Date: Tuesday, 3rd Jul 2012
Low Tide: 7:02am, -1.8
[Work in Progress - feedback are always welcome]
Starting the day
This plant has been known by many different names including bearberry, crowberry and inkberry. Black Twin Berry is a type of Honeysuckle that grows well in moist forests along creeks and the edge of dunes. The berry is very bitter and considered poisonous. Native American used it for paint, to induce vomiting, and as a black hair dye depending on the tribe and region. -- Cape Lookout State Park Pamplet
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| Black Twin Berry |
Junior Ranger Program Time
The topic today is "Dichotomous Keying".A dichotomous key is an organized set of couplets of mutually exclusive characteristics of biological organisms. You simply compare the characteristics of an unknown organism against an appropriate dichotomous key. These keys will begin with general characteristics and lead to couplets indicating progressively specific characteristics. If the organism falls into one category, you go to the next indicated couplet. By following the key and making the correct choices, you should be able to identify your specimen to the indicated taxonomic level.
The Route
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| Point A: Cape Lookout State Park Point B: Tillamook Cheese Factory Point C: Cape Meares State Park Point D: Cape Lookout State Park |
Tillamook Factory
We visited the Tillamook Cheese Factory which is about 30 mins drive from the Cape Lookout State Park. Today, the place is very crowded! This is our second visit and the kids were thrilled to be here because they knew what they will be getting - ice-cream. I was surprised that they were interested to watch the whole packaging process. Finally, we had our ice-cream before we headed down stair to sample the cheese.The Tillamook Cheese Factory, located at 4185 U.S. 101 North in Tillamook, Oregon, is the Tillamook County Creamery Association's original cheese production facility. The Tillamook Cheese Factory also serves as a Visitor Center and hosts over 1 million tourists each year.[1] Visitors can learn about the cheesemaking process, cheese packaging process, and the ice cream-making process from a viewing gallery over the main production floor. Tours are self-guided and self-paced, and are augmented by video presentations and interactive kiosks.[5] Tours inside the actual cheese processing area of the plant were discontinued in 1967 due to health and safety regulations.[6]
The Tillamook Cheese Factory produced 167,000 pounds of cheese each day, and until a series of layoffs in 2012 reduced packaging and logistics operations in Tillamook,[7] packaged one million pounds of cheese each week.[5] The factory warehouse has the capacity to age 50 million pounds of cheese at once.[5] The cooperative also operates the aforementioned cheesemaking facilities in Boardman, Oregon, and contracts packaging and distribution to Marathon Cheese in Mountain Home, Idaho, and Great Lakes Cheese in Salt Lake City.[8][7] -- wikipedia
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| The famous Volkswagen "Baby Loaf" Bus |
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| Sampling the cheese section |
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| Preparing the samples |
Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint
The Lighthouse
Oregon's shortest lighthouse stands 38 feet atop Cape Meares and 217 feet above the ocean. In January 1886, the U.S. Congress approved $60,000 for construction of the lighthouse, which later took one year to build. Craftsman using bricks made on site built the tower and then covered the exterior with iron plates. -- Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint phamplet
Tip: The last guided tour is 3:30pm. There is a minimum height requirement to join the tour.
The "Octopus Tree"
This popular attraction is an unusually large sitka spruce aptly named for its unique shape. More than 10 feet at its base, it has no central trunk, uncommon for a sprunce. Instead, limbs 3-5 feet thick branch out close to the ground. Several other Sitka spruce trees are visible from the trails, but none is as unusual as the "Octopus Tree." -- Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint phamplet
Paragliding
Our friends told us about the Grammon Launch point and we decided to check it out. We were in luck as there was a number of paragliders waiting to take off. We were truly captured by this first experience of watching a paraglider taking off from such proximity. To make this experience perfect, the view from the take off zone was gorgeous on this sunny afternoon. This view must be a factor why Dick Grammon choose to paraglide from here. |
| Waiting for the wind |
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| The view |
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| Dick Gammon Launch Marker |
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| Getting Ready |
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| Take off |
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Gliding off Video
Dinner Time!
We had corn and chicken for dinner. The kids had 1 smore each as well.
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| Smore Time! |
Beach Time
We saw something special today on the beach, someone was Kite Skating! We have read about this but really seeing someone doing was fun! Afterward, it is all about getting wet!
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| Flying a kite |
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| Kite Skating |
Evening Ranger Program
Tonight Evening Ranger Program's topic is "Washed Away!".
The Cape Lookout State Park Series
- Cape Lookout State Park - Day 1 - Arriving
- Cape Lookout State Park - Day 2 - Munson Creek State Natural Site
- Cape Lookout State Park - Day 3 - Tillamook Factory, Lighthouse, Paragliding
- Cape Lookout State Park - Day 4 - 4th Jul Celebration
- Cape Lookout State Park - Day 5 - Cape Trail
- Cape Lookout State Park - Day 6 - Oceanside beach, Skimboarding
- Cape Lookout State Park - Day 7 - Depature
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