Cloud Hands: Northwest Travel

Showing posts with label Northwest Travel. Show all posts

Friday, February 20, 2026

Seashores of the Pacific Northwest

Thursday, November 20, 2025

Aberdeen to Olympia, WA

More Details and Photos to Follow.

Drive from Westport to Aberdeen, then to Olympia, then to Vancouver.

Sunday, February 23, 2025

Bridges in the Coastal Northwest USA

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Walkways and Bridges in the Northwest

Bridges and Walkways in the Northwest

Here are some photographs available on the Internet:

Astoria-Ilwaco Bridge, OR

Tacoma Bridge and Mount Ranier, WA

Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Yurt Camping and Travel Preparations

I will be Yurt Camping at Dosewallips State Park on the Hood Canal near the village of Brinnon, Washington. I will arrive Monday, May 6th and leave for home on May 9th, 2024. I will be exploring the area from Shelton to Port Townsend, mostly on 101 along the west side of the Hood Canal.

I will be yurt camping at Grayland Beach State Park, near Westport, Washington, from June 3rd to June 6. Karen and I will also be staying at resorts in Shelton, Port Townsend, and Forks in 2024. We stayed in Port Angeles, Bemerton, Lake Quinault, and Ocean Shores in 2023. Karen and I drove south from Port Townsend to Olympia down 101 via the Hood Canal in 2019 and in 2010. We have been exploring along Highway 101 (The Olympic Highwaay) from Ilwaco to Olympia, Washington. Basically, we have been exploring the Olympic Peninsula, Olympic National Park, and the Olympic National Forest.

I will focus on local travel in four days along the Hood Canal from Shelton to Port Townsend.

Vancouver WA 110 miles north to Olympia

Olympia WA 23 miles north to Shelton

Shelton WA 41 miles north to Brinnon

Shelton WA - Images

Shelton WA - Information

Hood Canal, Fjord, WA

Lake Cushman, WA

Skokomish Twana Native Americans

Skokomish River, WA, Images

Dosewallips State Park WA 39 miles north to Port Townsend

Dosewallips SP Images 13 miles north to Quilcene

Dosewallips SP Campground

Dosewallips River Images

Dosewallips Oyster and Clam Harvesting

Quilcene

Dabob Bay

Port Townsend 215 miles south to Vancouver

Four Days at Grayland: Extensive Travel Guides, Yurt Camping notes, local cities and villages, reports, commentary, Yurt Camping Information, Native American Information. Yurt camping on the coast in Oregon and Washington.

Tai Chi Chuan at the Beach: Please join Michael P. Garofalo for a Taijiquan Meetup/Gathering/Retreat at Dosewallips State Park, 7 am, Yurt C. I hang a kite on my Yurt that is shaped like a Salmon Fish. Campfire chats and a little practice sharing.

The best book I used to study general travel options for the Hood Canal
for my trip in May 2024 was:
Olympic Peninsula with Olympic National Park. By Jeff Burlingame.
Moon, 5th Edition, 2024.

Planning and Preparation:

I have been busy identifying and reorganing my camping, recreation, hiking, fishing, and travel equipment. I updated and purchased new gear for our home back porch improvements, fishing, walking, sighseeing, yurt camping, travel and recreation. I updated my 10 year old Keen boots for high top Danner boots and lightweight Merrill treking boots.. I organized all my outdoor clothing. Updated my medical bag. Purchased a small MP3 player. Purchased many guide and history books for my Olympic Peninsula travels. Car care, maintainence, and new battery. Getting reading for more Springtime and Summer travel, yurt camping, hiking, fishing, walking, writing. I am ready for walking in the rain; and updated my Kelty backpack and sling pack, and all necessary rain gear.

Four Days in Grayland Camping at the Beach, Northwest Coastal Travels

Yurt Camping in the Coastal Pacific Northwest by Michael P. Garofalo.

