Searching for the Trees of Mystery     

    Part II. Down the Pacific Coast Highway      

Highway 101 winds down the coasts of  Washington State, Oregon and California. We picked it  up in Tillamook, Oregon
and took it south, stopping every 15 minutes to jump out of the car and run down to the ocean. This is not the fastest way to get to Los Angeles.  If you ever get out to this part of America, take some of the byways off 101. They are crooked, wind along the beaches and thru forests and are really scenic.

Late in the day, we stopped at Sea Lion Caves.  Inside, it's like so many other tourist places with a ticket counter and the attraction behind a door. In this case, behind the door are stairs going down to a ledge where you can gaze across the water and see seals living in the hollows of rocks much like the ones above. I had stopped here in '86 and took my kids in to see the sea lions. This time, I only dropped by the gift shop.
 

This dome cost  50 cents making Sea Lion Caves home to the cheapest snowdome in America.  Granted, it's not a classic, but they got the color right and the sign inside says Oregon!
The next day included more driving down 101. We stopped and tromped through sand dunes and stuck our feet in the ocean
like everyone else. Our big money stop was  at Newport, Oregon to see the historic waterfront.  Here I met my pirate friends again.  These guys have decorated domes in Nags Head, North Carolina and Duluth, Minnesota.

What do you think of the carrots in the middle dome? It reminds me of the AT&T telephone, but there were no markings 
on it. The last is another generic dome. I saw all three in a shop in Newport, but they're still there as I declined to
buy them. That's my bias against stenciled domes.  Now that I'm home, I regret leaving the pirates out there, 

Another reason to stop in Newport is the Aquarium. Their top attraction is a coastal waters exhibit with a tank with a 
tunnel in it. You can see fish above and below you. The jellyfish exhibit is also fascinating. To think I've eaten these
things. Finally, everyone was amused by an otter playing with a piece of pipe until I realized it was doing unspeakable
things with it. Allright. Kids. Let;s go look at the turtle! 
 

 

   On to the Trees of Mystery