We woke to clouds which soon turned to rain. Lots of rain.
We hunkered down for the day.

This is what we watched out the window: video here.

More expected tonight and tomorrow. So that was to be the end of today’s blog.

BUT WAIT . . . . .

We did drive in the rain into nearby Arcata for lunch at the Kebab Cafe, a little joint we found a couple of years ago. It does a brisk takeout business and has a few tables (maybe eight) for those who want to eat in. Great kebabs and gyros. Great hummus (best in the world according to hummus fan Elaine). Great home-baked pita. We shared hummus. Elaine had a massive gyro (gyro meat is a blend of ground lamb and ground beef seasoned and grilled on a vertical broiler, then thinly sliced and served inside a warm pita with cold cut onions, tomatoes, cucumbers & cabbage with Tzatziki). And I had a Lamb Kofta (ground lamb mixed with herbs and spices) dinner plate served with cold cut onions, tomatoes, cucumbers & cabbage topped with our signature house vinaigrette dressing with of rice and Tzatziki served with a grilled pita. And a Lagunitas IPA for me.

After lunch the rain stopped for a bit and we stopped at a Safeway for some supplies. Oddly, it is located next to the self-proclaimed world’s highest totem pole.

Then we headed home to sit out the rain. I took a nap. Then, magically, against all odds and against the forecast of the NWS’s best meteorologists, the sun came out. Cocktails on the deck after all!

Standing on the deck, the trees are on the ground 70-80 feet below us and rise 100 feet or so above us. It’s really quite spectacular. Here are two pictures looking straight up from the deck.

And we even got a sunset.

The forecast tomorrow is wind and rain. We’ll see. Today was a nice bonus when we expected nothing but a washout.

I said probably no post, but here we are. Sunday morning was cloudy and foggy (as predicted). By the time we had loaded up the car, it was raining. So we expected a long, wet ride to Trinidad. But it wasn’t. Thirty minutes south of Newport we had outrun the rain and it was mostly hazy and/or sunny the rest of the way. But the weather is following us, so the rain will reach Trinidad eventually.

The ride was uneventful and quite beautiful along the coast, through the mountains, and through the Redwoods. We could have stopped for lots of pictures, but we mostly trucked on. We stopped twice (plus once for lunch at McDonald’s). Here are some pictures. No picture of my Big Mac.

We arrived at Sea Cliff Cottage to beautiful sunshine and had cocktails outside. The forecast, however, is ominous. Rain starting early Monday morning through Wednesday evening. We will make the best of it. The first picture is the view from our deck high above the Pacific. All the pictures are from the deck, in fact.

Another beautiful day to end our last full day in Depoe Bay. No boats out as the sea was raging. The beautiful sunshine ended as we had our last cocktails on the balcony. It will be a cloudy/foggy/rainy ride to Trinidad, CA tomorrow (about seven hours right down the coast). And we may have rain through Wednesday. We’ll see.

We had breakfast at the Sea Glass Bistro. Good eats. Stopped at Safeway for something or other. Nice display of Halloween pumpkins outside.

Then we just headed home to relax. The new series we are watching on Amazon Prime is the Girlfriend.. Six episodes. We’ll be finished it before we go to bed tonight. Weird show but interesting.

Here are two videos of the raging Pacific taken two hours apart. What a change in the weather in that time. And excuse my finger in the picture. I’m not used to taking videos with my phone.

Sunny Pacific here.
Cloudy Pacific here.

I may or may not post for Sunday as we will be all day in the car. Not much to report. If not, see you Monday from Trinidad.

Overloaded you with pictures yesterday. Not so today. Another perfect weather day. We stayed home and thew camera pretty much stayed in the case. A few odd shots including some whale watching boats. The jet flying overhead was An Air Emirates flight from San Francisco to Dubai. (How do I know? – my FlightRadar24 app on my phone.)

And we did go out to dinner to Bay View Thai Kitchen.

And then we stopped in Gracie’s Sea Hag again. Had a nice chat with a local couple. And we got to see their Ray Charles wannabe entertainer.

What camera am I using? Usually it’s my trusty Sony RX100v7. Some days (including all of today’s pictures) it’s my Google Pixel Pro 7 phone.

