Newport, Oregon: The title of today's column needs a disclaimer:
This is Nye Beach in Newport, Oregon about one o'clock on a July afternoon. I know many of you will not believe me, but this beach is really pretty crowded. If you only go to the beach in Oregon when it is sunny... well, you just don't go to the beach very often. The water is too cold to go for a swim anyway, so Oregonians just go hang-out on the beach. It's the way we roll.
But first - breakfast:
Okay, let's call it lunch then.
My Driver enjoyed most of a house-corned beef sandwich at Nana's Irish Pub in the Nye Beach neighborhood of Newport, Oregon. I had a salad. Stoopid. Dang.
(It was a delicious salad though. We just love Nana's and visit here every time we are in town. Highly recommended by the RV Goddess - and Her Driver.)
After breakfast/brunch/lunch and a walk around the Nye Beach area, we drove a few miles north to the Yaquina Head Outstanding Scenic Area to look around the tidal pools during low tide. We have been here before, (click here to see outstanding photos in the sunshine) as it is truly "outstanding". The critters in the tide pools are outstanding, there are always many outstanding harbor seals and hundreds of outstanding nesting birds – especially murre, cormorant and the ever-present gull. Best thing? A lighthouse!
Here is a photo montage our our outstanding afternoon at Yaquina Head:
The Yaquina Head Outstanding Scenic Area, operated by the BLM, provides an quot;outstanding" staircase to the very rocky beach. This is not a place for flip-flops, folks - it is super difficult to walk on the goose-egg-sized pebbles. There is a $7 charge (per car) to enter the park, which is good for three days. I would not recommend bringing a big rig here, but there is RV parking at the Outstanding Interpretive Center and about a quarter-mile walk to the beach/light house from there.
Here is a 45-second panorama video of the tide pool area below the lighthouse:
Period-costumed guides take tourists through the outstanding lighthouse and visitors are allowed to climb the circular staircase to the top of the lighthouse. Yaquina Head Lighthouse is still in-use (and, trust me, it was needed today).
The sun never showed herself in Newport today, but the temperature was mid-60's, which is about as outstanding as you are going to get in Oregon in July. We spent the early evening back at the RV - watching the second day of the Diamond League track meet from London on our DVR and chatting with our many Duck neighbors.
For dinner we decided to visit a restaurant recommended by Mary, Captain Jim and 14.7 of our other readers - Local Ocean Seafood. Local Ocean is a seafood market with a restaurant adjacent. They are committed to sustainable fishing and purchase 99.9% of their fish across the street from the local docks. They are also compostable, recyclable and all that other Oregonianable-stuff that makes Oregon Oregon.
Thank you.
They were also completely packed and had a waiting list a mile long when we arrived at 8p. Plus, it was misting/raining so half of their seating (outdoor) area was virtually "closed". After waiting one hour and being served probably too many glasses of wine while waiting for our table... we were finally seated and ordered poke tuna ceviche served with mandarin oranges on tortilla strips from the "small plates" menu. DT ordered their signature dish - garlic crab soup.
Dave said it was wonderful.
I will believe him.
I enjoyed a cod taco from their "small plates" menu. Dave had the calamari. Whoa. That was a lot of food... but they were small portions and we did not finish a thing... except DT drained that cup of soup like it was his job. Though we have only visited Local Ocean once, I think this place should be a "do not miss" while you are in Newport. It was an outstanding meal!
Until my next update, I remain, your outstanding correspondent.
RV PARK:Port of Newport Marina RV Park - Pull-through and back-in sites. 30/50 amp, cable, laundry, bathhouse and free wifi. No tents. At the marina. We are paying $39 per night with a Good Sam discount.
This is Nye Beach in Newport, Oregon about one o'clock on a July afternoon. I know many of you will not believe me, but this beach is really pretty crowded. If you only go to the beach in Oregon when it is sunny... well, you just don't go to the beach very often. The water is too cold to go for a swim anyway, so Oregonians just go hang-out on the beach. It's the way we roll.
But first - breakfast:
Okay, let's call it lunch then.
My Driver enjoyed most of a house-corned beef sandwich at Nana's Irish Pub in the Nye Beach neighborhood of Newport, Oregon. I had a salad. Stoopid. Dang.
(It was a delicious salad though. We just love Nana's and visit here every time we are in town. Highly recommended by the RV Goddess - and Her Driver.)
After breakfast/brunch/lunch and a walk around the Nye Beach area, we drove a few miles north to the Yaquina Head Outstanding Scenic Area to look around the tidal pools during low tide. We have been here before, (click here to see outstanding photos in the sunshine) as it is truly "outstanding". The critters in the tide pools are outstanding, there are always many outstanding harbor seals and hundreds of outstanding nesting birds – especially murre, cormorant and the ever-present gull. Best thing? A lighthouse!
Here is a photo montage our our outstanding afternoon at Yaquina Head:
The Yaquina Head Outstanding Scenic Area, operated by the BLM, provides an quot;outstanding" staircase to the very rocky beach. This is not a place for flip-flops, folks - it is super difficult to walk on the goose-egg-sized pebbles. There is a $7 charge (per car) to enter the park, which is good for three days. I would not recommend bringing a big rig here, but there is RV parking at the Outstanding Interpretive Center and about a quarter-mile walk to the beach/light house from there.
Here is a 45-second panorama video of the tide pool area below the lighthouse:
Period-costumed guides take tourists through the outstanding lighthouse and visitors are allowed to climb the circular staircase to the top of the lighthouse. Yaquina Head Lighthouse is still in-use (and, trust me, it was needed today).
The sun never showed herself in Newport today, but the temperature was mid-60's, which is about as outstanding as you are going to get in Oregon in July. We spent the early evening back at the RV - watching the second day of the Diamond League track meet from London on our DVR and chatting with our many Duck neighbors.
For dinner we decided to visit a restaurant recommended by Mary, Captain Jim and 14.7 of our other readers - Local Ocean Seafood. Local Ocean is a seafood market with a restaurant adjacent. They are committed to sustainable fishing and purchase 99.9% of their fish across the street from the local docks. They are also compostable, recyclable and all that other Oregonianable-stuff that makes Oregon Oregon.
Thank you.
They were also completely packed and had a waiting list a mile long when we arrived at 8p. Plus, it was misting/raining so half of their seating (outdoor) area was virtually "closed". After waiting one hour and being served probably too many glasses of wine while waiting for our table... we were finally seated and ordered poke tuna ceviche served with mandarin oranges on tortilla strips from the "small plates" menu. DT ordered their signature dish - garlic crab soup.
Dave said it was wonderful.
I will believe him.
I enjoyed a cod taco from their "small plates" menu. Dave had the calamari. Whoa. That was a lot of food... but they were small portions and we did not finish a thing... except DT drained that cup of soup like it was his job. Though we have only visited Local Ocean once, I think this place should be a "do not miss" while you are in Newport. It was an outstanding meal!
Until my next update, I remain, your outstanding correspondent.
RV PARK: Port of Newport Marina RV Park - Pull-through and back-in sites. 30/50 amp, cable, laundry, bathhouse and free wifi. No tents. At the marina. We are paying $39 per night with a Good Sam discount.