A Travel Day

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Marsha Brecht

We left Chinook RV Park this morning and continued driving down Pacific Coast Hwy 101 moving further inland. We will not be driving the scenic route CA State Hwy 1 down the beautiful coast of California. I wish we could, but that route is better suited to be driven with a car, not a 34′ motor home with a car in tow. Some people may do it, but it’s not for us. Our mission now is to move east and get ourselves onto Interstate 5 but there are mountains to get around. We drove 215 miles, leaving the scenic Pacific Coast Hwy 101 South and going east on Hwy 20, stopping for the night at Coyote Valley Shodakai Casino by Redwood Valley, CA. This is a very small casino, but they have a large gravel parking lot in the back where we are allowed to stay for no more than 24 hours.

Pacific Coast Hwy 101 in CA

Pacific Coast Hwy 101 in CA

Coyote Valley Casino

Coyote Valley Casino

The weather is changing as we move further south. Until now it has been in the 60’s during the day and in the 40’s or 50’s overnight, and wet. Today was over 70 and the forecast for the week is 80 degrees every day, and dry!

  • Gasoline:  none
  • Lodging:   none
Posted in California, Daily Post, November | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

More Redwoods

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Marsha Brecht

I try to get the good pictures but it doesn’t always work out. On our venture out today the first thing we saw was this big elk alongside the road. The first picture, from a postcard, is what I wanted, the second picture is what I got.

The Picture I Wanted (postcard)
The Picture I Got

We saw more of the Giant Redwood trees today, hiked a few trails, and went for a scenic drive.

Giant Redwood

Giant Redwood

IMG_7705

Big Tree

Picture of a Picture of the Sign That Used to Be There

Here is a Picture of a Picture of the Sign That Used to Be There

IMG_7716

Trail Bridge

Mossy Trees

Mossy Trees

There are three different big redwoods trees in the redwood forest that have been cut so you can drive through them. About a mile from our RV park a privately owned tourist attraction allows you to drive through their tree for $5.

Tour

Tour=Thru Tree

A scenic drive took us to an overlook for one more look at the ocean.

Pacific Ocean, California

Pacific Ocean, California

The RV park we are at has a community fire ring and they had the fire going tonight so we went to sit by it and made some new friends.

Campfire with New Friends

Campfire with New Friends

  • Gasoline:  none
  • Lodging:  $17.50
  • Admission:  $5
Posted in Daily Post, November, Washington | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Redwoods and Paul Bunyan

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Marsha Brecht

We left the Lucky 7 Casino parking lot around sunrise this morning, and headed south along the Pacific Coast Hwy 101 again.

Pacific Ocean, CA

Pacific Ocean, CA

We stopped after about 25 miles at the Crescent City Walmart and unhooked the Jeep so we could explore some of the Redwood National and State Parks without the RV.

IMG_7638

Redwood National and State Parks

This was a very beautiful and interesting drive. It turned into a narrow one-lane road that weaved in and out and around the big redwood trees. Traffic runs both directions so if you came upon an on-coming vehicle one of you had to find a place to pull over to let the other one pass. Fortunately this early in the morning there were very few others on this road.

Redwoods National and State Parks

Redwoods National and State Parks

There are some really big Redwood Trees here.  We hiked a loop trail that took through the forest. Some of the Giant Redwoods had fallen down. Can you imagine being here to witness that? OK, I have to ask….If a tree falls in a forest and there’s nobody around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Redwood Forest

Redwood Forest

From here the Pacific Coast Hwy 101 turns inland so probably no more pictures of the ocean, but we did find a scenic loop road that brought us back to the ocean for one more look.

Pacific Ocean, California

Pacific Ocean, California

Pacific Ocean, California

Pacific Ocean, California

Oh look! It’s Paul Bunyan and Babe! This 49-foot tall folk hero stands at the entrance of Trees of Mystery, a local tourist attraction. We stopped for the photo and checked out the gift shop before we got to where we were going.

