phoenix pet care

2024 birthday adventuring trip day #8: manzanita

just some more cool things in manzanita & on manzanita beach.

2024 birthday adventuring trip day #8: manzanita (& neakahnie-manzanita state park) (part 1 - landscape)

i wandered down the main commercial thoroughfare of manzanita, stopping in a couple shops; found more fun-covered journals. it started raining a bit; it wasn't falling hard & fast from the sky, but the wind has it hitting you hard & fast & in ~10 min., i was as soaked as i would be in a 30 min. dog walk. and there were still a couple of crazy fu***rs in the water, sans full body wet (or dry) suits. i was still drenched & cold when i parked next to neakahnie-manzanita state park, so the last pic is the only one you get of it (it's basically the same beach as manzanita beach, only with the added protection of being a state park).

-ManzanitaStatePark

2024 birthday adventuring trip day #8: elk meadows park (& nehalem bay state park) (part 2 - landscape)

pansies!

2024 birthday adventuring trip day #8: elk meadows park (& nehalem bay state park) (part 1 - portrait)

started on a trail in elk meadows that took me directly into the forested half of nehalem bay state park. came across what looked like a holly, not bush, tree, & then past more with holly berries. and those little yellow flowers on actual green bushes instead of the dead looking bushes i usually see them on.

2024 birthday adventuring trip day #7: nehalem bay state park (part 2 - landscape)

the jetty trail splits the terrain from the crowded pine trees to the west & the whatever-they-are bush-tree things to the east. there are more sunset pics in this pack.

2024 birthday adventuring trip day #7: nehalem bay state park (part 1 - portrait)

i took the jetty trail out to the near end of the jetty with a couple horse trails as a mini detour. which i probably shouldn't have done due to the time. but then, i wouldn't have found this perfect baby crab specimen! look at it! it's amazing! 'cause by the time i made it to the beach, i had less than an hour to traverse the 2 miles back to my car before dusk (when day use parking closes). this was no casual walk on the beach, i was hauling as much ass as i could - y'all, i even ran! i ran until two equestrians approached me asking to take their picture. at least i could still enjoy another gorgeous sunset for a few brief moments.

2024 birthday adventuring trip day #7: wheeler

i stopped in wheeler to check out wheeler station antiques. there are some cool items in this shop, including this t-shirt, but mostly just what you'd expect to see in an "antiques & collectibles" shop. it isn't even the only one on this street (there are 3 right next to each other). the maze-like interior of the building is more interesting than the merch, though. heart of cartm had a lot of cool things, including new items made from old trash (they have a halter top dress made out of 2017 total eclipse glasses). across the street is their waterfront park & wildlife viewing area. the only wildlife are birds (birds are cool, but i can see all these birds in the portland area 🤷🏼‍♀️).

2024 birthday adventuring trip day #7: manhatten beach state recreation site

another adventure kitty! daddy carried kitty to the beach & kitty barely moved. i later saw kitty being carried again. i found - i think - a wolf eel carcass, which is kinda cool since i've only ever seen them in captivity. i also found a sea star that didn't look quite dead, so i threw it back in the water.

2024 birthday adventuring trip day #7: more old timey trains

this refurbished caboose is in rockaway beach. every other time i've driven past here, there was a tiny train stopped just north of it on these tracks. clearly, one can purchase tickets to ride it as it is gone now & i briefly saw it heading back south as i was leaving my next adventuring location.

2024 birthday adventuring trip day #7: garibaldi lumbermans & railroaders memorial park & museum (part 2 - landscape)

hopefully, these pics give you some idea of the scale.

2024 birthday adventuring trip day #7: garibaldi lumbermans & railroaders memorial park & museum (part 1 - portrait)

not much to say about this open air museum. the old trains (a couple engines, a caboose, passenger cabins from different eras (one's windows are decorated with stained glass), etc.) are really cool. there's also some old buildings & equipment overgrown with blackberry bushes.