Lewis and Clark Museum at Cape Disappointment

Dugout canoe similar to the one Lewis and Clark used on their trip to the Pacific.

Cape Disappointment does not live up to its moniker’s pronouncement.  It was not disappointing at all.  The beach was fabulous, with sand from one end to the other.  The lighthouse was easily within view, being perched upon a bluff where its lifesaving beams once reached out to nearby sailors.  Along the precipices were numerous colonies of three different cormorant species other oceanic fishers.  Abundant hiking trails, well maintained, provide ample leg stretching activities for those so inclined.  Then, on top of all that, was the fort and museum.

The fort was a relic of two world wars.  Its job was to protect the entrance to the mouth of the Columbia River.  Battlements rested high atop vertical cliff faces to give spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean where the great river emptied its sediment.  Also visible were the bird colonies, much closer at hand than they were from the beach’s viewpoint.  Next to the concrete bunkers comprising the fort was the Lewis and Clark Museum.

We spent the better part of an hour mulling about the displays.  Lewis and Clark made history by being the first to travel the distance across the burgeoning continent and reach the Pacific Ocean.  Their travels are legendary throughout the US and their feat no less impressive.  The museum holds numerous artifacts and displays to awe the patron.  Particularly impressive are the many hands-on opportunities for little fingers.  All ages are sure to be delighted with the discoveries which await them.

The photo above is one of the exhibits.  It is a 50% scale of a dugout canoe, the type Lewis and Clark made with the help of aboriginals after their trek across the continental divide.  The photo does not do justice to the impressions I got while standing there.  Hewn from massive trees, they were the mode of transportation for the explorers for a good portion of their journey.  Before the Columbia River was tamed, there were many rapids and boiling cauldrons of death which had to be run or bypassed through portage.  It must have been a harrowing adventure.

A family’s foray build bonds for the future.

Bikes on the asphalt pathway, Longbeach, Washington.

A family of seven finds fun

At a place underneath the sun

Where waves and bicycles roll

And adults and children stroll

When the ocean meets the land.

The littlest is just a baby

The oldest a teen, maybe

Mother and father explore

With their children galore

Miles and miles of sand.

Fourteen wheels on tubular frames

Heads filled with fun and games

Riding their bicycles together

This time will last them forever

Bonding over memories grand.

This, a story which takes place

For any creed, colour, or race

Spend time together; have fun

Anywhere under the sun

To help make your family stand.

Together and not apart

Activities that will start

To build tight bonds together

That will hold in bad weather

When hard times come at hand.