Paul Bunyon and Babe The Blue Ox

Paul Bunyan and Babe The Blue Ox

After checking our Passport America directory we decided on Chinook RV Park. It was easy to find and we got the prime spot right on the Klamath River. There are several other RV parks in this area and most of them are empty and are now closed for the winter. This one is about half full and has what looks like some long-term tenants and is open to RV’s all year.

Chinook RV Park

Chinook RV Park

The park will be bringing in the docks for the winter in the next day or so. As the sun was setting we could hear a lone sea-lion barking and sounded very close. I went to look but did not see anything.

Chinook RV Park

Chinook RV Park

  • Gasoline:  none
  • Lodging:   $17.5 (Passport America Rate)
  • Admissions:  free
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Beautiful Southern Coast of Oregon

Posted on November 1, 2014 by Marsha Brecht

While coastal Oregon is very beautiful we have had enough of the rain and humidity. We found mold on the windowsills this morning and a check around the RV turned up a little bit of green moss growing in one spot. We need some dry air!

We left the beautiful Cape Blanco State Park this morning and continued our trek south on Pacific Coast Hwy 101. We were blown away by the beauty of the drive today!  Here are just some of the pics:

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

We stopped in Gold Beach for a break and found this old ship. It is the Mary D. Hume, built right here in Gold Beach in 1881. Signs tell the long and unique history this ship has had over her 97 years of active commercial sea service. This is the longest active sea service for any commercial vessel on the Pacific Coast.

ship

Mary D. Hume

Behind the ship is the Patterson Bridge, also known as the Rogue River Bridge. This was built in 1932 and was considered the most advanced concrete bridge in America at that time. It is listed as a national engineering landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Continuing south we enjoy more amazing coastal beauty.

Oregon Coast

Oregon Coast

Oregon Coast

Oregon Coast

Goodbye beautiful Oregon and hello California.

California!

California!

Our stop for tonight is at the Lucky 7 Casino in Smith River, the first town over the California border. This is a hotel and convention center with a small casino. We asked and received permission to stay overnight. The small parking lot in the back had designated RV striping so here we are. We’re the only RV here.

Lucky 7 Casino

Lucky 7 Casino

  • Gasoline:   $91 @ $3.19
  • Lodging:    none
Oregon Coast
Oregon
Oregon
Oregon
Oregon
Oregon Coast
ship
Posted in California, Daily Post, November, Oregon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Yay The Sun!

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Marsha Brecht

It was raining good when we got up this morning and continued until almost noon. So, taking advantage of the “non-rain” condition we went out to explore. As we left the wooded campground we were greeted with a beautiful rainbow over the ocean as the clouds moved out and the sun appeared. Happy day!

Rainbow!

Rainbow!

I almost forgot how much better the pictures look with adequate sunshine.

Cape Blanco Lighthouse

Cape Blanco Lighthouse

In 1971 the State of Oregon purchased the Patrick and Jane Hughes ranch land including the 1898 house to develop into Cape Blanco State Park. The house is not far from the Cape Blanco Lighthouse and James Hughes, son of Patrick and Jane, was a life-long lighthouse keeper. Volunteers inside the house showed us around and told us the history of the site.

Historic Hughes House at Cape Blanco

Historic Hughes House at Cape Blanco State Park

After the house tour we drove the short distance to the ocean for a walk on the beach.

Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Lots of Driftwood

Lots of Driftwood

  • Gasoline Expense:  none
  • Lodging:  $18
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Cape Blanco

Posted on October 30, 2014 by Marsha Brecht

We’ve been seeing gas prices around the country drop the last month or so while we continued to pay the higher prices out here. But today we see evidence of the lower prices here too! So before we left town we filled up the Jeep and the RV.

Lower Prices

Lower Prices

Moving south along Pacific Coast Hwy 101 for about 54 miles we are now in Cape Blanco State Park. There are only a few other people here and we had many campsites to pick from. We found a nice long level spot and moved in. Although it did not rain very much today it is still overcast and wet.

Cape Blanco State Park

Cape Blanco State Park

The campground will remain open all winter, but the nearby Cape Blanco Lighthouse will close for the season tomorrow. So as soon as we paid for our campsite we drove out to see the lighthouse and caught the last tour of today. Cape Blanco is the westernmost point in the state of Oregon and the lighthouse is the southernmost lighthouse in the state. The lighthouse hosts explained some of the history and took us up to the top.

