In 2019 we were in Oregon for the Fourth of July. We started our day on the 4th at Ecola State Park near Astoria where we stayed for a couple of nights. We lucked out at Ecola and, coincidentally, there was a syzygy perigean tide (a fun term to look up) on that day and we arrived at the beach at the exceptionally low tide. The tide pools and normally submerged rocks were high and dry, giving us great looks at sea stars and anemones. A Park Ranger advised us that the tide would come back in very swiftly and it sure did. Water went from inches of water to knee-thigh deep in mere minutes so we left the tidal flats without hesitation. We enjoyed breakfast at the Pig’n Pancake in Cannon Beach just as the town’s 4th of July parade marched along South Hemlock Street in front of the restaurant. We explored much more of the Oregon coast that day and finished out that, our first day in Oregon with Astoria’s fireworks show seen from the deck of our motel room just east of town. That is the Astoria-Megler Bridge detectable in the fireworks photo. It was a great Independence Day.
