Today we shared rides to Camp Disappointment State Park, Washington where there is another Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. I wondered why the bus didn’t take us there yesterday when we were so close. But now, after riding up the steep, winding road to a very small parking lot, I understand. Camp Disappointment sits at the mouth of the Columbia River as it enters the ocean.
This area was named in 1788 by an English Captain John Meares who couldn’t seem to find the entrance to the Columbia River because it was obscured by sand bars. When Lewis and Clark got here in November 1805, they initially wanted to camp in this area in the hopes that a trade ship would come by and they could replenish their supplies. That didn’t happen though because all the trade ships knew what the weather was like in Washington and Oregon during the winter and were in the Caribbean instead. Lewis and Clark wintered across the river in Oregon where we are camped.
We had our farewell dinner tonight. It was held at The SEA Crab Restaurant in Seaside. What a feast that was!
There was lots of hugging and goodbyes and ‘where are you going from here’ and ‘let’s meet up when you get to Florida’. It was a sad and happy time. We’ve traveled 3,247 miles together for a total of 45 days, stayed in 19 campgrounds in 9 different states.
I’m going to miss all my new friends.
From here on out, I’m on my way back home, and on my own. But the adventure isn’t over yet. I still have lots more to see and do and new traveling companions to join me and friends to visit. Stayed tuned.