Miss GoGo and I tried to escape for a few days and traveled from the Willamette Valley over to Newport Oregon on the Oregon Coast. I say tired because work still went with me, boo! But nonetheless, we still had a great time! It’s actually been a while since I spent any time in Newport when I think back, and the town for the most part seems to be rebounding better than some during this stage of the pandemic. Last year when we drove through town Miss GoGo was fast asleep in the car, so I kept going towards that evening’s destination.
This trip we started our morning off with breakfast with family at HunnyMilk! Lovely little place with a fun menu! For a single price, you get a Sweet pancake, a Savory pancake, and a standard drink…think coffee or tea or juice.. and you leave stuffed and happy! From there I decided to take Highway 6 out to Tillamook to maximize coast time, and it’s a fun drive.
It was a pleasant enough drive on a sunny but not hot day and the traffic to the coast for a Sunday was pretty reasonable. Nothing really note-worthy happened as we did Tillamook last year, but if you’re hungry stop at the Tillamook Cheese Factory for lunch! The best part of that day happened in Depot Bay and totally by chance! We saw a whale in Depot Bay and got a great parking spot for it too.
While starting into town, I noticed several boats just sitting out in the bay slowly moving around but not headed into the harbor or out to see. As I watched them while traffic was stopped I saw what I thought was a whole blow. Then I got super lucky and someone pulled out of a prime parking spot on the bay wall overlook, winning! I snagged the spot and pulled out the fancy camera and long lens and we watched. It paid off! We got to watch the whale for several minutes as it dove, I got a whale tail shot, and just hunted in the bay. It was so much fun! Depot Bay is renowned for whale watching and has a fleet of whale sightseeing boats that deploy from there. If you get the chance, stop and watch for whales or jump on a boat. You won’t be disappointed!
Our next stop was the Yaquina Lighthouse and the amazing Cobble Beach that is just north of Newport Oregon. It was high tide the first time we stopped by, and we enjoyed listening to the waves roll the rocks and the music that was created. If/When I get to visit again it’s on the list of places to drink hot coffee in the mornings! Hot coffee and listening to the waves and rocks create music yes, please! We also went back the next morning for low tide, and oh my gosh what amazing tide pools! We got to see sea urchins, sea stars, sea anemones, and crabs. It was a lot of fun and this beach is on my list of best tide pools on the Oregon coast! 
We also went over and visited the OSU Hatfield Marine Visitor Center and were graced with their Pacific Octopus feeling friendly and sociable! You know from books how big they are, but when you see one this close it puts it into perspective. It was also a great chance to walk Miss GoGo through more science of the sea and all the hand on exhibits and let her burn some energy without being covered in sand. I really recommended this place to families needing some hands-on time for younger kids as the exhibits are great and practical!
Miss GoGo and I like different types of beach activities. She is 7 and totally into the sand toys and spending hours on the beach playing with them. I am a rock and tidepool person and will happily spend hours on a tidepool or rocky beach looking at everything. We found a happy medium, especially when I found Beverly Beach, just north of Newport Oregon, and all its fossils in the rocks; we’re doing science was her exclamation! In the end, bucket loads of sand came back to the parking lots and so did several rocks and shells.
Our favorite food spot was dinner at Local Ocean Seafood where we split skewered Scallops, Steamed Clams, and a side of fruit. We finished the evening by
walking down the harbor/old town Newport and grabbing some Salt Water Taffy for dessert.
We came home via Highway 20 and I-5 and we both were disappointed to leave the coast, but beach time for this trip was over. We will be back on the beach again!
It was a great quick summer trip but Newport Oregon didn’t disappoint, and already looking at ideas for next year’s trip! I am a plan-aholic after all; at least per Love.. lol..
