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What camera am I using?: the Canon G7X Mark II, the best point-and-shoot camera that exists. I don’t want a big camera with lens options anymore. It has to fit in my pocket.

What is Reno like post pandemic?: In October 2019 when we stayed overnight, the casinos were practically deserted and there were homeless camps along the river easily visible from the Marriott Courtyard. Downtown Reno was a depressing place. This year we stayed in the brand new Marriott Aloft at the airport and didn’t even go near downtown I suspect the pandemic hasn’t helped things. Reno just happens to be a convenient stopping point on the route home.

The Journey Home

Nothing much to report. Day one we traversed the Oregon mountains, often going above the snow line. We had lunch at McDonald’s in Sisters, OR. We passed through Bend. We stayed over night in Klamath Falls. Interesting fact: Klamath Falls has no waterfall.

“When you first hear the name Klamath Falls, you may immediately think of a waterfall. Which makes you like most people. We hear it all the time: Where are the waterfalls at? How did Klamath Falls get that name? And what are the best known waterfalls near Klamath Falls that I should visit? Some of these are complex questions. Thankfully, we will take a little time to answer these questions, so you can be in the know when you are in Klamath Falls. Klamath Falls was originally founded in 1867 with the name Linkville, after the nearby Link River. The name was changed to Klamath Falls between 1892 and 1893. The word Klamath is derived from the indigenous people that lived on the land. While the word is not actually thought to be of the language of the people, it has come to symbolize them. The local Klamath people referred to the region by the Link River. Since it was an odd phenomenon as it would flow upstream when the south wind blew. The Klamath word for the phenomenon, Tiwishkeni, loosely translated meant “where the falling waters rush”. It was from this that the word Falls was added to the name, Klamath Falls. Klamath in reference to the people and Falls in relation to the Link River phenomenon. The falls of Klamath Falls are more of a cascading fall or water rapids along the Link River that can still be glimpsed today. During much of the year, you can see a set of whitewater rapids along with one or two cascading waterfalls along a ledge on the east side of the river channel. For the best views, we recommend visiting in the spring, when water from the Upper Klamath Lake overflows and makes the rapids more noticeable. While the falls may not be what you immediately consider a waterfall, when you do glimpse the falls of Klamath Falls, you can easily see how they received their name.“

We made a couple of stops to view the snowy mountains. The roads were dry and clear. We did have one interesting sight – a blue jay. He thoughtfully posed. I can’t remember the last time I saw a blue jay.

Day two, Monday, was a relatively short jaunt from Klamath Falls to Reno. The highlight was supposed to be burgers and shakes at The Oney Frosty in Town in Adin, California where we had delicious burgers two years ago. Alas, it is closed on Monday! Instead we had very good burgers at the Courthouse Cafe in Susanville, California.

Day three was a long trek on back roads from Reno to Las Vegas. Once you hit Las Vegas, the traffic is terrible. We did go buy the gorgeous new Las Vegas NFL stadium. We stayed at our usual Marriott Residence Inn on Las Vegas Boulevard but past the airport and far from the hustle and bustle of the strip. We got burrito bowls to go from Chipolte and ate them in the room at the Marriott.

Day four was the five hour drive home from Vegas to Scottsdale. Aside from a stop at McDonald’s in Boulder City for breakfast, there were no stops. We were home by noon

Dingle in October? Maybe.

To those who have left comments: Thank you all for your comments. We read and enjoy them all

Now we are winding down. Saturday night will be our last night in Depoe Bay. We’ll leave early Sunday morning for the three-night journey home – night one in Klamath Falls, Oregon, night two in Reno, and night three in Las Vegas. The ride is interesting because it’s all on non-Interstate, mostly two lane roads. We had planned a short stop on the way to Klamath Falls at Crater Lake National Park. That’s off the table as the rim road there is still blocked by snow and closed. Lassen Volcanic National Park would have been an option, but the drive through it is also still closed from the winter snows.

