Road Trip - Peter Iredale Shipwreck

Peter Iredale shipwreck

The shipwreck of the Peter Iredale has been on my bucket list for some time. I’d visited Fort Stevens State Park where the shipwreck is located but for some reason, didn’t see the shipwreck. It helps to know the history of the shipwreck to really appreciate it.

Peter Iredale shipwreck

According to Wikipedia, the Peter Iredale was a four-masted steel barque that ran ashore October 25, 1906, on the Oregon coast en route to the Columbia River. A heavy northwest squall grounded Peter Iredale and high seas and wind drove the ship ashore. Much of what's left of the hull is buried in sand so there's not a lot wreckage visible. However, sometimes after a storm, more of the buried hull becomes visible. Happily, no casualties occurred in the accident.

Peter Iredale shipwreck (360 degree photo)

Peter Iredale shipwreck (360 degree photo)

Road Trip - Seaside, OR

Carol and I celebrated our 41st anniversary by spending the day in Seaside, Oregon. Turned out, December 28 was a King tide so the ocean waves were pretty impressive. Normally there would be at least 100 yards of open beach between the dunes & ocean but on this day, the waves were coming right up to the dunes. So, walking on the beach wasn’t possible. 

But we did get to see some cool waves and have breakfast at the Osprey Cafe, where the chilaquiles and arepas are excellent! 

Road Trip - Days 2 & 3 - Manzanita, OR

On day 2 we spent most of the day exploring Manzanita and nearby Nehalem Bay State Park. Turned out January 6 was a full moon and high tide was close to what's referred to as King Tide.

So, that in combination with stormy weather, caused some pretty scary surf conditions.

Beaches were covered with huge logs and woody debris that had been washed up by giant waves. Walking on the beach was a bit treacherous and we had to constantly keep an eye out for sneaker waves. 

Since it was off-season, Nehalem Bay State Park was deserted. The park includes a huge campground with bike trails, bathrooms, showers, yurts and facilities for horses. Nehalem Bay also had a boat launch which I assume would be used mainly by fishermen.

On day 3 we drove south to the town of Nehalem and found a nice little restaurant named Wandas Cafe where we treated ourselves to breakfast before heading back home.    

Looking south from coast highway towards Manzanita and Nehalem Bay, OR

Road Trip - Day 1 - Manzanita, OR

Took a short road trip to Manzanita, Oregon in celebration of Carol and my 40th anniversary. Stayed at The Inn at Manzanita and spent a couple days exploring the area. Weather was stormy and due to a full moon, tides were very high.

We'd never been to Manzanita so it was fun exploring a new area. Manzanita is a quaint little town with shops, restaurants and other touristy things but, since it was off-season, many of the restaurants and shops were closed. 

Thankfully though, there was a bakery/coffee shop nearby where we were able to get our morning caffine fix. There was also a cozy little book store and a few artsy shops where we were able to spend a little time and lots of money.