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Yurt Camping in the Coastal Pacific Northwest

Yurt Campsites on the Pacific Northwest Coast

Pacific Beach State Park, Pacific Beach, Washington
Bay View State Park, Padilla Bay, Mt. Vernon, Washington
Dosewallips State Park, Hood Canal, Brinnon, Washington
Twin Harbors State Park, Westport, Washington
Grayland Beach State Park, Grayland, Washington
Bay Center KOA, Bay Center, Washington
Cape Disappointment State Park, Ilwaco, Washington

Fort Stevens State Park, Astoria, Oregon
Nehalem Bay State Park, Manzanita, Oregon
Cape Lookout State Park, Netarts Bay, Tillamook, Oregon
Beverly Beach State Park, Depot Bay, Oregon
South Beach State Park, Newport, Oregon
William M. Tugman State Park, Eel Lake, Florence, Oregon
Sunset Bay State Park, Charleston/Coos Bay, Oregon
Bullards Beach State Park, Bandon, Oregon
Harris Beach State Park, Brookings, Oregon

Parks in Oregon with Yurts or Cabins

Each month, I reserve a Yurt Campsite on the Pacific Coast six months in advance.
I choose between one of the Yurt locations listed above. I reserve the Yurt for three nights (Monday to Wednesday. This gives me four days at the beach.

Here is a collection of webpages that provide detailed information on my Yurt Camping travels from 2022:

Four Days in Grayland Travel directions, city information, camping tips, yurt camping considerations, destinations, activities, crafts, seasonal info, natural history, good reads, bibliography, observations, poetry, Native Americans ...

Yurt Camping on the Pacific Northwest Coast

Friday, November 17, 2023

Yurt Camping on the Northwest USA Coast

Yurt Camping on the Northwest USA Coast:
Information, Tips, Locations, Photographs, Adventures, Camping

Four Days in Grayland:
Guides, Information, Tips, Cities, Camping in the Northwest USA Coast

Memories of Pacific Coast Places
Travels on US Highway 101 and 1
Docu-Poem by Michael P. Garofalo

Yurt Camping Locations on the Northwest USA Coast:

Pacific Beach State Park, Washington
Bay View State Park, Washington
Dosewallips State Park, Washington
Twin Harbors State Park, Washington
Grayland Beach State Park, Washington
Bay Center KOA, Washington
Cape Disappointment State Park, Washington

Fort Stevens State Park, Oregon
Nehalem Bay State Park, Oregon
Cape Lookout State Park, Oregon
Beverly Beach State Park, Oregon
South Beach State Park, Oregon
Sunset Bay State Park, Oregon
Bullards Beach State Park, Bandon, Oregon

Yurts at Nehalem Bay State Park:

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Netarts Bay, Oregon

My report from October, 2022:

My report from February, 2022:

The weather, for a change, became warmer and the skies cleared. No rain! No wind! Temperatures from 38F to 53F. Cool!

Excellent dry weather for a solo walker to roam the lovely loud beaches and lush forest trails.

I ate breakfast at the Fern Restaurant in Tillamook on 101. Enjoyed the hot hash browns.

Toured the new (2008-), three story, beautiful, spacious, and inviting Tillamook County Library in the downtown area next to a new large Safeway Supermarket. There is a Fred Meyer superstore at the north end of town, many fast food restaurants on US 101, and numerous stores and services in Tillamook. I drove around Tillamook. Shopped at Ace hardware and the Nectar Cannabis stores. A nice food cart court with covered courtyard in downtown.

Drove around Netarts Bay, the village of Netarts, and stopped at the beach and at the cliffside resort village of Oceanside with its many new expensive homes facing the Three Arches Rocks. These huge rocks in the ocean near the sandy shore are very impressive. I drove out to Cape Meares lighthouse. The dangerous cliffside road from Netarts to Ocenside gives me the willies.

Hung out at various places along the east shore of Netarts Bay. Watched people digging clams at low tide, and fishing from small boats and roadside rocks at high tide. The tide changes rules some aspects of life here.

Enjoyed a codfish dinner at the Schooner Restaurant.

During my last three monthly trips to coastal Yurt campsites (i.e., Grayland Beach, Cape Disappointment, and Nehalem Bay) it was raining, drizzling, foggy, windy, and wet. Under these weather conditions, I don't start a campfire. In fact, I seldom start a campfire. In the dry months, May to September, campfires in coastal State Parks are often not permitted so as to prevent forest fires. Or, I often just don't want to tend a smoky campfire; and, don't.

