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.