First, Get Out of the Car

If you want to capture the incredible views along Highway 101, you must get out of the car and stand at the edge of the viewpoint.  As a girl that doesn't even like driving over the peak of Neahkahnie Mountain, I never really considered this an option.

Yesterday was such an beautiful day, I decided it was time to channel my inner Ansel Adams and take the risk.  I grabbed my camera, got out of the car and slowly made my way to the 1,600 foot ledge.  As long as I looked through the lens towards the beach to the south, my fear of heights was manageable.

At one point though, I heard footsteps behind me.  Channeling my inner Alfred Hitchcock, I knew I was about to be thrown off the cliff into the sea by some long lost enemy.  Turning around, I was relieved to see a fellow photographer instead.  He wasn't planning to push me over the edge and looked a little nervous himself.  Drama over, I continued taking photos.

The results were well worth the risk.  This mountain is indeed aptly named, "the place of supreme deity" in the Tillamook language.