Southern Oregon Coast

July 16 ~ 20

Moving down the coast in search of warmer weather proves fruitless, but gorgeous.

Finally coming to the realization we are not going to get any serious beach time in Oregon, we go to Coos Bay, a little inland, to The Mill Casino (themilcasino.com) for a little diversion.  The RV Park is adequate there, the casino is a nice mid-sized facility and the two evenings we spent put us a nice bit ahead.

The real reason we came here though, is for the Oregon Dunes, (stateparks.com/oregon_oregon), a 40 mile stretch of wind blown sands that stand up to 500 feet above the water.  I was just planning on walking them....Rick had another idea.....a dune buggy!  Rented a two-seater for an hour from SpinReel (ridetheoregondunes.com) in North Bend.  Must say, they were extremely professional and careful in the pre-ride training and checklist.  I really didn't think this was going to be any big deal....I was wrong.....it was quite a ride! 

Loved it when we were on the beach.

But going up these huge sand hills was kind of freaky because when you got to the top, you didn't know what kind of plunge was on the other side! Hard to get your bearings especially when there was no vegetation....almost like being in a white out.

A couple of days here was a good respite, but we are going to give it one more go for a beach day.  Brookings, Oregon hasn't got much going on, but there is a RV facility in a marina on the beach.  We'll take a chance.  The Port Brookings Harbor and RV Park (port-brookings-harbor.org) has nothing to boast about except it is just feet from the beach.  The facilities are not nice, but watching the beach up close and hearing the waves all night make up for a lot.

The temperature climbs enough to make some beach time possible.

The wind kicks up enough to get in some kite-flying.

And the beach walks are uninterrupted.

One thing we find quite interesting and very charming is the way the locals use the beach.  They don't seem to be coming to sit in the sand.  What we see is an almost constant procession of cars that pause for just a little while to gaze.  In the morning they have coffee and look like they are trying to jump-start their day.  At night,  ice cream cones seem to be the big thing and they are there to just exhale.

We are growing weary of traveling, but know some prime destinations are within reach.  We will go through the Redwood National Forest, then to Napa which I expect to be a near religious experience for me!

Newport, Oregon

July 11 ~ 15

Oregon hasn’t shown us great weather, but she certainly is a showcase for stunning landscapes. The drive to Newport is halted many times just to take it in.

We are staying at a resort that is part of Outdoor Resorts of America (outdoor-resorts.com). We’ve stayed at most of them and some are simply fabulous; others, pleasant. Pacific Shores in Newport falls in the middle of the bracket. Very nice, but there are no developed lots (outdoor kitchens and the like). But we have a grand view overlooking the ocean and lighthouse. Sometimes. Then the fog rolls in and the lighthouse disappears.

We bundle up in the mornings and take a variety of beach walks. The beach to our north is rocky, craggy and loaded with sea creatures. In the low tide, star fish and anemones hang from the boulders, thousands of mussels have been exposed from their rock homes and interesting limbs temporarily rest on the sand.

The beach to our south, just the other side of the lighthouse, is totally different. Agate Beach is sandy with very little ocean life apparent. The big find here is quite a few sand dollars.

Mostly, we keep jumping around just to stay relatively warm.

Bay Boulevard

This strip of about four blocks is a combination of shore-town souvenir shops, restaurants, galleries and the center of commercial fishing. It’s a fun stroll. And, though, we didn’t try it, understand Mo’s is the place to have chowder.

It’s a cool, but sunny day and we finally get to see the seals come up for a little sun bathing on the dock.

Rick books a fishing trip with Newport Tradewinds Deep Sea Fishing (newporttradewinds.com) for early the next morning….we’re sorry to hear he probably won’t get any salmon. But they say rock fish are plentiful.

I stay back at the ranch, spend the day on life chores and can’t wait to see what’s for dinner.

Rick returns with his legal limit of 6 rockfish. He also had to throw back ling cod because of size. He had a great time….but unfortunately some others in his group weren’t so fortunate as the heavy chop didn’t agree with some.

The fish were filleted at the dock and when I package them into dinner portions, I see we have just acquired nine dinners. For tonight’s super fresh, hours out of the water dinner, we decide to keep it simple. Dredge lightly with flour and egg, sauté in oil and butter. It is wonderful! Didn’t think I liked rockfish, but what I learned at the docks is there are about 40 varieties commonly dubbed rockfish. This variety tastes and looks like snapper.

Nye Beach

It is so cold today….the wind is blowing full force and I rummage around in the back of my closet to find a heavy sweater coat……note: this is July 15.

Nye Beach is a very small section on the beach that looks kind of like a little slice of Nantucket. Gray clapboard buildings with a couple of cute boutiques and galleries. Visited the shops, then had a warm, comforting, though extremely hearty, chowder at The Chowder Bowl. Bought a quart of their base, to which you add the milk, for the freezer…..will notch it down a bit with skim milk though. Have a hunch we haven’t seen the end of cold nights.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

Because of the weather, we haven’t yet made it to the lighthouse we’ve grown so fond of watching. Yesterday the winds must have been a sustained 40 mph. We leave today and take a quick run over there. Turns out it’s a State Park and deserves it official name…Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area (oregonparks.org). The visitors’ center gives us a good overview of the terrain and of the structure opened in 1873 and tended by a light keeper until 1966 when it was automated.

The lighthouse is striking up close and on regularly run tours you can climb the 114 steps to the top.

But what we loved most was a most unusual “bird house”. Thousands of seabirds, mostly murres and seagulls, nest on huge rocks. A guide tells us they stay packed cheek to jowl to protect themselves and their young from predators. Looking through a telescope reminded us of a some outrageous nightclub on the verge of a rave. They literally walk over each other to move.

