Going to the Coast

Hi everyone,

After a packed few days in Portland visiting, medical appointments and family connections, we left the campground in Wilsonville and wove our way westward through busy traffic towards the Oregon Coast.  Half an hour west of the city, we started climbing over the Coastal Range. These are similar to the mountains on Vancouver Island in that they were made by subduction of the coastal plate under the continent. This explains why they are younger and smaller than the inland ranges. This part of the coastal range tops out around 1600 feet.

In the first photo we are going through some of the magnificent forests that line the 

highway.

At mile 18 (measured inland from the coast) we are famished, and happy to see the Camp 18 Restaurant. It is a huge log building built from huge logs, and

displaying a number of very interesting historic pieces of logging equipment.

The front of the restaurant is decorated with wood carvings of western and logging significance. 

I even held hands with (their rendition of) Sasquatch !!  For our overseas friends and family, he is sort of like the Loch Ness

Monster, only he lives in the forests and glimpses of him perpetuate the myth of his existence.

The inside is typical of a place reflecting the logging culture. Huge spaces and roofing structure, long tables meant for sharing. We sat on the far wall,

right underneath the picture on the left.

Roof structure. Also (not to make too strong a point of it), a fine example on the left of how "oversize" is also reflected on a human level.

Even the cashier's station is made from a hollowed out single log. That's me leaning on it. And that's the head of a stuffed bull Roosevelt elk hanging on my left.