Astoria Sunrise Serenade

I'm going to post this one in "real time" because I was just too excited!  I left early yesterday morning and spent some time in the capital city of Olympia, then took a waterfall hike in the woods, and then I pointed my car toward the Oregon border.

I crossed the Columbia River just before dusk and wanted to head toward the coast to get some variety in this trip.  It was a pretty hairy ride once it got dark in the rain, but I took my time and I could tell that in the morning I would be glad I had come because even in the dark it was undeniable that the scenery was going to be fabulous.

I checked in to my hotel in Astoria and as I always do I opened my window to air out the room....and heard the unmistakable chatter of sea lions!  I wondered how I would ever go to sleep knowing that I would wake up to sea lions!

The sun was breaking through the clouds bright and early and I hustled to the docks just outside my hotel.  I hustled a little too quickly and slipped on some ice on a railroad tie, but you take the bad with the good, right?  Look at all these sea lions!!

I enjoyed watching all the little dramas unfolding in the different groups.

I'll have to look into seal behavior later, but I assume this is all in good fun...or maybe a little rivalry?

Either way no one was hurt, though one did get knocked off into the water which was a hoot.

A few were above all the nonsense.

Dignified and regal, though you should have heard the deep throated bellow that came out of him.

And he seemed as happy to greet a sliver of sun as I was!

Off to discover the coast!