Happy Birthday Jack!!! (Oops it's Jake!!)

Today was Museum Day in Long Beach WA!!  Not in any particular order, one of the most unusual was Marsh's Free Museum, the home of Jack.  You don't know Jack???  Don't feel bad ... neither did I!!  But I know Jack now!!!  CORRECTION ... well it sounded good when I wrote it, but Jack is actually JAKE, as has been pointed out to me!!  Gotta love auto-correction on I-Phone!!

This is Jake ... half human, half alligator!!  Something about a man got swallowed by a female alligator??  Or maybe it was he got half eaten and the pieces fused together??  Heck if I know, but I DO remember this being in Florida many years ago.  Well every day is Jake's Birthday, so drop by and say hello!!

When we stopped in at the Kite Museum off main street, I wasn't expecting much.  The ground floor was dedicated to an 83 year old who flies 7-8 kites at once, and you can see a video of his feats.  Not being a kite flyer (yet anyway) I wasn't very interested ... however when you head up to the second floor, take your time and look around.  The kites are amazing and well worth the time and $5.00!!!

This one is HUGE ... at least 7 feet high.  Most of the kites here are hand painted and come from many different countries.

Some of them are amazingly lifelike in appearance.  If you saw this flying, you would think it was a real bird!!

Kites were even used in the war.  Piano wires were hung from the frame and it was flown over ships.  Any plane that tried to fly low shooting at the ship, was actually taken down by the wires.  

The fog came in about the time we decided to see Cape Disappointment and the last museum of the day,  North Head Lighthouse, north of Ilwaco.  This is the Lighthouse Keepers residence, now a vacation rental.  You can call the State Park for reservations.  Pretty huge house compared to other lighthouse homes.

 Prior to the lighthouse being built, Captain Beard with his ship the Vanalia, wrecked at the mouth of the Columbia River.  His body was found here on the beach, which is now named Beard Hollow.  His wife, at 17 years old,  was married, had a child and was widowed all in the same year.

Our last stop was the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.  More of an information center than a museum, it tells their story through the use of their journals and writings.  Being a State Park, there is a charge to park and a charge to get in, along with an uphill trek to the front door.  The view is probably amazing when there's no fog, but alas, we could only hear the ocean crashing on the beach.  

While Patty and Dan went to see a movie, I walked around Long Beach and checked out their Farmers Market.  I'll tell you about that tomorrow.