Yes it is the end of JUNE in Arizona, so here we are:
- Looking for trees or any other shade source to park under, even if its a mile from the entrance.
- Having Chris start the car in advance because I won't get in until the air is blowing.
- If I need to go to the store or another errand, I wonder if the task can wait until after 6pm when the sun starts to head down in the west and will have more shady spots behind buildings, etc....
- Feeling my patience running out very quickly as the sweat forms on the back of my neck and my lower back.
- Wishing the Declaration of Independence was signed between October and March, rather than July 4th. It would make those Independence Day gatherings all that much more pleasant.
- Considering moving the kids and me to Oregon and having Chris come home on the weekends (no, Chris would never go for that and we wouldn't be able to afford him to fly back and forth each week. But man, I fantasize about it!) But I just might do that by myself when the kids are grown and Chris can come up on the weekends!
First, we had lunch on Yachats just south of Waldport. Just like a few days before at Yaquina Head, the day was very sunny (but cool).
A quick pit-stop at Devils Churn on the way down. Seeing it in calm June is much different than the water show we got seeing it in December when we were there for Christmas 07!
The beach just below Haceta Head:
The walk up the lighthouse was a beautiful, woodsy and green 1/2 mile. The trail and view was very worth it. Although, this was the day that Mikelle flew back home from Idaho and Chris had a hard time reaching me by cell phone when Christian and I were on this trail.
The Haceta Lighthouse in view from the trail:
And here is my little "vacation model" in front of the lighthouse.
Christian loved these telescopes. I just never seemed to have a quarter to put in one when we ran into one (note to self: Next time taking a 5yo gadget boy on a vacations with lots of spectacular views, bring quarters!)
Haceta gives actual tours in their lighthouse, which Christian was understandably experiencing boredom to endure. With Yaquina, he could go directly to the stairs and make his way up. With Haceta, he had to move with the tour and wasn't too thrilled to do so. He survived, however, because he did get to eventually climb to the top, just like Yaquina.
Diagram of the French lens. Most of the lenses were from France, except one which is British. However, I don't know which lighthouse has the British lens.
The lighthouse stairway, going up.
View of what makes a lighthouse a lighthouse! Christian was of course, very fascinated.
Heading back down the trail, is the old lightkeepers house, which is a now a Bed and Breakfast. See that large area next to it that is fenced in? That used to be another house that was torn down for lumber! I would love to go back in time and buy that house before it gets torn down!
And the beautiful trail back down. The bridge is the 101 Highway and on the right end of it is a tunnel.
More beautiful green and lush sites along that little trail. I miss all that green! And it's located in a state that cares and preserves its environment instead of selling it to developers to obliterate the land with strip-malls, apartment complexes, cookie-cutter houses and worst of all, Wal-Marts. Oregon knows its beauty and keeps it! Arizona has its beauty, but our inept leaders (local and state-wide) don't care enough to defend it and preserve the Earth that God gave us.
Another beach view from the trail:
Back down by the beach and parking area, here is the view of the Bed&Breakfast. The lighthouse is just beyond the trees to the left.
A really cool sign down by the beach. I love stuff like this:
This is a view of the Haceta lighthouse from the other side of the tunnel (south) just before the Sea Lion Caves. This is one of my favorite view-point/stops along the side of the 101 highway!
Looking down from that same viewpoint, the sea lions playing on the rocks below:
And another shot of the Haceta lighthouse view from that same point, because for some reason when I play with the pictures on the blog they come out blurry, when they're really not that blurry! :-(
It all just looks fabulous! I love that B&B! I would die for a house like that!
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