Seaside and Astoria

We took a day trip to the Oregon coast.

We had planned to go to Mo’s in Seaside for lunch, but they were too busy, so we continued up the coast.

Some pics of Seaside:

Seaside

Astoria:

Astoria

We ended up going to Bridgewater Bistro, which we had fond memories of from staying in Astoria for our anniversary in 2008:

Bridgewater Bistro

The restaurant is on the pier, and has a cute window in the floor showing the water below (and a skeleton on a rope ladder):

Window in floor

Bridge view

We had a tasty breakfast for a late lunch:

Breakfast for late lunch

After that, we drove over the Astoria–Megler Bridge between Oregon and Washington; a 4 mile long bridge across the Columbia River:

Astoria–Megler Bridge

And back again:

Astoria–Megler Bridge

Cannery Pier Hotel:

Cannery Pier Hotel

Astoria–Megler Bridge

Silver Falls State Park

We visited Silver Falls State Park near Salem, Oregon, and hiked to South Falls and Lower South Falls.

South Falls Day Use Area

But first, a picnic lunch:

Picnic

South Falls Historic District:

South Falls Historic District

Top of South Falls:

Top of South Falls

A switchback path:

Path

Falls selfie:

Falls selfie

South Falls; yes, those are people; there is a path behind the falls:

South Falls

GIF:

GIF

Low ceiling:

Low ceiling

Behind the falls:

Behind the falls

Selfie behind the falls

Behind the falls

Beside the falls

We used our hiking poles, since there were steep portions; not essential, but they do help:

David

South Falls

Bridge

Mossy trees:

Mossy trees

Exposed tree roots:

Exposed tree roots

Water

Steps:

Steps

Lower South Falls:

Lower South Falls

David

Lower South Falls

Steep switchback path:

Steep switchback path

Mossy trees:

Mossy trees

An historic shelter that is being restored:

Historic shelter

Gift store:

Gift store

Cafe:

Cafe

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

We did a couple of hikes in Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

The visitor center:

Visitor center

Relief map:

Relief map

Visitor center

A short one-mile hike through the lava field behind the visitor center, “Trail of the Molten Land”:

Trail of the Molten Land hike

Selfie

Trail of the Molten Land hike

A picnic lunch:

Picnic

Sign:

Sign

Another short hike down to Paulina Falls:

Paulina Falls hike

Paulina lake:

Paulina lake

Paulina visitor center:

Paulina visitor center

Relief map:

Relief map

Sign:

Sign

Crater Lake National Park

We visited Crater Lake National Park in Oregon.

Crater Lake is Oregon’s only national park. We’ve been there a few times before, and no doubt will be back many times.

If you haven’t been to Crater Lake, you haven’t experienced the color blue.

One thing we haven’t yet done is drive all the way around the lake. The East Rim Drive is closed most of the year; it only opens late in summer, it feels like only for a few weeks, though is probably longer. One day we’ll make it at the right time!

Here’s a map showing the open and closed portions:

Crater Lake map

Crater Lake sign:

Crater Lake sign

Road:

Road

Snow:

Snow

Crater Lake:

Crater Lake

Picnic:

Crater Lake

Boat:

Crater Lake

Bikes

Crater Lake

Selfie

Crater Lake

Road closed:

Road closed

Snow:

Snow

Crater Lake:

Crater Lake

Crater Lake:

Crater Lake

Crater Lake:

Crater Lake

Crater Lake:

Crater Lake

Crater Lake:

Crater Lake

Crater Lake:

Crater Lake

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Store:

Store

Visitor center

Relief map:

Relief map

Crater Lake Lodge, currently being renovated:

Crater Lake Lodge, currently being renovated

Squirrel:

Squirrel

Crater Lake:

Crater Lake

Selfie

Crater Lake

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

We visited John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Oregon. It consists of three units; we visited the Sheep Rock Unit and the Painted Hills Unit:

Info sign

Viewpoint:

Viewpoint

Picture Gorge:

Picture Gorge

Sign:

Sign

Picture Gorge:

Picture Gorge

Peak:

Peak

Who was John Day? Just a naked guy who never went there:

Who was John Day?

