Newport Beach

On Saturday night we got to the hotel in Newport just in time to get the kids showered and into bed. And then Steve went out to double-check (by test-driving) the best tsunami escape route. He researched the high ground ahead of time but wanted to make sure he was sure. Phew!

Sunday morning was a little foggy and brought with it the joys of hotels for young children. A huge TV with so many channels!!!!! Instant pancakes at the hotel breakfast! Jumping on beds! The pool!

We started off the day by exploring the Yaquina Head lighthouse and natural area. We were standing next to the lighthouse when to our delight, we spotted whales out at sea!  We saw the poof of spray, and then saw them flip their tails in the air as they dove down into the water. It was so cool - really memorable for the children.  We hiked around a bit - up Salal hill and down to Cobble Beach - enjoying the views.

Our next stop was the Newport bayfront,  where we walked along the commercial strip and on the fishing docks. We saw (noisy, rude-sounding) sea lions, fishing vessels with Dungeness crabs and albacore tuna and salmon for sale, and various people fishing for crab off the dock.

And then it was time for naps. That's what happens when you're all awake at 5 am. We ALL slept, which was so amazing and restorative.

In the late afternoon we drove south of Newport to South Beach state park - a gorgeous beach with grassy dunes, a jetty marking the harbor, and miles of sand.  We had a wonderful time running up and down the dunes, digging in the wet sand, and getting our feet wet in the waves. It was cool and misty and grey, but not too windy - perfect beach weather for my sun-averse man.

We reluctantly left the beach in order to find food - we had a delicious dinner at Saffron Salmon on the bayfront, overlooking the water, with crab fishing on the dock outside the windows. We introduced the children (mostly Seb) to the joys of clam chowder, fried calamari, and Caesar salad. Also salmon, crab cakes, mussels...