Blogs from Newport, Oregon, United States, North America

We made it to the Pacific Ocean today! We started the day in Yuba City, California and arrived In Newport, Oregon just after sunset. We drove through the beautiful Central Valley region of California, enjoying the lush, green orchards of fruit and nut trees. It was amazing to see the contrast between the bright green, irrigated rice paddies and the dry, golden fields of grasses native to this chapparal climate. We drove through this landscape until lunch time when we began to enter the mountain passes near the beautiful Mt. Shasta and continued to wind through southern Oregon toward the coast. Our first glimpse of the ocean was at Hobbit Beach where we stopped for dinner. It‘s hard to believe that less than a month ago we were camping with friends at Cape Henlopen on the ... read more

It's hard to believe it is August. Here in Oregon we've been bundled up. The days are around 65 degrees and the nights are cool. We must say it is a change from the 90 degree temperatures most of the country has seen. We stopped at an Encore park in Mt. Hood on our trip to the coast. Tom wanted to see the Timberline Lodge, built during Roosevelt's presidency. At 12,000' elevation, needless to say it was a challenge for Tom. Just driving up the mountain was iffy. Fortunately we could park right in front of the lodge and take an elevator inside. From there we went to the Monaco factory (now Allied Recreation) near Eugene, Oregon. The outside seam on the coach was repaired, along with some other "non-warranty" work. They did great work. Time ... read more

August 9, 2013 - Friday Spent the morning ‘in’, doing a little bit of laundry and just relaxing. Grilled out for lunch and then headed to the South Jetty. Bummer, all fog. We still walked out on the jetty a little and down to the beach. Watched the waves , very calming. Some of the boats were headed back in while we were on the jetty and we saw a harbor seal and some pelicans. After we returned to our trailer, we decided to take our pier walk right away. Real busy on the pier tonight – could hardly get through all the people to go to the end. But we did. LOTS of crabbers and lots of huge Dungeness crabs being caught. The Dungeness crab season is done on August 15th.... read more

August 7, 2013 Wednesday Spent a lazy morning in the campground – made some scones to give to our Park Host. He’s been such an amazing help in our knowing places to go and sights to see. We call him our ‘Cruise Director’. Lol Off to the Aquarium in the afternoon. What fun, and so many things to see – we watched the Sea Lions and the seals being fed. They’re such hams when they have an audience! We walked through the ‘acrylic tubes’ of theDeepSeacreatures: all kinds of sharks, rays, eels, halibut, sturgeon and some octopus. It all made for an interesting afternoon. Our ‘Cruise Director’ Clay, came by and we chatted for quite awhile about our stay here and how sad we will be to leave on Sunday. But our regular life calls and ... read more

July 31, 2013 - Wednesday Nothing much today, a real down time for us for a change. Sooo, nothing to report except our walk on the pier tonight. One fellow caught a HUGE male Dungeness crab - supper! And at the cleaning table, wow, two big Coho Salmon and some huge Albacore Tuna. Sorry folks, that was it for today. August 1, 2013 - Thrusday Here it is, another month all ready! I guess we’re having way too much fun. A lazy morning again, and then to Fish Tails for another round of the Marionberry stuffed French toast for Marge – yum! Will had the Slumgullion, a clam chowder with shrimp and white cheeses; he said it was pretty fine! From there we went to the Newport Aquarium, uh oh, long line, even at 1:30. We ... read more