Wish we had more time to spend...very interesting. Still trying to get just a little bit of "toes in the sand" time. Will move down the coast a bit.

Stateside ~ The Northwest Coast

July 8 ~ 10

We are ready to get back to the States.  Booked a ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, WA. Planning on working our way down the Coastal Highway.  Had to arrive hours before departure so Customs could do their preliminary thing.  Walked to Fisherman's Wharf for lunch where we've heard Barb's Place (barbsplace.ca) serves a wicked fish and chips.  The portions are massive and really just okay, but the wharf is kind of cute.

We need to scurry back to the dock because passengers are required to be there one 1/2 hours before departure....you're essentially impounded.  The ferry arrives and this time we're pretty much at the head of the line because we paid for reservations...an astonishing Canadian custom!  We load Tor, Pearl and ourselves and we settle in on deck for a one 1/2 hour ride on a very beautiful. day.

The crossing is great.  Victoria Harbor sparkles. Seals and dolphins play around the ship and the views of the Olympic Mountains are lovely.

As we depart the ship in Port Angeles, U.S. Customs does their thing again, board Tor and we get busted!  Who knew that blueberries and garlic were contraband!?!   I like the Canadian Customs, they're only concerned if you have firearms.  Very civilized.

Stay in Sequim at a one-night-only spot Sequim Bay Resort (sequimbayresort.com) which wouldn't be too bad if you got a bay-front site.  Only redeeming thing of our stay was, when we were pulling out, a couple from Lake Tahoe who owned their coach for one day, stopped to talk.  Really enjoyed them and hopefully we can meet up with them down the road.

Astoria, Oregon

The drive to Astoria, Oregon was dotted with scenes we found rather distressing. So many areas where all the trees had been felled.  Hopefully there's a plan in place here.

There's very little reason to visit Astoria, OR, but we found a couple of things to keep us amused for the day.  Crossed an interesting bridge, the longest (4.1 miles) truss bridge in the world. Then found Lewis and Clark Golf and RV Park (astoriaoregonrvpark.com).  It's fine for a couple of days, very convenient to town and the owners are the most accommodating people I think I have ever met. Naturally it's cold and foggy so never played their 9-hole course.

Astoria is at the confluence of the Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River. Also where Lewis and Clark landed to satisfy Thomas Jefferson's quest to find a navigable route across the country from St. Louis.  We wandered the beach with the car.  And went to Lewis and Clark Nation Historical Park (nps.gov/lewi) which was really quite interesting.  For instance, we found  it fascinating that Sacagawea, who has always been held up as such an important part of the expedition, goes virtually unnoticed in the exhibits and literature.  A guide tells us that actually, her husband, Charbonneau, was the translator and trailblazer and that she and her infant son went along for the ride! Here's where the expedition landed in 1806.

Found a very good restaurant on the Riverwalk, which I must say is virtually unfindable.  We finally found it after tracking down the trolley that runs the route.

Bridgewater Bistro (bridgewaterbistro.com) is an unexpected find.  It's in a renovated waterfront warehouse, done in a very lofty, industrial style.  The food is quite good.  Mine was a very innovative duck breast with a blueberry/truffle sauce.  Rick had a great bouillabasse.  A bayfront table offered a nice, if cloudy, view.

We go to Newport, OR in the morning.  Have heard it is a charming little town.

Victoria ~ Outside the City

July 6 ~ 7

We bought “1,000 Places to See Before You Die” and it has turned out to be a very good travel guide.  Sooke Harbour House (sookeharbourhouse.com), about 45 minutes west and north of Victoria was mentioned and turned out to be a nice day jaunt. The Inn is lovely…not particularly fancy, but perfect for the setting, very beachy, warm and welcoming.

What we really liked, though, was where the inn sits....on Whiffen Spit…. It sounds pretty gross, but it’s  actually a piece of land jutting out into the sea providing a great couple mile walk.

Still collecting rocks to make our own inukshuk…we’re insisting all rocks must be from Canada, so we’re down to the wire on finding the perfect building blocks.

Arbutus Golf Club

We loved the Nicholas course in Whistler, so we decided to play another course, Arbutus, owned by the same management company thinking it would be great. Not so much. It’s billed as offering great views of the Olympic Mountains in Washington State and the sea. Well, there is this hilltop cross-over where you can see them.


But the course is all inland and pretty boring...except for a few visitors along the way. The most interesting thing about the area is the tree for which the course has been named....arbutus.  It's like a combination of a magnolia and a birch...only after the bark peels, the trunk is a cedar red color.  I hear it's messy just like a magnolia, so not dearly loved around this region.

Had a 44 out and was pretty pleased, but then it got excruciatingly backed-up on the inward half and I blew up. Good to get out though and the on-line tee time site (golfbc.com) offered very inexpensive rates including dinner, so not a complete bust.

We’re taking a ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, WA tomorrow. As much as we love Canada, we’re anxious to get back to the states.

Victoria ~ Around the Inner Harbor

July 4 ~ 5

Most of the action and attractions are centered around the Inner Harbor  Everything is walkable and a walk on the seawall is full of things going on.  Even a couple of traffic jams on the water!

The sightseeing highlight is the Royal British Columbia Musuem (royalbcmuseum.bc.ca). And the highlight of the museum is the First Nations exhibit. These totems were pretty impressive.

The stately Parliament building sits across the street.  Very grand and very English. Unfortunately there was a bit of a renovation going on and we couldn't get into the legislative chambers.

 

I've been waiting to get back to the Empress Hotel, (fairmont.com/empress) now a Fairmont, for tea.  There many years ago and remember it as oh, so grand.  Well, it's still quite attractive, but when we saw the $55 per head charge for tea, I must say we were rather outraged.  I really wanted to do it, but that's just wrong!  Wandered around, bought a couple of souvenirs, then called it a day.