Newport, Oregon

---

August 17 brought us to Newport, on Oregon’s central coast. We stayed at Outdoor Resorts Pacific Shoes and were parked right on a bluff overlooking the ocean with a view of the Yaquina Head lighthouse, Oregon’s tallest. Newport has Oregon’s largest commercial fishing fleet, and we definitely enjoyed the local seafood. Diane ventured down to the docks one day and bought a 12-pound tuna right off the boat. The fisherman kindly filleted it, and we ended up with over 6 pounds of fresh tuna—some eaten that day and some put in the freezer.

We watched folks crabbing off the docks in a very interesting way—casting a regular fishing rod with a little 2-sided basket attached to the end. One guy pulled in two large crabs, one male, one female. He had to throw the female back in (to make more little crabs for next season).

We took a side trip up to Depoe Bay, the world’s smallest harbor, and had great seafood at a restaurant called the Sea Hag. A couple of whales were also sighted offshore.

We visited an oyster farm and bought a dozen large oysters in the shell for $5. Having NEVER prepared oysters, we used the Internet to figure out what to do! The microwave worked well, then we fumbled around with a knife to open them, but they were absolutely delicious with a little butter, garlic, and Cajun seasoning. Alan doesn’t particularly like oysters (he did eat two), so Diane got all the rest.

Another Oregon goodie are the wild blackberries growing practically everywhere. We picked several pounds and had some at breakfast, in cobbler, and still have several quarts in the freezer.

Did you ever see the Mona Lisa on a hillside? Well, check out the photo of one Oregon artist’s work. The things you see going down the road are never dull.

---

Photos

Newport Sunset
This gorgeous view was right in front of the bus.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse
We walked up 110 steps to look at the two small lights and the six-inch thick prism surrounding it.

Fresh Tuna
This one provided over 6 lbs. of fillets.

Crab for Sale
And another crab nearby.......

The Sea Hag
No, silly, THE RESTAURANT!

Sea Nettles
At the Oregon Coast Aquarium

Lighthouse, again
Another view from the bus

Mona Lisa
Quirky painting on a hillside by a local artist