Cruised scenic (where’s Santa?!?) coastal highways down to Nehalum State Park. Stopped at Dismal Nitch – part of the Lewis & Clark National Historic Park. Amazing views!

Day 2 (aka my 65th birthday) we went to see Til and Clark so we could get set up to help her do bills etc. Credit unions, DMVs, and credit unions again – oh my. Tomorrow we’re off to Cannon Beach!

The weather gods were most kind to us when surprisingly enough day 3 did NOT rain til 4pm!!! It was still three hoody sweatshirt weather (in the low 50’s – quite cold) but sunny so we started with a lovely beach walk with the floof!

Then we were off to visit Haystack Rock and its marine gardens (tidepools)! This abso-freaking-lutely did NOT disappoint!!! First off – it is mammoth and impressive!

We had high hopes for wonderful tidepool discoveries so bundled in every sweatshirt I brought we ventured forth to brave the elements…

We spied anemones, mussels, snails, starfish & barnacles! Plus a multitude of seaweeds! Then we got super lucky when a little hermit crab scampered into view!

But we totally hit the jackpot when I saw an odd creature hanging out near the sea snails…

A nudibranch!!! In the wild!!! My first time ever seeing one in person! Talk about being over the moon… Then I saw this beauty underwater attached to a rock!

Finally we spotted this most adventurous nudi hitchhiking on a hermit crab! My cup runneth over!!!

Off in the distance we scored our 17th lighthouse! The Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, “Terrible Tilly”. The lighthouse went into service in 1881 and was decommissioned the year I was born, 1957. It’s now a final resting place for sea lovers ashes.