Newport Oregon 2002

Tom the backroads traveller hosts this weekly meme.

Here's a Word document I found in my files! I have never posted anything about this trip!

May 2002 - Newport OR

Getting There and Back

Left May 17 Toronto – Vancouver – Portland. The flight from Vancouver to Portland is on a small plane. But going back to Vancouver it was an even smaller plane which was so noisy. On the flight into Vancouver the pilot pointed out the world’s largest cruise ship with 1 inch to spare while passing under Lion’s Gate Bridge.

Stayed overnight in Portland at the Marriott City Center 520 south west Broadway. We arrived quite late and couldn’t find a restaurant open so we ordered room service. The room cost was $100 U.S.

Picked up a car from Thrifty’s – weekly rate was $170 U.S.

Drove back to Portland on the 23th as we had an early flight. This time we stayed at the Marriott Downtown at 1401 Southwest Naito Parkway. The room had a fantastic view on Mount Hood. The rate was $99 U.S.

We flew home May 24 from Portland to Vancouver. We had a long layover so decided to get a room at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport. They charged $99 for a day room, but it was a beautiful room. They also serve a fabulous breakfast buffet for $19.50 each.

Strange - there were no self-serve gas stations in Oregon at this time (2002).

  When Oregon prohibited self-service in 1951, lawmakers cited safety concerns, including motorists slipping on the slick surfaces at filling stations subject to Oregon's notoriously rainy weather. In recent years legislators relaxed the rule and allowed rural counties to have self-serve gas available at night.
As of 2023 you can now pump your own gas!!!


Portland

This is a great little city. Walking around is easy. And it certainly has bridges!!!!





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We had breakfast at Bagels on Broadway. Then decided to walk around as it was a pleasant spring day. Down at the river the Doggie Dash was taking place. The annual Doggie Dash held on Portland's waterfront is always a popular event. It's a great opportunity for dogs and their people to come out and enjoy a fun run, music, costume contest, dog-owner look alike contest and door prizes, among other things. A good time is had by all at this great outdoor gathering.




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Cool crafts seen at the craft market:
Coffee cup poster – He put on the coffee while she put on her face.
Coffee cup – My friend Joe

You can shop on line at the market if you decide you should have bought something and didn’t.

The one thing I saw and should have bought, as I did not find it again, was a permanent cedar board for cooking salmon on the BBQ. 

Newport

We then drove to our timeshare, Embarcadero in Newport, a distance of 118 miles from Portland. In May there at lots of flowers already blooming – wild strawberries, lilies, lupins, calla lilies and of course, rhodys.

Stopped on the way for lunch at the Sea Hag restaurant in Depoe Bay. Great lunch but John lost a tooth on his partial!!

This is a very nice resort with a great view of the Yaquina Bridge. We had a 1 bedroom with a fireplace and deck.

Our deck

 Bay Boulevard is a popular tourist area, where restaurants, galleries, shops, and attractions such as Ripley's Believe it or Not and the Undersea Gardens are side by side with working canneries and fish-packing plants. Parking is at a premium, so it pays to go early, or visit during a walk around town.

Numerous fishing charters are available to take visitors out for salmon and bottom fishing. Crabbing and clamming are also excellent in Yaquina Bay. Crab pots, clam shovels and guns and other equipment can be rented at local tackle shops. However, the timeshare has crab rings available for use by owners. They also have an area set up for you to cook your crabs so you don’t have to deal with a mess in your condo. At this time of year, salmon and halibut are in season and delicious. We lived on fish for most of the week.

We could walk down into town which is really a fishing village. 

Barge Inn Newport

To our amazement and entertainment there were a large group of sea lions living under the pier.

As usual, we had to find a box for my collection. This was accomplished at the Lookout Observatory and Gift Shop in Depoe Bay. It is a teapot with a lighthouse painted on it.


We spent each day driving around exploring the area. 

Florence is a great little town. This quaint fishing village is situated on the banks of the Siuslaw River and has been beautifully restored in colorful themes reminiscent of the Victorian era. Numerous restaurants, art galleries, clothing and specialty shops; kites, candies, and T-Shirt shops are mixed among boat docks and Gazebo Park.

There was a traffic jam as we entered the town as crowds were gathering along the highway for a parade. We had no idea what was going on. But we were soon to find out. April showers bring May flowers, and for Florence that means rhododendrons. In May, wild rhododendrons festoon the nearby hills as the city celebrates its annual Rhododendron Festival. First held in 1908, the festival has blossomed into one of the coast's most popular events, attracting crowds of more than 30,000. Festivities include a carnival, floral displays, 5K and 10K runs, and a Grand Floral Parade complete with a Rhododendron Queen. The parade main attraction would be the number of Harley Davidson’s and riders who come to Florence to watch the parade. There were hundreds of bikes lining the streets.

Florence Rhody Parade Attendees. 

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Absolutely the best clam chowder is at Mo’s. There are several in the area.

A couple of bumper stickers spotted watching the parade:

“Hell hath no fury like a woman with helmet head”.

This slogan appeared on a female Harley biker’s helmet:” My other toy has a dick”.

 

On Monday John played golf at Lakeside in Lincoln City.

 
Tuesday we drove to Tillamook. We ate at the Pelican Brewery in Pacific City.
And once again we had clam chowder and halibut. Hands down the BEST VIEW of any pub in the state"- Frommer's Oregon
With a gorgeous 180 degree view from Cape Kiwanda to Cascade Head and plenty of windows to show off, the pub invites guests to settle in, enjoy a great meal & an award winning beer (or two) and stay awhile.

Of course, John had to buy the T-shirt.

We went to the Rogue Brewery in Newport on the way back to sample their beers. We then ate in as we were still stuffed from lunch and we had picked up some stuff from the Blue Heron Cheese factory in Tillamook.

Devil's Churn

12 miles north of Florence is Haceta Head lighthouse in Eugene. This 56 ft tower, illuminated in 1894, stands 205 ft above the ocean. It can be seen as far as 21 miles out to sea.

Wikipedia photo.

The next picture was taken by John from the window at Cape Foulweather.

The highest point on the Oregon coast awaits at Cape Foulweather. Discovered in 1778 by Captain Cook, this is one of the wettest regions of the coast. A gift shop accompanies the Otter Crest viewpoint on the cape. From here you can look down on Otter Crest and the famous Inn at Otter Crest. Actually, you're lucky if you can see much from here, as this area is frequently shrouded in fog. 

Of course I bought a box for my collection.

1 of 2 Newport lighthouses, Yaquina Bay was in service from 1871 to 1874 when the nearby, brighter lighthouse at Yaquina Bay eliminated its need..

The second of 2 Newport lighthouses, Yaquina Head is the tallest on the Oregon coast at 93 ft. It was illuminated in 1873 and stands 162 ft above sea level.




More beach photos.

Seal Rock - surrounded by mussels.

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Sand dunes

John golfed another day.

After a round of golf

BEERS

Mirror Road
Black Pete’s
Rogue Dead Guy
Rogue Shark’s Tooth
Kell’s Irish Lager
Shakespeare Stout
American Amber
Pelican Kiwanda Cream Ale
Tsunami Stout
Rogue Russian Imperial
McRogue