Thursday

Cloudy, rainy morning with red flag warnings – no boats allowed out of the harbor. Rough seas. That was the forecast for all day Thursday and Friday. We got walks in between rain squalls. I included a picture of a deserted downtown Depoe Bay. We didn’t do anything save for going into Newport for a last lunch at Local Ocean. We had exactly the same things as last time. I forgot to take pictures save for one of my pan friend oysters after I had already eaten half of them. Lo and behold, when we left the restaurant, the sun came out. But by the time we got back to Depoe Bay, it was raining steadily again.

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As is often the case, the weathermen got it all wrong again. By cocktail hour the sun was shining brightly and we enjoyed the sea views while sipping our drinks. Here are a couple of videos of what we watch every afternoon.

Friday

Sunny beautiful day. Still a red flag warning out with rough seas. We continued winding down. We went to breakfast at the Surf Rider. Then late morning we drove back to Toledo. Elaine had seen some artwork at a gallery that was closed when we were there. She called, and they were to be open on Friday. She bought three pieces while I played with the gallery dog. I’ll post pictures of what she bought when we get it on our bedroom wall at home. You can get a hint from a picture below.

Other than that, we drove by the Newport harbor area on the way home. Then we did nothing really. We watched the fourth of the “Murder In – – – ” series on Mhz. This one took place in Aquitaine in the Bordeaux region.

Then it was the usual cocktails under the sun on the balcony. The temperature in Depoe Bay never got above 60 degrees while we were here. It was usually in the upper 40’s for our morning walks. But on the balcony, shielded from the wind, facing southwest, with the setting sun shining on the ocean and reflecting on us, it feels like 80 degrees. We enjoyed the balcony immensely. We had another gorgeous sunset.

Next posting will be somewhere on the road or possibly the day we get home (Wednesday).

The day started out beautiful like yesterday. The forecast called for clouds by early afternoon. But the sun stayed out all day through sunset. I took my usual early morning walk (7 am), this time out to the point again instead of into town. See my long shadow?

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Then we took a ride. First stops were at two overlooks on the Otter Crest Loop to watch the mighty Pacific a bit. Look closely to see the rainbow effect in the bigger picture in the middle.

Then we drove into Newport, then inland to Toledo. Toledo was a prosperous timber town for many years. The railroad even came here, and they have a small but fun railway museum. It still has two huge timber processing plants, one owned by Georgia Pacific. But the town is forlorn now. It has aspirations to be an art town, and it does have some interesting galleries. But downtown is mainly empty storefronts. Some have been transformed into “ghost galleries”. The Chamber of Commerce displays art work in the windows of empty stores. Love the drinking fountain with a dog extension.

Scenes Around Toledo

The Toledo Railway Museum

Then home for a late lunch, naps, ocean watching, and cocktails prior to getting takeout from Tidal Raves. Calamari Fritti with Cilantro Lime Sour Cream to start. Elaine had Herb Crusted Pacific Rockfish with smoked salmon potato cake and a shrimp caper cream sauce. I had Cioppino (clams, wild shrimp, crab, and fin fish in a tomato herb broth). We had Tillamook marionberry ice cream for dessert.

Monday

Overcast, foggy, and rain.  Dull day.  No pictures.  The highlight: lunch at Local Oceans.  We split the usual grilled calamari salad.  Then I had the BEST pan friend oysters and fries ever.  Elaine had the BEST fish and chips in America.  She chose lingcod over rockfish or halibut.  (The best fish and chips elsewhere were at a restaurant in Portstewart, Northern Ireland and at a takeout stand at Manly Beach in Sydney, Australia.

Tuesday

Cloudy morning with the standard separate walks to start the day.  Before noon it had all cleared off and we had a brilliant sunny day that lasted right through the night.  We visited four spots, starting before the sun was out and took a ton of pictures.  Enjoy.

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Gleneden Beach

Not a beach we visit often, but we drive by it almost every day.  You cannot see the beach from the road. Wolf tracks on the beach? A dog, I’m sure.

Fogarty Creek Beach

The closest beach to our condo, a five minute ride away.