Cape Blanco Lighthouse

Cape Blanco Lighthouse

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Cape Blanco Lighthouse

  • Gasoline:   $134 @ $2.93 and $3.01
  • Lodging:   $18
  • Admission:  Free with National Senior Pass ($2 value)
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A Day in Coos Bay

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Marsha Brecht

Farmers Market this morning in Coos Bay. This is the last one for the year here. It had rained overnight but had stopped by the time we were ready to go out.

Farmers Market, Coos Bay

Farmers Market, Coos Bay

We were pleased to see they still had tomatoes, so we bought three of them. We also picked up some lettuce, mushrooms, granola, pecans, dried cranberries, granola, fresh made humus, and some coconut macaroons.

Farmers Market, Coos Bay

Farmers Market, Coos Bay

The Oregon Myrtle tree, genus Umbellularia Californica, is only found in Southern Oregon and in the Holy Land of Israel. There are several references to Myrtlewood in the Bible. It’s an evergreen and the wood is an exotic non-porous hardwood with some interesting grain patterns. We visited the Myrtlewood factory and gift shop in Coos Bay.

Myrtlewood

The House of Myrtlewood

Myrtlewood Bowl

My Myrtlewood Bowl

We heard good things about Fishermen’s Seafood Market and how great their clam chowder is. This tiny little fish market floats on the water by the docks just off the boardwalk in Coos Bay. Inside you can purchase fresh fish, shrimp, oysters, and clams at the fish counter, or you can purchase hot clam chowder made with fresh West Coast Clams that they gathered themselves, fish & chips, or a fish sandwich. There are four small tables, seating capacity is 8 people. Or you can get your food to go and take it up to the boardwalk to eat it. The workers inside were super friendly. Yummm, the clam chowder was delicious.

Fisherman's Market

Fisherman’s Market

Still not raining.  We walked along the boardwalk again, and then to downtown Coos Bay. The Pacific Coast Hwy 101 runs the main street. Antique shops and restaurants line the street.

Coos Bay, Oregon

Coos Bay, Oregon

Just as we saw in Alaska, seafood restaurants are all over the place. And we are having a hard time staying out of them. Even though we just had that good clam chowder we sat down to a meal at Shark Bites Restaurant. Great clam cakes and fish tacos.

Shark Bites

Shark Bites

We also went to the beach to see the ocean today. Don’t know what happened to the pictures I took.

  • Gasoline:  none
  • Lodging:   $35.63
Posted in Daily Post, October, Oregon | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Another Rainy Day

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Marsha Brecht

It wasn’t raining this morning so we set out to explore right away. Yesterday we crossed this Conde McCullough Memorial Bridge north of here. We crossed it again today. When this was built in 1936 it was the longest bridge along the coast.

McCulla bridge

Conde McCullough Memorial Bridge

We went for a dive through the country. It wasn’t intentional, we took a wrong turn, but we just kept on going. We liked this house we saw and agreed that if we lived on the coast here why not make it look like a lighthouse?

Nice House

Nice House

Returning to North Bend, we found their lovely little boardwalk on the Coos Bay. It’s only about two blocks long, but it makes the shore so very nice for us tourists. A small boardwalk for a small town. There were only a few other people about, and we did not see any boats or ships going by when we were there.

North Bend Boardwalk

North Bend Boardwalk

And then just a couple of miles south of North Bend is the city of Coos Bay with their own boardwalk. This one is a little longer than the other one.

Coos Bay Boardwalk

Coos Bay Boardwalk

Noooobody out on the boardwalk today. And maybe that is because it started to rain while we were here. A nice steady rain, no wind. It just takes the color out of my pictures.

Coos Bay Boardwalk

Coos Bay Boardwalk

We took shelter in the pavilion and read up on the interpretive signs that told of the history of the bay. When the rain slowed we returned to the car and went home. The rain continued the rest of the afternoon.

