Battery Point Lighthouse in Crescent City, was first lit December 10, 1856. A beautiful Cape Cod style lighthouse, it has provided safe passage in and out of the Crescent City harbor for over 150 years and is uniquely placed on a point that is only accessible at low tide.
Tidbit: In 1879 a large wave hit the kitchen shed side of the lighthouse toppling the chimney, and knocking the kitchen stove over which started a fire. The family quickly started pulling water out of the cistern to put out the fire when a second wave crashed ashore, swished down the remnants of the toppled chimney and extinguished the fire!
While in Whittier, Alaska we learned about the devastating 1964 earthquake that destroyed the town. Traveling south along the coast, we have been constantly aware of tsunami dangers via placards, handouts, signs, and warning sirens blasting the weekly test of the tsunami warning system. Today, after arriving in Crescent City, California, we discover that Crescent City is also known as Tsunami City USA. It got the name after having recorded 31 tsunami waves since 1933.
5 short hours after the 1964 earthquake in Alaska, a huge tsunami hit Crescent City in 4 waves. The first 3 resulted in minor flooding, giving most a chance to evacuate. The 4th wave hit shortly after killing 11, flattening 29 city blocks, and destroying over 290 homes & buildings.
Peggy & Roxey Coons, Batter Point Lighthouse Keepers Picture courtesy of Del Norte County Historical Society
Offshore from Crescent City, the Battery Point Lighthouse Keepers, Peggy & Roxey Coons, tells it : “The water withdrew as if someone had pulled the plug. It receded a distance of three-quarters of a mile from the shore. We were looking down, as though from a high mountain, into a black abyss. It was a mystic labyrinth of caves, canyons, basins, and pits, undreamed of in the wildest of fantasies. The basin was sucked dry. At Citizen’s Dock, the large lumber barge was sucked down to the ocean bottom. In the distance, a black wall of water was rapidly building up, evidenced by a flash of white as the edge of the boiling and seething seawater reflected the moonlight. The Coast Guard cutter and small crafts, that had been riding the waves a safe two- miles offshore, seemed to be riding high above the ‘wall’ of seawater. Then the mammoth wall of seawater came barreling towards us. It was a terrifying mass, stretching up from the ocean floor and looking much higher than the island. When the tsunami assaulted the shore, it was like a violent explosion. A thunderous roar mingled with all the confusion. Everywhere we looked, buildings, cars, lumber, and boats shifted around like crazy. The whole beachfront moved, changing before our very eyes.”
Unknown artist’s map of the tsunami. Courtesy of Del Norte County Historical Society
I remember my first camera. It was one of those long black rectangular ones, probably a Kodak, and most likely a treasured gift from Christmas or a birthday. I can still picture myself opening the back, putting in a self contained roll of expensive film, adding a square flashbulb to the top, and viola, for the duration of the next 24 pictures, I was a photographer. At the end of the roll, I’d rush to Hale’s Drugstore, drop off the film, wait an agonizing week, pick up the film anxious to see the masterpieces so carefully composed. I’d sort through the envelope of glossy 3×5 pictures…of my hand, the ground, the side of someone’s head, and oh joy, a few of what I actually meant to take…I’d be ecstatic!
Fast forward ahead 30, or perhaps it is 40+ years, and photography has changed dramatically. I now have a digitial camera that fits into the palm of my hand. It has more buttons than I know what to do with, has a built in telephoto lens, takes hundreds, or is it thousands, of pictures, AND videos, before I have to change the film, I mean card. I can look at each picture as I take them, deleting the ones of my hand and the back of someone’s head. But, the wonders don’t end there! I can then put them on my computer and edit them. The water isn’t blue enough? There’s a button for that. The builiding is a little tilted, no problem, I can fix that. Want the picture in black and white, click, done. Wow! What can’t I do! This is fantastic!
The pictures below of the Cape Arago Lighthouse are a product of this modern digital era. I took about 30 pictures of the lighthouse from all different angles and hiking trails over several days, put them into my digital editing software and came out with very different compositions of the same subject. What fun!
Walking along a particular steep cliff section in Shore Acres State Park, we met a young couple and struck up a conversation. They mentioned the locals accessed the beach below via a hkle through a trees root system just up ahead. Of course, Darrin had to check it out.
Tidbit: They also told us about a rope the locals used in another spot. We peered over the edge at the skinny blue nylon rope and even Darrin agreed it wasn’t an option without climbing gear.
We spent five days exploring the Cape Arago area of the Oregon Coast. This includes Sunset Bay State Park, Shore Acres State Park and Cape Arago State Park. As usual, we hiked almost every trail, at least once, stopped at every view point, climbed down to every beach and out to every rocky area we could find access to, and enjoyed ourselves immensely, as usual.
Purple Sea Urchin condo complex, pool included in HOA fees.And up close. We were told that each little urchin slowly creates the hole they are currently sitting in. This unit is more along the townhouse type. Notice the large ocean front window…that costs extra.Gumboot Chiton. This cute little squishly, slimy looking guy was the size of Darrin’s hand. Rules of tidepooling are no picking up any thing, like there was any possibility I was going to touch this guy.Coffee, or tea in my case, break to enjoy the view. The only other people around were a couple fishing off the rocks to the right. I could have sat there all day.The Red Sea Urchins seemed to like deeper tide pools so a wavy watery picture.Really cool rock formations were everywhere. Okay, one more beautiful picture!
Tidbit: During our travels, we have observed many people zip into an overlook, jump out of their vehicle, snap a few pictures, jump back in, and zoom away. It has made us immensely thankful that we have the opportunity to spend the time to really immerse ourselves in an area.
Many harbor towns have some sort of memorial to those lost to the sea. Charleston harbor’s statue was striking in how it captured the love of the sea in the old Salt’s face, as he mans the helm, while the storm waves are crashing over and taking him down.
I love the inscription on the bottom.The face of someone who loves what he is doing until the very end.Today, a tugboat safely guides the larger boats across the bar and into the harbor.Habor security keeping an eye on us. Charleston has one of the largest commercial fishing fleets in the state of Oregon.
Tidbit: We think of shipwrecks as being something from history, but in 2016, the Eagle III, a 40 foot crabber fishing boat, sank off the entrance to Coos Bay in 30 mph winds and 10 foot waves. Three sailors were lost that day.
One of the good things about spending extended time in an area is the ability to see some of the cool hidden spots. John and Candy, our awesome Airbnb hosts for the week, told us about a hidden seacave nearby. Melissa, being the brave one, really wanted to check it out, just like when she really wanted to go in the sandrail on the dunes. We found the obscure trail and followed it to the cliff. It felt a bit like we were hiking into a favorite rock climbing spot, until the little hole at the base of the rock wall could be seen. We crawled in through the small hole to a house sized room. It was the type of place you would almost expect to see a pirate’s treasure!
Darrin slashing his way through the dense understory to the mouth of the cave.Backing our way down the muddy entrance to the mouth of the tunnel leading into the cave.Down we go!Hey! It’s pretty big in here.This is pretty cool. A house size room of solid rock in the side of the hill.We survived our first caving expedition!!
Tidbit: I let Darrin go in first so he could feel like Indiana Jones.