The good weather is about to end. Rain expected Sunday night well into Tuesday. So our two almost perfect weeks are over. Saturday should still be nice but the drive to Trinidad, CA on Sunday might be wet.

Someone asked about the plan for the blog. We’ll continue on for our seven upcoming days in Trinidad. We’ll be home on October 7th. After that the blog will go dark until the next trip – that will be a Viking cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles through the Panama Canal at Christmas time. We’ll spend Christmas and New Year’s on a ship for the first time ever. And we’ll have port calls in South American (Colombia) and Central America (Costa Rica and El Salvador). It will be our first time ever in South & Central America.

Until tomorrow, . . .

More sun. More wind. Quite cooler today, but warm on the balcony at happy hour with the sun shining directly on us off the glistening Pacific (we face northwest). LOTS of pictures today.

A different morning walk to show you this morning. Our condo is at North Point. As you look off our balcony to the southwest you can see Center Point and South Point. My walk today was out to the end of center point. So, halfway into town and then right out to the point. I went later than usual to be sure the sun was up and bright. Chilly and windy out there, but pleasant.

So, 4207 miles from here to Yokohama, Japan. That’s not a real seal in the picture, of course. One picture shows a abandoned house surrounded by chain-link fence that has been that way since our first visit here 10-14 years ago. How long have we been coming here? OK, I looked it up. Our first extended stay in Depoe Bay at this very condo was in 2014. The closeups from the edge don’t look that high up, but trust me, it’s a long way down. No fences or warning signs. I don’t go as close to the edge as I used to. Find the shadow of my head in two pictures.

First, a panorama (click to enlarge):

Followed by lots of photos.

Click on the galleries below to bring up scrollable windows with full size pictures – the gallery previews may show just thumbnails of the pictures. By the way, the pictures look much better on a tablet or a computer than they do on your phone. Just saying.

Looking back across the water you can see our building on the far left in the long distance shot below. In the telephoto close up we are almost dead center on the second floor just above the first floor condo with no white fence in front.

Lastly from the morning walk, a video of the ocean here. Whew, that was a long walk.

We spent the afternoon visiting another roadside viewpoint at Fishing Rock Park. This is on a side street off the 101 coast highway and there are no signs indicating it is there until you get there. I suspect lots of tourists never see this site, another of my favorites. It’s a short walk through the forest primeval to get to the rocks. And we found one BIG mushroom. That’s not me in the last pic. I am in one pic though.

Then it was lunch at the Side Door Cafe, a restaurant recommended by our waitress at Zurita’s. It’s off the beaten track and you have to know it’s there. Zinnias on the table. Rosé for Elaine. Belgian beer for me. We both had seafood chowder. Albacore tuna sandwich with potato salad for Elaine. Pan fried local Willapa oysters for me (best ever pan fried oysters!) with shrimp cole slaw. Yum yum.

Then it was home to rest and relax. Busy time on the balcony for happy hour and sunset. We had a kite flyer performing. Gorgeous sunset. And a sliver moon. You can see the kite (barely) in a couple of the sunset photos. The light on the water in the picture of the sliver moon is a fishing boat.

That’s all for today folks. Good night.

Yesterday at Cape Foulweather there wasn’t a breath of wind. Today was different! Sunny and clear, but wind. Also, yesterday we visited Yaquina Bay Historic Lighthouse and I mentioned my favorite lighthouse was at Yaquina Head. So today we visited the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. That’s really the name, and it’s managed by the U. S. Bureau of Land Management. The wind was fierce! Conservatively it was blowing at 35-40 mph – it was tough to stand still and take pictures. There are several areas of the site.

Click on the galleries below to bring up scrollable windows with full size pictures – the gallery previews may show just thumbnails of the pictures. By the way, the pictures look much better on a tablet or a computer than they do on your phone. Just saying.

The Cobble Beach

It’s a long stairway down to the cobble beach, and it’s tough to walk on the cobblestones. We’ve been down before and enjoyed it from above this time. Great views from the platform.

The Lighthouse

Yaquina Head Light is my favorite lighthouse. The light still shines. (All automated these days, of course, and no need for a lighthouse keeper anymore.) It was actually open to enter for the first time ever, but you couldn’t go to the top. Not much to see inside. Great views outside though. (There are tours at certain times.) It’s also a bird conservatory area and you can see the birds on the rocks.