Coos Bay Pavilion

Coos Bay Pavilion

  • Gasoline:  none
  • Lodging:   $35.63
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Coos Bay, Oregon

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Marsha Brecht

NO rain in the forecast for today! It’s about time. Our plan was to leave the Osprey Point RV park in Lakeside today as soon as our package of mail arrived. It was almost noon when we left, heading south along Pacific Coast Hwy 101 to the city of North Bend, near Coos Bay, a whopping 14 miles!

We are staying at The Mill Casino RV Park. There is no free overnight parking for RVs at this casino like we have had at other ones. While we could have dry camped in the gravel lot for $15 we opted for the casino’s RV park for twice the price. The RV park is right on the bay (Coos Bay) and has some very nice wide level paved spots with a view and all the hookups.

Mill Casino RV Park, #73

The Mill Casino RV Park, #73

The Mill Casino, Coos Bay, OR

The Mill Casino, North Bend, OR

Since this might be the only dry day for a while we went for a drive right away so we wouldn’t miss anything due to rain. Just like the rest of the Oregon coast, this is a very beautiful area. Here area a few pictures from our drive:

Coos Bay, OR

Oregon Coast

IMG_7282

Oregon Coast

Shore Acres State Park used to be a private residence of lumberman and shipbuilder, Louis J Simpson. The state of Oregon purchased his property in 1942 to use as a park. The mansion is gone now, but the formal gardens have been restored. Not much is in bloom this time of year, unfortunately, but still beautiful.

Shore Acres State Park, Oregon

Shore Acres State Park, Oregon

Shore Acres State Park, Oregon

Shore Acres State Park, Oregon

Simpson Reef was next on our drive. Here we could hear the barking of a hundred Sea Lions, but couldn’t see them. They were hanging out on the rocks out in the water. A signs tells of what we might see out there if we had remembered our binoculars or had a better camera with a nice zoom lens.

Simpson Reef

Simpson Reef

Simpson Reef

Simpson Reef

And then there is another lighthouse here. The Cape Arago Lighthouse is privately owned and not open to the public, but can be seen from this viewpoint.

Cape Arago Lighthouse

Cape Arago Lighthouse

Driving through the city of Coos Bay, on the way back to the casino, we noticed this huge pile of oyster shells. Not something we’re accustomed to seeing in the Midwest.

Oyster Shells

Oyster Shells

  • Gasoline:  none
  • Lodging:   $35.63 (10% Good Sam discount + taxes/fees)
  • Admission:  $5 State Park Entrance Fee
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Umpqua River Lighthouse

Posted on October 25, 2014 by Marsha Brecht

Ugh….all it does is rain. It rained all day again yesterday, and most of today too. But today it came with some very high winds, rocking the RV, and blowing trees and branches into the streets. We took advantage of a momentary break in the weather and went to see the nearby Umpqua River Lighthouse in Winchester Bay.

Umpqua River Lighthouse

Umpqua River Lighthouse

This lighthouse isn’t in such a scenic setting as the other lighthouses we have visited. It is surrounded by Coast Guard residential units; signs ask everyone to be respectful of that. There is a museum a few hundred feet away where our tour begins. Our volunteer tour guide unlocked the gate for us and let us inside. He explained the history of the light and much more information about it.

Umpqua River Lighthouse

Umpqua River Lighthouse

We walked up the spiral staircase to the top where we saw this amazing Fresnel lens with its unique alternating white-white-red signal sequence. This is a really large lens and we were able to take turns to climb up and stick our head inside of it as it rotated around us. It was quite a trip.

Umpqua River Lighthouse

Umpqua River Lighthouse

As soon as we got back home the rain and high winds returned. We are ready to leave this area but we have asked our mail service to send a package of our mail here to us at this RV park and it hasn’t arrived yet. No mail tomorrow as it’s Sunday, so looks like we will stick around here until the mail comes on Monday. Rain in the forecast for every day for the next 10 days.

  • Gasoline:  none
  • Lodging:   $23.62 ($19 Passport America+ taxes and electric)
  • Admission:  $6
Posted in Daily Post, October, Oregon | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Streets of Scarecrows

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Marsha Brecht

It rained all night and it rained all day yesterday and we didn’t leave the RV at all.

