Oregon Coast - Day One

We got up in the morning, had some breakfast, and headed out from the house we rented in Newport.  We started out by heading back up the coast a short distance to the north.  We went back to Depoe Bay, hoping that the girls could spot some whales again.  But this time, there were none to be seen.  I guess we just got lucky the other day when we were driving by.  We turned back to the south and continued on.  There are so many State Parks and Waysides along the Oregon Coast that you can't drive more than a few minutes before getting to the next.  We turned off Highway 101 and took a side road around Cape Foulweather to Otter Crest.  Immediately after turning off we crossed over a beautiful single lane, concrete arch bridge originally constructed in 1916, at a cost of $45,000.  Now the vehicles that cross over it cost more than that...!!  We continued along this narrow winding road, parts of which were limited to one way traffic.  This must have been the old coast highway, now replaced by the newer Highway 101, just a few hundred yards further up the slope.  Eventually we wound our way down to Otter Crest. 

Here we found the Devils Punchbowl....  a collapsed sea cave that is now a large bowl-shaped structure that the surf pounds into.  Right beside it we found a location of Mo's Chowder House.  This small chain of local restaurants is famous for it's clam chowder.  We had to stop for lunch and check it out.  It was pretty good... served in a hollowed out sourdough bun.

After lunch we continued south and made a stop at the next State Park... Beverly Beach.  This one was very similar to the one below our rental house... Agate Beach.  We spent a couple hours here wandering around on the big sandy expanse of beach and exploring.  By this time the tide was out, as low tide was at around 4:30PM.  I took a couple of shots with the view camera.

The cliffs along the beach were full of fossilized clams and scallops.  There were literally hundreds of fossils embedded in a layer of rock that was being exposed by the surf.  After we finished up exploring here we headed into Newport and went to the local grocery store.  We stocked up on some groceries to make supper, and to have some food and drink in the house.

After dropping off all the groceries and the girls at the house I headed back out again by myself.  I went over to Yaquina Head State Park.  This projection of outcropping rock is also the site of a lighthouse.  It is a rather manicured and urbanized park.  Paved walking trails, fenced boundaries, an interpretive center, and a day use fee.  But the lighthouse was pretty cool, and there are tidepools, and some harbor seals.  So, despite the crowds and the manmade elements I think I will bring the girls back here. 

As I was taking some photographs of the surf and some rocks, the girls texted me to let me know that supper was ready and they were waiting for me.  I headed back to the house and we had supper together.  After supper the girls and I headed out onto the beach for a short walk.  By this time a bank of cloud had rolled in, the wind picked up, and the temperature dropped.  Our walk didn't last all that long and it sure felt good to jump into the hot tub and warm up before heading in for the night.

The forecast for the rest of the week is not great, with a chance of some showers almost every day.  We'll have to wait and see what happens and make the best of it.  Hopefully we get some chances to get back out more, and at the rainy times we will check out some of the shops, museums and galleries in some of the towns.  

Coastal Forest north of Newport

The old Highway at Cape Foulweather and Otter Crest.

The view from Cape Foulweather, looking south toward Beverly Beach with Yaquina Head and the lighthouse visible in the distance.

The Devil's Punchbowl at Otter Crest

Beverly Beach, home to seaweed covered rocks, marine fossils, barnacles, bull kelp strands, and a great place for Helena to play in the sand.  Notice her beach bucket from Mo's Chowder House.

I took the above shot of these seaweed covered rocks with my digital camera and quite liked it.  I decided it was worth a shot with my 4x5.  So I wandered back over to where I had left my backpack, and brought it back to this spot.  Just as I was stretching out the tripod legs and getting ready to set up, a family of four walked out with their beach chairs, set them up at the end of the far rock, and their two little kids proceeded to start digging in the sand, totally ruining the shot.  They were totally oblivious to what I was doing...  So this is the only image I came back with.

Can't think of how many times something similar to this has happened in the past.  I thought it would be obvious enough what I was doing, but apparently not...!!  Damn Americans!

My evening drive up to Yaquina Head yielded these shots of the Harbor Seals and Cormorants on one of the offshore rocks, and some great views of the lighthouse.  Also an overview of Cobble Beach and the tide pools below the lighthouse.