Day 7, a Delicious Day

Denis's sister, Ardith, and brother-in-law, Jim, are seasoned RVers having spent over two years traveling the US and living in their R-Pod full time. Ardith is also a consummate travel planner. They are the perfect travel partners.

Despite the forecast for rainy and overcast weather, today was sunny and clear. The perfect day to explore the Three Capes Scenic Loop.

Our first stop was Jacobsen Salt Company. Seawater is pumped into large boil tanks from Netarts Bay. After that, it is heated in large pans. Salt flakes rise to the top. They are scooped out and set out on drying racks. At this small farm, it is a very hands-on, labor-intensive process.


Our next stop was Cape Meares. The lighthouse was built in 1889. Despite it being only 30 feet tall, its position on top of the cliff, coupled with its Fresnel lens, makes it visible 21 miles out to sea. It is not only a lovely spot for humans, but whales seem to like it too. We spent some time watching two whales that were active in the area.

Another thing Cape Meares is known for is its Octopus Tree. The Sitka spruce is estimated to be 250-300 years old. No one is sure what caused the shape of the tree. It has no central trunk but instead, there are a number of limbs that grow upward. 


We had a table with a view on the outdoor patio of Schooner Restaurant in Netarts. It is a lovely spot with delicious, fresh from the ocean fish. Denis had Calamari Alla Bravas which was the highlight of our lunch. We learned that squid was once primarily fished in the Monterey Bay area. With the warming ocean, the squid have moved further north and began to be fished in Oregon in 1980. Since then, the catch has risen to 10 million pounds in 2020.

We continued on the Three Capes Loop to Nestucca Bay Creamery. This is another small, family-run operation. The dairy farm has been in the family for five generations. They make all their own cheese at the farm down the road from the shop. They also have an ice cream machine that uses their vanilla ice cream to blend in frozen fruit as you order it. We were told that the current owner of the farm's husband is from New Zealand where this kind of ice cream machine is common.

Across the street is a yarn store. The owner/operator has lots of different sheared wool. Some are raw, and others are dyed and spun. This place would be a knitter/weaver's toy store. So fun, coming across places like that in unlikely small towns.

Our final stop on the tour was Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City. This is the site of the Dory fleet. Unfortunately, we weren't there at the right time so we missed watching the boats come in which, we understand, is quite a show. We did get to visit the Pelican Brewery and picked up two six-packs to complement our instant pot chili. That, along with the Trader Joe's Blood Orange Loaf Cake mix, rounded out a great day for traveling foodies.



Location: Cape Meares, OR 97141, USA

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