One thing we have in common is that when we were kids, Jessie and I both visited the Sea Lion Caves just north of Florence, Oregon. Jessie and I also have Sarah Michael in common, so the only thing left to do to complete our lives is bring together Sarah Michael and the Sea Lion Caves.
Done!
But first, let’s back up to this morning.
We slept well last night, and we probably could have slept in a little more except that our next-door neighbor Mr. Maple Lane RV Park and Marina Weekender fired up his Harley at 8am to go to work. Ahhh, that nearly-trademarked Harley Davidson sound.
Once we were up and about we were able to see what this RV Park actually looks like. This place is really nice! Our spot next to the river really is the best spot on campus and I’m glad we’re here. Yes we are 15 miles east of Florence so it is a drive to get anywhere, but having such a beautiful and peaceful home base for a few days is excellent.
The first thing Sarah Michael and I did was to start decorating and setting up the outside of our RV. We noticed in Cannon Beach that many of the obviously-experienced RVers made an effort to make their camps feel like home with various kinds of decorations. So we set out to personalize our spot.
We hung lights from the awning, fun little strings of lights with stars and moons and strings of flower lights. They’re kinda horrible, they’re kinda cute. We also laid out an outdoor carpet and set up our folding chairs and table. These touches really make the place feel comfortable, it doesn’t have the temporary any-moment-we’re-gonna-bolt vibe, this shows we’re committed to having fun.
While SM and I decorated, Jessie did laundry. We needed to do laundry after only two nights on the road? Well, no, not really, but we discovered the laundry here is free so Jessie decided to start making her $28 a night camping fee really work for us. I also have this feeling that Jessie secretly enjoys doing laundry.
Now, let’s talk Sea Lion Caves.
In order to understand this place you have to know two things:
- there are Sea Lions
- they are in a cave
To get to the caves you pay your admission then walk down to an elevator which takes you 208 feet straight down into the rocky cliff. The elevator doors open and you are greeted to a smell that is, well, strong.
You walk down a tunnel to a viewing area where you get to witness many Sea Lions hanging out on rocks, fighting each other for a better spot on the rocks, and otherwise doing whatever they do to create stench.
Not that any of this is bad, it is just that until your nostrils become accustomed to a new way of life you are quite aware that something really stinks.
The Sea Lion Caves are really neat, actually, so when you do your trip along the Oregon Coast be sure you make the stop. Check out the pics.
After the cave visit we were going to go back up to Newport to see the aquarium, but the highway was blocked by an accident so instead we turned around to go back and chill at the RV.
On the way back we stopped at the beach and walked and ran and enjoyed the sand. It was really windy on the beach and the sand felt good on our toes.
Eventually we returned to our little river paradise and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.
Ahhhhhh.