No rain this morning.  Ready for an actual RV Park we checked the Passport America directory and found a member park about 35 miles south. So we hooked up the Jeep, left the Three Rivers Casino parking lot, and drove to Osprey Point RV Resort in Lakeside, Oregon.

We found ourselves behind an escort vehicle. With the jeep behind the RV we are about 50+ feet long so we felt special.

Long Load

Long Load

The RV park has several vacancies so we had our pick of spots. It’s great to be in a full  service park. There’s laundry here and I can have my mail sent here too.

Osprey Point RV Resort, #D2

Osprey Point RV Resort, #D2

After we got settled in we went for a drive around town. Lakeside’s population is about 2,287 so it didn’t take long. I got a kick out of the welcome banner as we entered town, made of shirts and pants. Clever.

Welcome to Lakeview

Welcome to Lakeside

The streets were lined with scarecrows, and people’s homes had scarecrows. They were everywhere! They were sitting on benches and hugging street signs. We enjoyed them very much.

fgh

Lakeside Streets of Scarecrows

Lakeview City Council

Lakeside City Council

Scarecrow on Bench

Scarecrow on Bench

Scarecrow Grocery Shopping

Scarecrow Grocery Shopping

Scarecrows Line the Streets

Scarecrows Line the Streets

  • Gasoline:  $40 @ $3.19
  • Lodging:   $23.62  ($19 Passport America + taxes and electric fee)
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Carnivorous Plants and Sand Dunes

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Marsha Brecht

Our explorations today took us first to Darlingtonia State Natural Site. This area was set aside  to preserve these carnivorous plants. Pitcher plant. also called cobra-lilly, traps and digests insects. This plant is only found in Northern California and in Oregon. Even though it’s late in the season they are still looking rather perky.

Darlingtonia Californica

Darlingtonia Californica

Next, we were on our way to visit Heceta Lighthouse, stopping at a viewpoint first. We could see Sea Lions swimming in the water below.

Haceta Lighthouse

Heceta Lighthouse

On the way to the lighthouse we had to first go through a tunnel and then cross over Cape Creek Bridge and then drive under it. This is another of the bridges designed by Conde B. McCullough, built during the 1930’s.

Bridge

Cape Creek Bridge

Heceta Head Lighthouse broadcasts the strongest beam of light on the Coast. We had to hike about a quarter of a mile from the parking lot up to the lighthouse. The hike itself was through some beautiful thick forested area but allowed us amazing panoramic views of the Coast. We thought the light was closed to tours for the season but it was not, so we were treated to a guided tour to the top.

Haceta Lighthouse

Heceta Head Lighthouse

Sand dunes extend for the next 40 miles along the Oregon coast south from here. Big dunes, up to 500 feet high, that blend with rivers, lakes, and rainforests.  There are several parks, loads of hiking trails, and miles of off-highway vehicle trails.

Deadly Waves at Any Time

Deadly Waves at Any Time

It’s very quiet on the dunes when we were there. Maybe because it’s a Tuesday, school is in session, it’s cool and rainy. But we can tell by the number of parking lots that this is a hot spot for dune-buggys, or Off Highway Vehicles. From what we could see, most of the dunes have specific trails for the Off Highway Vehicles but there are also open sand areas. We stopped to watch one group that was there.

Oregon Dunes

Oregon Dunes

Oregon Dunes

Oregon Dunes

Dunes

Riding the Dunes

The weather forecast for the next few days is for high winds and lots of rain so we probably won’t be doing much, just riding it out at the casino.

  • Gasoline:  none
  • Lodging:   free @ Three Rivers Casino
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Florence, OR

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Marsha Brecht

It rained overnight, big surprise. Slowly moving south, we drove another 25 incredibly scenic miles, to Florence, Oregon. There are several Scenic Viewpoints along Pacific Coast Hwy 101. This big RV would not fit into the parking areas for all of them, but one that we were able to stop at gave us a look at an ocean anomaly called Spouting Horn. We will return with the Jeep later to see what we missed. 6-second video:

 

Pacific Hwy 101

Pacific Coast Hwy 101

Pacific Hwy 101

Pacific Coast Hwy 101

Three Rivers Casino in Florence, OR, welcomes RVers to stay for up to 7 nights in their parking lot for free.  Then they have to leave for two weeks before they can stay another 7 nights.  We will probably stay maybe 3 nights here.

