The Savage Traveler: Out West Adventure: Part 2--Exploring the Oregon Coast

Fri. June 7: On Friday we got up and got going so we could drive north on the coast. First we stopped in Florence to do laundry (which took extra time when I put the detergent in the softener cup of a front load washer because it was in the opposite of position to ours at home), while also getting some blogging done and washing the truck. We set-out to go as far as Newport, which would only be about an hour away but we had many stops to make and took our time. The sky was mostly clear and the temperature stayed in the low to mid sixties all day. The first stop was to see the Heceta Lighthouse, which, with a “first order” Fresnel lens, is the brightest light on the Oregon coast. We climbed up the half mile trail along a bank with lots of calla lilies, first to the Assistant Lighthouse Keepers home. It is now a Bed & Breakfast but wasn't open to tour because they were painting. Continuing up the hill we came to the lighthouse itself, which was also not open because they are in the midst of repairing and renovating the carriage beneath the giant lens. There were many volunteers around to answer questions and we had nice conversations with a couple who are birders and staying for two months, volunteering 4 days a week at the lighthouse, especially to help birders. The area at the base of the lighthouse overlooks two large volcanic outcroppings that are nesting place for several ocean-living birds that come ashore only to nest, including common murres, relatives of puffins. The rocks were just covered with them and cormorants and others, and the noise and the smell were almost overwhelming. The volunteers had scopes trained on the rocks across the inlet and we could see two kinds of sea lions basking in the sunlight. I asked about gray whales and was sad to hear that three mamas, each with a calf, had been spotted earlier in the day before we came. Marv and I hiked further up the hill to where we were eye level with and then above the lens in the lighthouse. While standing up there I saw a gray whale surface and blow before submerging once again, and I told Marv in time for him to see it too. That was very exciting for me. We hiked back down to report to the volunteer and ended up talking a long time to his wife about their life as full time RVers. By the time we got back on the road it was nearing 2:00, so we stopped in the next town, Yachats (pronounced Yah-hots), for lunch at Luna Sea (get it? har-har) Fish House. We both had locally caught albacore tuna baskets, Marv’s was lightly breaded and deep fat fried and mine was grilled. Both were delicious. We continued on to the Yaquina Bay lighthouse, which was only used for three years because it couldn't be seen well enough from the north, and then to the Yaquina Head lighthouse in Newport, which is the tallest on the Oregon coast and is still used, though it’s now automated. The park there was only open for half an hour so we couldn’t stay long but we did get to walk around the light and enjoy the view up and down the coast. Back in Newport we drove through the historic Nye Beach area, which was the number one tourist attraction on the Oregon coast in the early 1900s and the Bayfront, which has been the largest commercial fishing port since the mid-1800s. Across the bay we went to the Rogue Brewery for the self-guiding tour and to enjoy 2 tasting trays of 4 samples each before we purchased some of our favorites. When we left there, fog was rolling in all along the coast and we couldn’t get quite the photos that we had hoped to get on our way south. We got back to the Heceta lighthouse right about low tide so we stopped to explore the tidal pools and sea caves along the water’s edge. It was about sunset when we got back to Florence and stopped at a McDonald’s to do some WiFi work before returning to the campsite. We were satisfied with soup and crackers for dinner after our large lunch and then read until bedtime.