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Sign

Orville the Oreodont

Signs

Visitor center

A peek into a lab:

Lab

James Cant Ranch. Maybe he should have given up, then:

James Cant Ranch

Picnic lunch:

Picnic

Car

Cabin

Peak

Farm equipment

On the way to the Painted Hills Unit:

Rocks

Painted hills:

Painted hills

Map

Painted hills

Selfie

Painted hills

Utah Alpine Loop scenic drive and Bridal Veil Falls

We did a day trip drive along the Utah Alpine Loop scenic drive, to the Timpanogos Cave National Monument visitor center, through the outskirts of Salt Lake City, and to Bridal Veil Falls.

Here’s an embedded map of the route, as an experiment (alternative link):

Alpine Loop scenic drive:

Alpine Loop scenic drive

We stopped at the Timpanogos Cave National Monument visitor center, since it was on the way. We didn’t go to the actual cave, since (a) it requires reservations, (b) it requires a fairly long hike to reach it, and (c) it requires having never been in a cave before:

Timpanogos Cave National Monument

Jenn

Timpanogos Cave National Monument

We stopped at The Holy Grill for lunch, a BBQ restaurant:

The Holy Grill

BBQ food

The Holy Grill

And a stop at Eddie Bauer to return some clothing:

Eddie Bauer

Mountains:

Mountains

Bridal Veil Falls:

Bridal Veil Falls

Great Salt Lake

We visited Great Salt Lake in Utah.

The visitor center:

Visitor center

Brine shrimp in the visitor center:

Brine shrimp

Info sign:

Info sign

Olympics 2002:

Olympics 2002

Great Salt Lake:

Great Salt Lake

It was a little breezy:

David

Great Salt Lake

David

Jenn

Next to the lake is a copper smelter:

Smelter

Info sign

Also by the lake is the historic Saltair:

Saltair

We then drove through downtown Salt Lake City on the way back:

Salt Lake City

Dinosaur National Monument

While staying in Vernal, Utah, we visited Dinosaur National Monument, which spans Utah and Colorado, and has two visitor centers.

We visited both, starting with the the Utah side:

Dinosaur model

Sign

The visitor center:

Visitor center

Relief map:

Relief map

Visitor center

Up the hill is a separate building with the dinosaur fossils. One can’t drive up there, instead taking a free shuttle:

Shuttle

The quarry visitor center:

Quarry visitor center

The building encloses a wall of dinosaur bone fossils:

Dinosaur fossils

Info sign

Panorama

Display

Dinosaur fossils

Some fossils one can touch:

Dinosaur fossils

Selfie

Dinosaur

Then we headed into Colorado:

Colorado

Sign

Canyon Visitor Center:

Canyon Visitor Center

Relief map

We had a picnic lunch:

Picnic

The park has a weird border, with a long road that is part of the park:

Map

(And yes, I was amused by the name of the picnic area.)

This part of the park is mostly about scenic rocks:

Rocks

Info sign

Road

Info sign

View

Flowers

View

Colorado National Monument

We visited Colorado National Monument, in — you guessed it — Colorado, west of Grand Junction.

Sign

We started by having a picnic lunch in a nice shelter:

Picnic shelter

Picnic

Then continued along the twisty roads, looking at the interesting rocks:

Rocks

The first of three tunnels:

Tunnel

We stopped at several viewpoints:

Rocks

Morons sitting on rocks off the trail:

Morons and rocks

An open-ended canyon:

Valley

Rocks

Big horn sheep; we were excited to see her, as she was the first big horn sheep we’ve managed to get a picture of in the wild (we’ve seen them in a zoo in Palm Springs, and on the side of the road in Lake Mead, but not so close):

Big horn sheep