The casino gave us each $10 in free slot play when we signed up for their Player’s Club card. After paying for lunch in the restaurant there, and using the $20 slot play they gave us we left the casino with $86 more than we had when we went in. 🙂

Three Rivers Casino, Florence, OR

Three Rivers Casino, Florence, OR

We took the Jeep in to see historic Old Town Florence. Restaurants and shops line the main drag in this little fishing community.

Florence, OR

Florence, OR

Florences

Other Florences

The Siuslaw River Bridge, designed by Conde B. McCullough, was built during the 1930’s, funded through the Public Works Administration as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal providing jobs to struggling families during the Great Depression. It is a draw bridge, and a beauty.

Bridge

The Siuslaw River Bridge

Florence, OR

Florence, OR

Jellyfish

Jellyfish

  • Gasoline:   none
  • Lodging:    free
Posted in Daily Post, October, Oregon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Yachats, OR

Posted on October 19, 2014 by Marsha Brecht

Sunday mornings are usually busy times for campgrounds as all the weekend campers exit at the same time. We waited until around noon before we left our campsite and still had to wait an hour in a long line of RVs at the lone dump station in the campground. After that we continued our journey down Pacific Coast Hwy 101 to Tillicum Beach Campground, one of the few United States Forest Service campground on the coast. It was only 25 miles from where we were.  Yup, we spent more time at the dump station than we did on the road!

But we did score a nice level dry-camp spot to overlooking the ocean. 🙂

Tillicum Beach Campground

Tillicum Beach Campground, #17

No rain today, for a change, but the wind is picking up and it’s supposed to rain overnight. We took the Jeep into the nearby community of Yachats to have a look around. This weekend was their Mushroom Fest, but we missed it. But we did stop at the scenic overlook. There were several tide pools but it was just too windy and cold to climb down there to see them. 10-second video:

A nice hiking trail runs along the shore for about two miles, but it was so windy and cold, we got tired just standing out there taking pictures.

Yachats, Oregon

Yachats, Oregon

This park bench had a sign on it to remind us that we are in a Tsunami Hazard Zone. There are no signs like this in Minnesota!

Tsunami Hazard Zone

Tsunami Hazard Zone

  • Gasoline:  none
  • Lodging:  $12  (price with National Senior Pass, Regular $24)
Posted in Daily Post, October, Oregon | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Friends and Our Day

Posted on October 18, 2014 by Marsha Brecht

It rained all day yesterday. Nothing serious, just plain rain. Enough to keep us inside for most of the day.

Gotta love social media. We are members of a new social group, RVillage, which helps to connect with other RVers near you. We learned there were two other couples in this same campground, also full-timers, and we got together for a little happy hour last night. Probably would have had a campfire if it wasn’t raining!

RVillagers

RVillagers

The rain continued through the night and finally let up around nine o’clock this morning so we drove to Newport for the Farmers Market.

Newport Farmers Market

Lots of Tomatoes

'shrooms!

Mushrooms!

We purchased some mushrooms, a jar of Tayberry Jam, tomatoes, beets, and more. Then we returned to the Historic Bayfront for lunch at one of the many seafood restaurants there and walked around again.

Newport Historic Bayfront

Newport Historic Bayfront

In June 2012 a large dock that was torn from its mooring in Japan during the 2011 Tsunami washed up on a beach here in Newport. A corner chunk of it was cut off and now sits here as an educational tool to increase tsunami awareness.

IMG_6945

IMG_6940

The Dock from Japan, June 2012

IMG_6948

Historic Bayfront, Newport, OR

IMG_6951

IMG_6950

Fresh Tuna Here!

We heard a sound like a crying baby and when we looked that direction we saw this raccoon looking around, there were two of them!.

