World United States Oregon Tillamook

Winter Trip 2011-2012

Garibaldi Maritime Museum, Nov. 11, 2011 Nov 12, 2011

Garibaldi Maritime Museum - Friday, November 11, 2011 A new storm front was moving in this morning, and the clouds were dark and heavy, but I had already planned on visiting the Garibaldi Maritime Museum and the weather wouldn’t affect that. After collecting my emails at the clubhouse, I got ready, played with Zack and then we left for Garibaldi. The Museum is in a new building right on Hwy 101, and easy to find. It is dedicated to preserving the Pacific Northwest’s maritime heritage, and focuses on Capt. Robert Gray, Captain of the sloop Lady Washington, which sailed into Tillamook Bay in 1788. The Columbia Rediviva and Lady Washington left Boston in 1787, with plans to round Cape Horn and stop in Oregon to trade for sea otter furs, which he was to take to China and trade for silk and tea (wasn’t Boston Harbor still full of tea?). Once they had obtained enough furs and items to trade in China, Gray traded ships, sailed the larger Columbia to Canton, China, and traded his items for tea and silk. Upon completing his mission, he sailed east, and around Cape Hope, returning to Boston in 1789, becoming the first ship to circumnavigate the globe. Within six weeks of his return, he was commissioned by merchants to return to the northwest and obtain more furs. It was this trip that he discovered the mouth to a large river and was able to enter it, naming it Columbia, after his ship. This discovery allowed for greater trading among the natives, enhancing Gray’s number of furs. He again sailed to Canton and then back to Boston, circumnavigating the globe a second time. Along with models of both ships, samples of sailor’s clothes and accounts of living conditions, the museum also houses other exhibits. One room showing the history of Tillamook Bay, including the lumber mills and fishing canneries, and another of model ships, trade items from China, and an extensive gun collection, donated by a local man. I spent about 2 hours touring the museum and reading all of the information, and there were no windows in any of the rooms, so upon heading to the door to leave, I was shocked to see that it was raining buckets outside. The storm had hit with full intensity while I was inside and oblivious to it. It was only 3 O’clock, but I was hungry, so was ready for an early dinner. Before getting back on Hwy 101, I decided to drive to the Garibaldi marina and see where all of the fishing boats are. As I drove around, there was a restaurant and bar right there, so I decided to stop there for dinner. My thought was, where else could a restaurant have fresh, right off the boat, seafood than where it was unpacked and processed. There was only one couple in the restaurant, but for that time of the day, it wasn’t a surprise. I looked over the menu and chose the Captain’s Choice, which was Pawns, oysters, calms and halibut, all breaded and fried, with a baked potato, rice pilaf (instead of cooked broccoli), pickled cabbage (which the cook had just made and gave me some for a taste. It was hot [heat hot, not spicy hot] and not pickled enough for me.), and a salad. It came with a tangy seafood sauce as well as tartar sauce and lemon slices. For a drink, I had a glass of white wine, which really complimented the meal. Each of the seafood items were in threes, except the halibut, so I couldn’t finish all of it and brought more than half home for another meal. It was all good and satisfied my desire for a good seafood dinner. It rained the entire time I was eating and on the drive back home. When we arrived, it was misting, so I played with Zack, and then fed him only dry food to see if he was really hungry. He had been sick the night before, and I hesitated to give him anything, but he ate the dry and seemed fine. This being a Friday, several new arrivals pulled in, several even after dark, and set up. One large group took over the clubhouse as their private kitchen, preparing a meal and pushing all of the tables together. I had gone over to collect any emails I might have, and then returned to my motor home. I showered and watched television until almost 11 PM, then went to bed for a peaceful sleep, listening to the rain falling on the roof.

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