Fort Columbia…ready to guard the mouth of the Columbia River since 1904!
Another Fort?
Eternity II
We stumbled onto another touching memorial. This one in the redwoods right on the Smith River. We wish you well Dee, who ever and where ever you are.
A Real Moment of Zen?
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A Moment of Zen
Heceta Lighthouse
Today, we hiked the grueling 1/2 mile trail to the Heceta Lighthouse:) One of many lighthouses along the Oregon Coast, it is a beacon of warning for ships, and originally land travelers, as well. The lighthouse is just north of Florence and was built in 1894. It stands 205 feet above the ocean and is only 56 feet tall, but its light can be seen 21 miles away. Originally, the lighthouse was faithfully manned by 3 light keepers and their families who tended gardens, hunted, fished and oh, kept the lighthouse running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to warn sailors of the treacherous basalt ledges and cliffs.
Tidbit: In October of 1910 a disastrous fire struck downtown Florence destroying 10 buildings. The fire could have been much worse because stored in a nearby warehouse was 50 cases of coal oil for the Heceta Lighthouse. Because of someone’s quick thinking the coal oil was loaded on a steamer and moved away from the wharf.
The Simple Things
I have been complaining, I know, a rare occurrance, about typing on my tablet (we left laptops at home). The old hunt and peck method can’t keep up with my flurry of thoughts. So, my wonderful guy found me a bluetooth keyboard that works with my tablet and phone and convinced me, over the course of a month, that it would be worth the $30. It is amazing how much easier it is to get blogs and such done. My fingers can now keep up with my brain. The simple things in life! Oh, and he was right:)
Real Art?
Another, legitimate?, form of artwork along the train route are the murals painted on the sides of buildings. These appear to be mostly commissioned pieces of artwork. Here are a few we were able to get pictures of.
Tidbit: A mural/billboard from a bygone era advertising Coca Cola
Art or Vandalism?
An unexpected treat while riding the train west was all of the graffiti seen on the rail cars, abandoned buildings, retainer walls and any other available flattish space. Fun, colorful, and amazingly artistic, they are eye catching. But, do the locals, building owners and railways view it as art or vandalism?
Below are a few we were lucky enough to catch (if a bit blurry), we missed most as the speed of the train only gave us a second to grab the shot. We apologize if any of the graffiti is offensive, we enjoy it for the artwork, not for the message it is sending.
We found it to be an an amazing art form.
Tidbit: If you look closely at the pictures above, notice how the artists go around important information on the rail cars like rail names and identifying numbers. Is this out of respect for the railway or preservation of their artwork so it is less likely to be removed?
The Twain! Boss! The Twain!!!
(With apologies to Fantasy Island)
We currently await the train to NYC from an anywhere station USA. The station is small, warm, and nice, and has the melancholy feeling of lost youth. If only the walls could talk, the tales this station could tell from the Golden Era of train travel. The era when the rich and famous would arrive and head off to some resort or another, and the hobos would be camping further down the rail.
Now it is just M and D here with our wee backpacks! Back on the road/rails and heading west! Going to strike it rich? Going to find fame and fortune? The big question is…are we the lost youth, the rich and famous, or the hobos?
Hiatus
Hello All,
Contrary to the rumors that we fell off an Oregon cliff or are caught in a wildfire somewhere, we are actually on an unplanned hiatus. We dropped the Rover off to have her new engine installed and flew to Florida to deal with some familh business. We are not sure how long our hiatus will last, but you will be the first to know when we hit the road again.
We wish you all a very Happy Holidays!!
Peace,
Melissa and Darrin