Quarry Cove

Quarry Cove looks like a great natural site, but it was actually created by a man made and managed quarry (for basalt rock), Seals and otters in the water just sticking their heads up occasionally. And harlequin ducks on the rocks (look closely). See me in there hatless (because of the wind). Shadow picture too. The last picture best shows Quarry Cove from above.

Then it was into Newport for lunch at Zurita’s (again). A touch of Spain in Oregon. We ate inside this time (again because of the wind). Beautiful setting.

And great food. And great sangria. And great desserts. We shared

warm roasted organic carrots with whipped goat cheese, garlic crumble, and aleppo honey
crispy squid with chili allioli and black garlic allioli
duck mousse paté with toast points, pistachios, marmalade, fig spread, and olives
lemon meringue torta
dark chocolate dome with raspberry custard torta

We visited a couple of shops in the Nye Beach area and bought a few souvenirs and potential Christmas gifts. Then it was home for naps, balcony sitting, cocktails, sunset viewing, cheese and crackers, and eventually bed.

Perfect weather day. Enough said. We walked in the morning. No pictures. We decided to go into Newport to Local Oceans for lunch with stops along the way.

Click on the galleries below to bring up scrollable windows with full size pictures – the gallery previews may show just thumbnails of the pictures. By the way, the pictures look much better on a tablet or a computer than they do on your phone. Just saying.

Rocky Creek

Rocky Creek Overlook and the Ben Jones Bridge are on a short loop off the 101 Coast Highway. There was a lighthouse here once – long gone.

And a panorama (click to enlarge)

Cape Foulweather

Captain Cook named Cape Foulweather. It’s the first Oregon land formation that Captain Cook spied in March, 1778 on his third world voyage. Cook coined the name for the fierce weather and rough ocean conditions that he and his crew encountered.) Here’s what he said about it:

“The land appeared to be of moderate height, diversified with hill and Valley and almost everywhere covered with wood. There was nothing remarkable about it except one hill…At the northern extreme the land formed a point which I called Cape Foulweather from the very bad weather we soon after met with.”

Had he come today, he might have chosen another name. Perfectly sunny and not a breath of wind.

The best view is from the little gift shop and ranger station. Alas, it is under construction, so you can’t see the view looking north. (The historic gift shop will be closed through August 2025 for a rehabilitation and restoration project that includes stabilization, sealing the weather envelope, restoration work and increasing accessibility.) The other views aren’t bad, however. You can see the gift shop and ranger station from a distance.

Yaquina Bay Lighthouse and Bridge

Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, not to be confused with my favorite lighthouse at Yaquina Head (to be visited maybe tomorrow), hasn’t been used since 1877. There is also a fire watch lookout tower The lighthouse is reputed to be haunted. The haunting is the subject of a fictional work by a local author called The Lighthouse Ghost Of Yaquina Bay. It is also one of the few lighthouses where the lighthouse keeper cottage is part of the actual lighthouse as opposed to being a separate building.

Yaquina Bay Bridge is very picturesque and has a notable history. Here are two views first from the Lighthouse area and then from the other side at Newport Harbor.

Then it was time for lunch at Local Oceans. I had exactly what I had last time. Elaine had fish tacos. Food was great but the service was uncharacteristically slow. I guess everyone is entitled to a bad day. No food pictures this time.

Then it was home to relax. Here are a couple of odd pictures from the balcony of a couple on the rocks and of a whale watch boat.

And finally two pictures that Elaine took on her phone (that she thinks are good ones of me). I actually sort of smile in the first one especially for Mary Dexter. The Nordkapp hat is from our visit on a Viking cruise to Nordkapp, the northernmost point in Europe.

A little early morning coastal fog that quickly cleared off. Beautiful all day.

It’s hard to find new stuff to show you from my morning walk as I take the same route every day. But here are some more shots of Depoe Bay along the 101. Nice pink car. The local gas station/convenience store. The pirate at Pirate Coffee Company. The Inlet. The Inn at Arch Rock which looks like a nice place to stay – it’s always “no vacancy”. Mr. Niceguy, the other marijuana dispensary in town (Pete’s competition). Mile marker 127. The road up to Depoe Hills – this wasn’t here when we first came to Depoe Bay. A logging truck – I see one almost every morning. There are paper mills in Kellogg, just inland from Newport. Kellogg is an artsy town and we have visited on past trips. And Bigfoots coffee shop and store – it’s been “coming soon” for five years and has finally arrived.