Fishing Rock Park

You saw this place in pictures last week under overcast skies.  It’s magical when the sun is out and you venture all the way out on the cliff.  There isn’t even a sign on the main road for this Oregon State Parks maintained beauty.  You just have to know it’s there.

An Elaine Panorama

Boiler Bay Overlook

This is the closest overlook to our condo, just a seven minute walk away.  It’s wonderful for viewing when the sea is rough.  Today the seas were unusually calm.

Another Elaine Panorama

And then there was four hours or so on the balcony.  Cocktails. Hors d’oeuvres. We saw a whale fully breach – a rarity. Why no pictures of whales, you ask?  Big ocean and they pop up suddenly, usually with a blow of air and a slight view of their back or tail as they dive.  You’d have to be incredibly lucky to have your camera pointed at the right spot at the right time.  Cocktails were grand.  Dinner was leftover ravioli.  The sunset was magnificent.

Cloudy in the morning. Brilliant sun all afternoon. Busy day! The day in pictures.

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What I see every day on my walk in the morning.

Bird Island – a rock island visible from our balcony that is the breeding ground for thousands of fledging sea gulls and cormorants. The fledgings in the thousands fly every evening near sunset to land a short way away in the ocean and then return to the island 30-40 minutes later. You can get closer to it from the huge World Mark time share resort next to us. In the last picture I look back to our building – we are on the second floor.

A Walk on Avery Creek Beach

A Visit to the Old Yaquina Bay Lighthouse and new Coast Guard Watch Tower (Should I have eaten those razor clams at breakfast?)

A Visit to Devil’s Punchbowl Overlook

Two pretty normal but unexciting days. Since we’ve seen most everything here we need to see over the years, we are just enjoying being near the ocean.

Friday was overcast all day and rain started around dinner time.  We didn’t do much.  We went to the Surf Rider Inn located on a bluff above Fogarty Beach for breakfast.  I was looking forward to oysters and eggs.  No oysters on the menu.  Damn them.  Instead I had fried razor clams and eggs with has browns, a side of bacon, and toast.  Elaine tuck with a more traditional sausage and eggs.  Good food in an almost empty dining room with nice views of the ocean.  I always loved fried clam (with bellies, of course) and steamed clams. But I had never had Pacific razor clams before. A bit long, a bit tough, but excellent with tartare sauce and a little Cholula hot sauce.

Other than that, we hung around the condo.  We watched the second episode of “Murder In – – – “, a French series of murder mysteries.  The first took place in Colmar.  This one was in Oleron, an oyster raising island on the French west coast not far from the Île de Ré, a similar island where we once stayed.

Saturday was bright and sunny for our walks. Depoe Bay has been relatively quiet during the week, but everything was filled up for the weekend.  Again, we had a quiet day.  Not a lot of opportunities for pictures.  Seamus, my Acura, told me that I needed a new battery in one of my key fobs.  It had to be Elaine’s since I more recently replaced the battery in mine.  I ordered a two-pack of CR-2032 batteries from Walmart and we drove into Newport to pick them up from curbside pickup.  No need to even get out of the car.  While in town we stopped at a market and bought some Mo’s clam chowder stock and some milk (and some oyster crackers).  We went home and devoured it for lunch.  We stopped at Devil’s Punchbowl for a look see but the lot was filled with weekend wind surfers.  We’ll go back next week.  Cocktails were on the balcony as usual with a nice selection of smoked steelhead and smoked salmon with brie and crackers. Dinner was the rest of the chicken breasts wrapped in bacon that we imported from our stop at Costco in Eugene on the way here.

Tomorrow is another pandemic day. I’ll be back with a blog post on Tuesday morning.

The weather continues to be remarkably good.  The highs are only in the mid 50’s, but it feels grand.  Sitting in the sun on the balcony feels more like close to 70.

We took our separate walks on Wednesday morning.  We go separately because Elaine likes to walk faster than me and likes to leave right after she gets up before I am ready to go.  Since the walks tend to be into town and then back via the same (and only) road, we generally pass each other  (like two ships in the night)shortly after I start out and she nears home.

