Fort Stevens, OR

August 26, 2013

We can’t check in at our next destination until after 1 and it is only about 60 miles away so we got up,  had a nice breakfast and leisurely packed up and got on the road at about 11. We stopped for groceries and gas to fill some time. Heading north on 101 near Gearhart there was a bad car accident that delayed us for over 30 minutes. We arrived at Fort Stevens State Park on the northwest corner of Oregon at about 1:30.  It was raining. We got set up and went for a walk to the wreck of the ship Peter Iredale. When we got the ocean the wind was blowing harder than we have experienced maybe ever. The wreck is only a small part of the hull of the original ship. It was about a 2 mile walk round trip. The rain had stopped so back at our site we sat around enjoying the surroundings. This is a real nice park with lots to do and a lot of families enjoying themselves. After a real good dinner we sat around our fire for the rest of the evening.

August 27, 2013

After breakfast we drove to the historic area of Fort Stevens. This is part of the 3700 acres of the whole campground and fort. There is a historic walk we took that took over two hours and was probably over 2 miles. Fort Stevens was dedicated on July 4, 1865 to guard the Columbia River from invaders intent on taking the territory. It went through many changes through its history before being decommissioned in 1947. The fort is the only place in the US that was attacked during WWII. On June 21, 1942 a Japanese submarine fired on the fort. No one was hurt and we did not return fire because the fort commander didn't want to show where the firing batteries were. Also because the sub was out of range. The walk around the fort was very interesting. There was also a military museum we visited on the site. Then it was back to camp for lunch and enjoy our last day of this trip. One of our neighbors has been here a week or so fishing in the Columbia. The last two days they have gone out at about 6 and are back by 10 with their limits. They had smoked some of the salmon and were nice enough to give us a couple pieces. There’s nothing wrong with fresh warm smoked salmon and an ice cold beer. We spent the day reading and relaxing. After dinner we sat out enjoying the fireplace protected by our awning in a light drizzle.

August 28, 2013

We hit the road for home at about 9 in clouds but a promise of sunny skies. We got home just after noon and got unpacked while the weather was favorable. Next trip Sept 5 to the Columbia Gorge.