However, on this trip, I did light a campfire some evenings and some mornings. It was cold, a little foggy at times, other Yurt campers were having campfires, and the setting at my Yurt campsite was very beautiful. The Sitka Spruce forest was enchanting for me.

Here are some photographs by me from this Cape Lookout Trip:

My Campfire at the Yurt Campground
Cape Lookout State Park

Tillamook Valley

Thee Arch Rocks

Netarts Bay at Low Tide

Sitka Spruce Forest
Cape Lookout

Here are some aerial photographs of Netarts Bay found on the Internet:

Looking South

Looking North

Clamming and Crabbing in Netarts Bay

Looking South

Looking to the Northwest

Here is some additional information about Netarts Bay

Netarts, Oregon Population 744 Images Unincorporated community.

"Netarts is a small community situated at the mouth of Netarts Bay, just south of Oceanside. Found amid lush coastal rainforest, Netarts, in the language of the local Tillamook tribe, means “near the water.” On the shore of Netarts Bay, the town is separated from the Pacific Ocean by a long, club-shaped stretch of forested sand called Netarts Spit. This was once the earliest settlement site of the Tillamook Indians. Inside the bay, at low tide, many search for different varieties of clam, and a nearby marina offers boat and crab pot rentals. Nearby Cape Lookout State Park, on the opposite shore of Netarts Bay, has tent camping, yurts, cabins, and a rewarding hike to a great, panoramic vista for whale watching."
- Netarts Bay Travel

Netarts - Cafes

Netarts Bay

Netarts Bay Trip Advisor

Netarts Bay Travel

General History of the Netarts Bay Area, By William Hawkins, 1994 PDF

Where to Clam and Crab in Netarts Bay By Oregon Fish and Game Department Includes Map

Netarts Travel

Naveen's Bayside Market and Deli in Netarts

Netarts - Tillamook Coast

The Schooner Restaurant and Lounge in Netarts

Oceanside

Netarts Bay Geology

Netarts Bay, at maximum high tide, is 9 feet deep on the average.

Beach Sand Composition Geology

Zeolites of Tillamook Seashore

Northwest Coast: A Natural History. By Stewart T. Schultz. Portland, Timber Press, 1990, index, bibliography, 389 pages. VSCL.

"Netarts Bay is an estuarine bay on the northern Oregon Coast of the U.S. state of Oregon, located about 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest of Tillamook. The unincorporated community of Netarts is located on the north end of the bay and Netarts Bay Shellfish Preserve, managed by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, is located on the south side of the bay.[1] The sand spit on the west side of Netarts bay is part of Cape Lookout State Park. The bay is approximately 5 by 1.5 miles (8.0 by 2.4 km) and totals 2,325 acres (9.41 km2) in area, making it Oregon's seventh largest bay.[2] Of that, 812 acres (3.29 km2) are permanently submerged—the balance of 1,513 acres (6.12 km2) is intertidal land.[2] It experiences a maximum tidal range of 9 feet (3 m). The bay is part of a watershed of 13 square miles (34 km2)[2] that is fed by at least 16 small creeks. From north to south, there is Fall Creek, Hodgdon Creek, O'Hara Creek, Rice Creek, two unnamed creeks, Yager Creek, three unnamed creeks, Whiskey Creek, an unnamed creek, Austin Creek, two unnamed creeks, and Jackson Creek."
- Netarts Bay

"Oregon is blessed with the vision of former Governor Oswald West who legislated that all of Oregon’s coastline be accessible to everyone. This was remarkable foresight given the state’s sparse population in 1911. More than 150 years later we appreciate his commitment to beauty beholden to all."

"Another common question about our sandy beach is, “Why does sand squeak when you walk on it?” The answer is that the music is caused by friction from the sand grains rubbing against each other as we apply weight through our footsteps as we scoot our feet through the sand. However, there are certain conditions to be met. The type of sand that squeaks is usually a silicate, a feldspar, or a carbonate, the grains must be rounded (no sharp corners or edges), they should be around 300 micrometers in diameter, and they squeak best when they are dry (moisture on the grains acts as a lubricant, decreasing the friction)."
- Jim Young, Oceanside, Oregon