Wednesday was our day to visit my second most favorite sea food restaurant in the world for lunch – Local Oceans in Newport.  And finally some food pictures for you!  We ate in the restaurant.  Well spaced tables with lots of Plexiglass and all staff and customers masked (except when at their table).  We shared a Grilled Calamari Salad (with roasted fennel, shitake mushrooms, poblano pepper, organge, Niçoise olives, and queso fresco).  It’s an old favorite.  Then Elaine had the Wild Salmon Sliders (three chipotle red pepper salmon cakes, lettuce, chil garlic aioli on brioche buns).  I had my usual Rockfish Italiano (panko crusted rockfish, pepperoni, salami, pepperocini, mozzarella, red pepper coulis on a hoagie).

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After lunch we walked down the street to visit our old friends, the Newport sea lions on their sea lion docks.  Lots of businesses and restaurants are closed (due to the pandemic and lack of tourists), but things seem to be picking up again.  Undersea Gardens has been razed.  The wax Museum is history.  But Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum has been totally rebuilt. Alas, Oregon is closing indoor dining in eighteen counties starting on Friday due to an uptick in covis cases.  Lincoln County (where we are) is not among the eighteen.  Even the sea lions seem subdued and quieter than usual.

Then it was back home for naps and/or reading and/or jig saw puzzling.  Cocktails on the balcony were delightful as always.  Dinner was essentially skipped.  Elaine was full.  I had some crackers and cheese.  I haven’t mentioned whales much.  We see their spouts every day, but we don’t see their tails and bodies much as they roll over and dive.  The Orca whales should be migrating just now from Mexico waters to Alaska, but they tend to be farther out.  Whale boats spot them.  When the Orcas are migrating, the resident grey tend to keep a low profile as the Orcas will kill their young for food.

Thursday morning was foggy.  Walks were as usual.  Then we drove to to find a well hidden Oregon state viewpoint in Depoe Bay that we had never found before – Fishing Rock viepoint.  There is not sign for it on the 101, and you have to know where to turn off to find the small parking lot and discreet little sign.  Then it’s a short walk through a forest primeval to a nice overlook over rocks and the beach.

Next stop – D River Beach (best name they could come up with?) in Lincoln City because Elaine wanted to collects some rocks off the beach (for her rock painting hobby).  There are unique rocks on this beach with holes in them.  Why the holes?  No idea.  Anyway, we found a bunch and a perfect shell while taking a leisurely walk down the beach and back.  We stopped at Mo’s in the Taft area of Lincoln City for lunch, but it looked too crowded and we opted for sandwiches at home.

Elaine finished a jig saw puzzle (number two), fixed the sticking sliding screen door, and finagled her portable umbrella so it worked to her satisfaction.  Cocktails as usual on the balcony with smoked salmon and brie and crackers. Dinner was home-made leftovers from the other night.

Cloudy but dry morning, sunny afternoon.  We did our morning walks.  I took a few pictures of Depoe Bay harbor, the “World’s Smallest Harbor”.  It has a very narrow entry passageway from the sea under the bridge on the Pacific Coast Highway (Oregon Route 101).  There are mostly private boats and fishing fleet boats in the small marina, but there is also the Depoe Bay Coast Guard Station (The Hole in the Wall Gang).

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Then we took a ride north on the 101 to Tillamook, home of the famous Tillamook Dairy Cooperative.  It’s famous for cheese, but they also make delicious yogurt and ice cream.  Their products are now available nationwide.  They give guided tours and sell their products.  The place is usually packed.  But the Co-op was not our destination.  Rather we visited the Blue Heron French Cheese Company.  Outside chickens run free.  Peacocks roam.  First time I saw an all white peacock. Goats are everywhere.  Inside they sell all kinds of exotic food products, but they are best known for the French brie cheeses made on-site.  We bought some pepper brie and herb brie and some garlic crackers for those afternoons on our balcony.