IMG_6953

Do Not Sit on This Bench!

When we returned to the campground we went for another hike to the ocean.

The Trail to the Ocean

The Trail to the Ocean

The Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean

Tomorrow we move out.

  • Gasoline:  none
  • Lodging:   $24
Posted in Daily Post, October, Oregon | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Newport’s Historic Bayfront

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Marsha Brecht

We decided to extend our stay here for a few more days, but that meant we had to move to a different spot as our current one has been reserved by someone else. So we found a vacant spot across the street and took that one.

Today turned out to be a beautiful sunshiny day. We went for lunch at one of the many restaurants in Newport’s Historic Bayfront area and then walked around for a bit. There are candy stores, and souvenir shops, museums, lodging, and more, even a Ripley’s Believe it or Not.

Historic Bay

Newport’s Historic Bayfront

The marina is right there too, with all the fish warehouses and commercial fishing docks and boats. You can buy fresh caught fish right off the boat. There are fish markets where you can buy the fish and some are fish market/restaurants where they cook it right up for you to eat there. Can’t get any fresher than that.

Fishing Boats

Fishing Boats

We watched as a crabbing charter boat docked and unloaded its catch. The man on the dock had two large kettles boiling away when they arrived. The crabs they had caught were in plastic totes and they just dumped them right into the boiling pots right away.

Crab Charter

Crab Charter

As we walked along the docks we heard a lot of noise. Barking.  California Sea Lions! Lots of them. They were hanging out on the docks. A sign gives information about them, that males come up here for most of the year while the females stay in California waters all year round. Then in the summer the males head south for the mating season. They sure make a ruckus. They are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and it is illegal to disturb or interact with them. Here’s a 23-second video (is your sound on?):

‘

The Historic Bayfront is right by the Yaquina Bay Bridge. This is one of Oregon’s most recognizable bridges, completed in 1937. We crossed over this bridge a bunch of times in the last few days. Designed by Conde B. McCullough, was built in the 1930’s, funded through the Public Works Administration as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal providing jobs to struggling families during the Great Depression.

Yaquina Bay Bridge

Yaquina Bay Bridge

Also there by the bridge is the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse. It is the only wooden lighthouse on the Oregon Coast, and the only one with living quarters attached.

Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

When we returned to the campground we hiked a few trails and saw the beach again.

Paved Interpretive Trail at South Beach State Park, OR.

Paved Interpretive Trail at South Beach State Park, OR.

  • Gasoline:   none
  • Lodging:    $24
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Lighthouse and Crab Cakes

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Marsha Brecht

It rained steady all night, then more this morning. I heard slight thunder in the distance, but no big storm. The rain stopped just before noon so off we go. A rainbow greeted us as we crossed the Yaquina Bay Bridge.

Yaquina Bay Bridge

Yaquina Bay Bridge. Maybe you can’t see the rainbow, but I know it’s there.

We splurged and went to Georgie’s Beachside Grill, a nice restaurant with an ocean view. Every restaurant makes crab cakes differently, some not so good. I figured they would be good here, and I was not disappointed, they were excellent. And then a 100% complete rainbow appeared for a minute over the ocean while we were eating. Happy birthday to me.

After a drive around Newport we went out to Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area to see Oregon’s tallest lighthouse. First, to the interpretive center, to learn about the area and the history of the light. It was very very windy….so windy it was difficult to walk. And the lighthouse itself was closed for preservation so we could not go inside. And because of the wind we did not go down to the beach area to see the tide pools. We took a few pictures and then left.

Yaquina Head

Yaquina Head

Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area

Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area

As soon as we got back home the rain returned and continued intermittently for the rest of the evening.

  • Gasoline:  none
  • Lodging:   $24
  • Entrance Fee:  Free with National Senior Pass ($7 value)
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South Beach State Park, OR

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Marsha Brecht

It rained all night. Not hard, just a long steady light rain. The air remained damp the rest of the day as it has been the last couple of weeks. It makes everything look foggy all the time.

Continuing south on the Pacific Coast Highway 101…only 30 miles. We didn’t always have sight of the ocean, but when we do its beauty is a real treat. We did stop at one wayside overlook and watched this lone surfer ride the waves.