A little time on the balcony and a view from the bedroom. Why ever get up? And a video of the Pacific.

The Pacific in action here.

Then we headed backed to D River (where the kite festival was yesterday). Today it was all quiet there. We came for lunch at Kylio’s. There was heron or a crane on the short river. (Cranes and herons are often confused due to their similar appearance. The key difference is that cranes fly with their necks outstretched, while herons curve theirs into an S shape. Both birds are captivating, yet they belong to different families and exhibit unique behaviors.) Elaine had chowder and rockfish and chips. I had six oysters on the half shell (small but tasty – no picture) and halibut and chips. Nice lunch. Good beer. (Elaine had Boneyard RPM IPA from Bend, OR; I had Mac & Jacks African Amber from Redmond, WA.)

Next we stopped in the Taft Historic District of Lincoln City. People fish for trout off the beach here. And it must be the driftwood capital of all the world’s beaches.

Then a brief stop at another overlook. Oregon has a beautiful and very accessible coastline.

After that we took a ride to Devil’s Punchbowl State Overlook. The wayside used to be overrun with squirrels. Now it appears there is just one. There are surfers down there on the beach.

Whew. Time for a nap. The late afternoon through happy hour was on the balcony. Beautiful sunshine and sunset. No pictures today though. Dinner was leftovers while watching the final two episodes of Awaken the Dead. We will miss it.

One week down in Depoe Bay; one week to go. Weather on Sunday? It rained during the night, cloudy when we got up, some fog, then some sun, then heavy fog, and then nice sunshine for the afternoon balcony session. Here are some photos from a morning session on the balcony.

The ocean in action here and here.

Around noon we heard two people discussing the kite festival. I thought it was in October and that we would miss it. I was wrong. It was yesterday and today in Lincoln City. So we hopped in the car for the 12 mile ride to the D River Recreation Site by the beach. (Yes, it’s really called D River and it’s billed as the shortest river in the world, so it’s deserving of a short name.) D River flows a grand total of 120 feet from Devil’s Lake into the Pacific. That’s where the Lincoln City Kite Festival is held. The last picture is a mural on a hotel that is now empty – closed down. Patriot’s fan was disappointed today, I suspect, as are Arizona Cardinal fans.

Some videos from the kite festival here, here, and here.

We spent about an hour and then headed back to our condo. You can see the bright blue skies at the festival. Back at the condo thick fog had rolled in and you could barely see the ocean. I took a nap and woke 90 minutes later to bright sunshine. So we spent the remainder of the afternoon through sunset on the balcony.

Lunch (sandwiches) and dinner (cheese and crackers) were both at home. We watched another two episodes of Awaken the Dead – each story is two episodes long. We have only two more episodes to watch in season nine, the last season. Then we’ll be looking for a new series to start.

Cloudy today but no fog. Lots of whale watching on the balcony. The seas were fairly calm and at one point there were twelve whale watching boats in view.

Our favorite breakfast place, the Surfrider, closed up. They are tearing down and rebuilding the resort. So we found a new place – the Sea Glass Bistro at the Best Western Plus at Agate Beach. Good food! After breakfast we continued on into Newport to catch a view of our friends, the sea lions. They were there in force at the Sea Lion Docks with the Yaquina Bay Bridge in the background. It’s a constant scrum for the sea lions to get a spot on the dock.

See them in noisy action at this link

After that we went home and did some whale watching followed by afternoon cocktail hour on the balcony. And then dinner. We went to the Bay View Thai Kitchen overlooking Depoe Bay Harbor (self declared as the world’s smallest harbor). It’s family run and is very good. We shared spring rolls. Then Elaine had eggplant curry with chicken. I had their signature sea food curry served in a coconut shell. Elaine had wine; I had Thai beer.

Normally we would then head home to bed. But we stopped on the way for a nightcap at Gracie’s Sea Hag. It was relatively quiet as their entertainer (who looks exactly like Ray Charles) was off this weekend. A quick drink and then was indeed home to bed.

Watch a video I took yesterday from the balcony to see the Pacific in action here.