Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival, Oregon

We find that, at the end of our visit to Cannon Beach, Oregon, the Oregon Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival is beginning that very day.  We purchase tickets online and head inland to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm to view the fields at the beginning of their blooming season.  On the way, we pass other fields of vines and mustard also beginning their seasons.

Spring arriving in the fields

We enter the Wooden Shoe Farm and first browse through the tulips on display and for sale at the entrance/exit of the fields.

Wooden Shoe

Tulips in pots, many for sale

We pass the tents and stands of food, beverage, and crafts vendors and head into the fields to wander through the beds of color.  This first day of the festival and we are told that the tulips are 10%-20% in bloom.  That's still plenty!

Arts, crafts, food, beverages

Entering  beds of tulips

As we walk further into the fields, we find beds of tulips full of color and life and others preparing to bloom in the next few days or weeks.

Tulips in full bloom

Tulips thinking about blooming

More fields in bloom and about to bloom

Tulips in the field close up

We stop at the shop and pick a pot of tulips to take home and brighten up our house.

Tulips arriving at home

This has been a great side trip and leaves us with great images to remember on the drive home and for days afterwards.  And, of course, in addition to the memories, we have our small pot of tulips travelling home with us.

Oregon Waterfalls and Coast

We head south from Cannon Beach, Oregon, to explore the coast and inland waterfalls along rivers heading to the sea.  There are a few scenic spots on the highway along the coast and we stop to view and take pictures.

Along the coast

We turn east from the coast at Oceanside and follow the Wilson River Highway out of Tillamook and along the Wilson River to Bridge Creek Falls.

Wilson River

Bridge Creek Falls

Smaller falls nearby

The trail leads from Bridge Creek Falls, across the river and toward Wilson Falls, about an hour away.

Trailhead signs

Crossing the river, other view of the falls

We follow the trail, crossing other small rivers and falls for about a half hour before we reach a stream that is too large and fast in the spring rains and runoff for us to feel comfortable crossing.  We turn back at that point, returning to the trailhead to read the signs more closely and realize that the trail is washed out only a little further past where we turned around.

Trail along the river

Wilson falls to the right

Continuing through the forest

Along the Wilson River

Returning to the trailhead

We look online to find what we missed at Wilson Falls and read that is it a "narrow, multi-tiered waterfall about 200 feet (61 meters) high," giving ourselves something to look forward to the next time we are in the area (and the water is not running as fast and the path is restored).

Wilson Falls