Surf's Up

Surf’s Up

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

There was nobody at the check-in office when we arrived at South Beach State Park early afternoon. Signs directed us to take a map and a pay envelope and go find a spot, put the money in the envelope and return to deposit it in the slot there. Half of the 227 sites are shut down for the season and the remaining sites are not quite half taken, so finding a good spot was easy. They are all good spots, all nicely paved and level. After spending the last several days in Walmart and casino parking lots this is a treat. And it’s only $24 per night, which includes water and electricity.

South Beach State Park, OR #C30

South Beach State Park, OR #D20

After getting set up and returning the pay envelope we walked down to the big sandy beach. A few other people were walking the beach, but mostly we were alone. We can imagine what a hot spot this is in the summer. It’s been cloudy all day but we could see more and darker clouds rolling in.

South Beach State Park

South Beach State Park

We returned home just as it was beginning to sprinkle. And now it’s raining pretty good.

  • Gasoline:  $99 @ $3.69
  • Lodging:   $24
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More Exploring

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Marsha Brecht

The Chinook Winds Casino here has a very nice seafood restaurant with a great ocean-side view. We resisted eating out yesterday but this morning the breakfast menu was calling us. I had the Dungeness Crab Benedict with Salmon Hash. It was delicious! While we were eating this seagull walked up to the window and looked in for a while.

Good Morning

Good Morning

It’s still overcast and sorta foggy but we enjoyed a walk on the beach after breakfast. Only a few other people were on the beach too.

Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Yesterday we drove north on the Pacific Highway 101 so today we explored south. We saw this Tsunami Debris Watch sign with instructions what to do with debris that you find washed up on the beach. Bag it up and leave near the trash cans, but don’t take it home.

Tsunami Debris Watch

Tsunami Debris Watch

“D” River claims to be one of the shortest rivers in the world, connecting Devil’s Lake and the Pacific Ocean. It ranges from 205 feet to 58 feet depending on if the tide is in or out.

D River

D River

Boiler Bay, named for a freighter that sank in 1910….its boiler can still be seen stuck in a sandbar when the tide is out. This is supposed to be a real good place to spot gray whales, but we didn’t see any today.

Boiler Bay

Boiler Bay

  • Gasoline:  $49 @ $3.69
  • Lodging:   free
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Pacific Coast Drive

Posted on October 12, 2014 by Marsha Brecht

As usual, another foggy morning. But it lightened up a bit and we went for a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway 101. One of our first stops was to visit Munson Creek Falls. At only 318 feet, this is Oregon’s highest falls on the coast.

Munson Creek Falls

Munson Creek Falls

The hike to the falls was like walking through a rain forest. The trees were thick with moss, the trail was wet but not muddy. We have not been seeing much for fall colors as most of the trees so far have been evergreens. But there were a few places on the trail where some leaves had fallen to make it pretty.

Trail to Munson Creek Falls

Trail to Munson Creek Falls

During WWII, blimps patrolled out of Tillamook to guard against enemy submarines. Two hangars housed the blimps and were the largest wooden clear-span structures ever built. Only one remains, and it has been turned into an air museum filled with a collection of WWII planes.

Tillamook Air Museum

Tillamook Air Museum

Blimps

Blimps

As we shop for groceries we have noticed the Tillamook brand of dairy products in the local grocery stores. So when we saw this large facility we felt compelled to go inside. This is a big deal cheese making place. A self-guided tour showed us the story of how it all came to be and we got to watch the cheese being made and packaged. And we got free samples. They were serving their own ice cream in fresh made waffle cones too. There were hundreds of people there! It was fun.

Tillamook Dairy

Tillamook Cheese

The Cape Meares Lighthouse was another stop we made today. This is shortest lighthouse on the Oregon coast.

Cape Meares Lighthouse

Cape Meares Lighthouse

The view from the lighthouse was awesome.

Three Arches Rocks

Three Arches Rocks

  • Gasoline:  none
  • Lodging:   free
Posted in Daily Post, October, Oregon | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment