Sea Lion Caves in Florence, Oregon
One thing bad about all these roadside tourist attractions is that they're stationed right next to the roadside. This probably wasn't a problem fifty or sixty years ago when cars drove down Highway 101 going about 40mph, but now you've got lunatics zooming around RVs and flying by this place at 70mph. You take your life into your hands pulling into or out of the parking lot.

Before getting to the cave, you're directed down a flight of stairs and to a lookout point which, from the sign nearby, says is a perfect spot to see whales. Ten minutes later, I give up. I don't have the patience to stand there and hope to see a whale. Besides, who knows if they're even in the area?

I hike down to another viewing spot and can see the sea lions clambering up the rocks to find a good spot to sun and sleep. With the naked eye you can't see too much detail, but I set up the camcorder and with its zoom I can see them really closeup which is infinitely more interesting than looking at brown blobs from a distance. The sea lions jostle for position and it's comical to see them using the tide to help flop them up onto the rocks. Sometimes they miscalculate and end up flopping back into the water and have to try again.

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