Highway 101. We crossed the Columbia River where it empties into the Pacific. This is one of the most treacherous areas for ships to navigate along the NW Pacific coast. This is the home of Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment, the largest Coast Guard search and rescue station on the Northwest Coast.

The other sentinal guarding the mouth of the Columbia is the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse.

Access to the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse is limited, due to its strategic defense of the Columbia River. But it can be seen from the North Head Lighthouse a couple of miles up the coast.

We also saw Lucy Island Light near Prince Rupert, BC. It is reported to be the only lighthouse that does not have a white light, only red. A local species of birds kept flying into the white light.