Rain

After another good breakfast (this time the hot food was bacon, scambled eggs and link sausages), I had oats!!! We hit the road.

Drove down to the Oregon coast as Rte 101. Hit rain, and rain and more rain. Stopped briefly at Seaside (at a Safeway) to buy wines and cheese to take to Mark's. Not cheap if you don't have a Safeway card. 

Stopped in Astoria for lunch. Interesting town. Built at the mouth of the Columbia River. Home to the pilots that navigate the large ocean going freight ships over the sand bars at the rivers entrance. At Astori the oven pilots give way to the river pilots that then navigate the ships a 100 odd miles up the river to Portland. So along the rivers edge were lots of building with banners proclaiming them to Pilots no 12 or 14 etc. Most now turned into resturantes or shops. Before the Astoria bridge was built the only wat to cross a very large expanse of water was by ferry boat. The original town was built on the river (on piles) as there was step hills along side the river. In 1923 a fire destroyed most of the town (the piles can still be seen), so the town moved on to land -the streets just go along the hill (a bit like Virginia city). Drove up to the Asotoria colum (which is 125 feet high, which we climbed-some 164 steps) for a view over the Columbia and inland. The tower was built in 1911.

Now we crossed the Astoria Bridge- some 5 miles across (and very high to allow ocean going ships to pass over). Carried on Rte 101 North. Mixture of small towns (based on sea food, namely oysters ). The drive covered large tracks of wetlands (with sloughs) and forest. 

No rain today, just overcast with a temp of 12 degrees.

Coming into Olympia had to use data and Google maps to get us close to where they live. Then Marks instructions took over. Finally arrived around 4 pm. Great drive.

The crash continues to grow. I rang roadside assistance and arranged to swap cars tomorrow morning here in Olympia.

Great to catch up with Mark and Jeannie's again (they had visited us back in February, and spent time with me up at Mahanga). 

Had a great night drinking wine and eating cheese followed by pulled pork. 

Then off for a long overdue sleep.

Until tomorrow.