Disappointment Awaits

Saw this on a tee shirt and had to have it!

We are finding that Cape Disappointment State Park is super popular and has many long-time repeat visitors. We certainly are enjoying our stay here.  So why such a weird name?

Way back in 1775 a Spanish dude found a bay with a supposed river exiting through it to the ocean. His maps show he had discovered the mouth of the present day Columbia River. Then along in 1788 English Captain John Meares desperately wanted to find the river and thus the Northwest Passage. He sailed around the cape but failed to enter far enough to find the river and was profoundly disappointed, so he renamed the north headland of the bay Cape Disappointment! Really? Maybe he should have named it Cape Knucklehead!

There is much to do and see here and we've done our best to get out and about. Sometimes it’s hard to drag Bob away from the rig and his projects but he’s been a good sport about it. Cape Disappointment State Park has 8 miles of hiking trails, 2 miles of dog friendly beaches, 2 lighthouses, an interpretive center, a boat ramp and dock, 250 camp sites, some yurts and a few cabins. Here are some pictures taken in the park.

A view of McKenzie Lake from the steep .5 mile trail to McKenzie Head where we found Battery 247, a WWII gun emplacement.

People spend hours building driftwood forts with logs washed up on the beach.

Remains of a Japanese (?) boat

Hiked to Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. Nice trail, great views…

Dead Man’s Cove, named for the many dead sailors washed ashore there.

View of the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center (fondly called LCIC by the park’s volunteers)

Fish cleaning station at boat ramp

Typical boat passing by the boat ramp

View of Ilwaco from boat ramp

Pics from the coastal forest loop trail…

And last but not least...

Next post will highlight our meanderings outside the park…