We left Port Orford this morning and are heading toward Westport WA where we will be spending most of the summer. The Oregon Coast is almost as beautiful as the California Coast with beautiful vistas and quaint little towns. Highway 101 is quite windy and narrow but traffic is very low so we had a good day of travel. Our first stop was in Coos Bay to look at some pretty cool boats.
A private yacht
While looking at the yachts we saw this seaplane taxi along the bay.
We decided to stay on the coast as it was a beautiful day and moving inland to I5 just didn’t seem like that much fun. So we found a spot at a day use Federal Park and enjoyed lunch and a walk along the dunes.
Oregon Dunes
That's far enough! Sand gets everywhere!
After lunch we headed north along some of the most beautiful coastline, between Florence and Yachats. The Heceta Head Lighthouse was sitting on this little cove that was just beautiful. Nowhere to stop and take a picture but I will not forget. We decided to spend the night on the coast and found ourselves a nice campsite in South Beach State Park just south of Newport. From our site it is a 1/2 mile walk through the dunes to the beach. Duke and I were ready for some exercise so we headed to the beach, Paul rested from the drive or maybe he was playing on the computer? About the same for him!!!
The only ones on a beach the size of The Boardwalk Beach!
Duke was loving the beach, running in the waves and chasing himself but then it was cold and time to head back! Duke went crazy when we got into the soft sand and …..
and now he is trying to rub the sand out of his eyes!
It was so funny watching him run in circles, dig holes and then stop and look at me before going again.
When we arrived back home Paul had been busy checking the area out via the internet and a call to Neil, his friend from French Camp that he knew had been to this area before. Neil suggested we check out a seafood restaurant in Depoe Bay called the Tidalraves. It is right on the ocean and has spectacular views.
The view from our table
We were not planning to eat out but we are very glad we did. The views were amazing and the food was spectacular. Paul had red snapper that was prepared perfectly. I had the special because it was something I had never had, Black Cod with a Thai sauce! Really, really good. This place is a must! Every table has a great view.
After dinner we took side roads back to the campground which was about 12 miles. We saw a lot more great vistas of the Oregon Coast and we saw some wildlife.
Mama bear eating some berries
First we saw the baby right in the middle of the road but by the time I could get my camera out he was already over the railing and into the weeds, but Mama bear was not ready to leave, she just sat there eating berries with me trying to take pictures. This is barely zoomed in! She was in the bushes about 6 feet off the pavement. These bears are really small. The baby was about 1/2 the size of Duke and the Mama was barely bigger than him!
These Rhododedrons are everywhere and in every color
And then of course we have an Oregon Sunset looking out to the ocean from the Newport Harbor.
Newport Bridge