Then it was home again for lunch, naps, and working on the jig saw puzzle before afternoon cocktails on the sunny but cool balcony.  Dinner was chicken breast wrapped in bacon with baked potato.  Then early to bed with open windows and the sound of the crashing waves under a full moon.

To those who asked or commented about the balcony chairs, yes, those are the Seattle Seahawk chairs that we bought years ago at a Costco near Portland.  We just fold them up and put them in the closet here and anyone who stays can use them.  I’m always a bit surprised when they are still here when we arrive.  They are way better and more comfortable than the cheap plastic chairs provided on the balcony.

TUESDAY

Bright, sunny morning, but chilly – in the 40’s.  Nice bracing walks.  Instead of going into town, I went out to the point that you can see from our balcony.  Nice homes out there, but the entire coastline is open access to anyone who ventures out to it.  There are steep drops down to rocks and the ocean.  No warning signs and no railings.  Care is required.  I took care.

On the walk back to the condo I took a picture of my new mantra on life (and a couple of other shots.)

We drove into Newport, and, on the way, stopped at the Yaquina Lighthouse Outstanding Scenic Area.  I must now have 200 pictures of Yaquina Light! 

After a short stop we continued on through Newport and over the Yaquina Bay Bridge to South Beach to visit the South Beach Seafood Market to get some locally produced smoked salmon.  Alas, no smoked salmon, but we did have some nice hot clam chowder for lunch.  We then drove back into Newport to the harbor area and went to the Fish Peddler’s Market and scored some smoke salmon and smoked steelhead.

Later in the afternoon we watched a mystery show from France on Amazon Mhz Channel.  Cocktails on the balcony were under beautiful sunny skies.  Then we ordered dinner to go from the best seafood restaurant in America, Tidal Raves.  We had seahawk bread and scrumptious calamari for appetizers, plus chowder (clam for me, salmon for Elaine), followed by coconut shrimp for Elaine and pan fried Pacific oysters and fries for me.  It was accompanied by a nice bottle of Pinot Noir.  Then after watching the sunset over the Pacific it was off to bed.

Surprise!  Back a day early.  The forecast was for rain all day.  It was certainly cloudy in the morning with occasional drizzle.  But Elaine took her walk into and about town while I did yesterday’s blog entry.  Then I went for a walk as well.  Given the forecast, Sunday was to be as God meant it to be – a day of rest.  Elaine started a crossword jig saw puzzle.  I got my Amazon Firestick hooked up to the TV and now we have Amazon Prime Video and Netflix ready to use.  Fortunately, the internet here is very good.

In the afternoon the sun started to shine a bit through the clouds and it began to seem like cocktails on the balcony would be possible after all.  The temperature was only in the upper 50’s, but the balcony faces WSW and when the sun is shining, it’s like a heat hothouse – the sun shines off the ocean and the balcony is much warmer than the ambient temperature.  (Is ambient the right word here?)

Dinner was Costco meat loaf with its accompanying delicious mashed potatoes.  Marionberry ice cream for dessert.

More on Wednesday if not sooner.

Click on the galleries below to bring up scrollable windows with full size pictures – the gallery previews show just thumbnails of the pictures

After 18 months in Scottsdale without any type of trip, we are on the road again! Our last trip was in September/October 2019 to Depoe Bay, Oregon. Now we are heading back to Depoe Bay!

Wednesday

We started up Seamus, our 2019 Acura RDX, and headed out at 7:30 am! Today was from home to Bakersfield, California. The fun part is going that far without hitting an Interstate. We skipped the usual I-10 to I-5 route and instead took mostly one-lane roads through Wickenburg, Parker, 29 Palms, Joshua Tree, and Barstow to get to Bakersfield. We packed a picnic lunch and ate half of it in a city park in Joshua Tree, California. We saved the rest for tomorrow. We arrived in Bakersfield at about 4:30 pm after an uneventful journey and checked into the Spring Hill Marriott. Finally I can use my Marriott points again. Free night.

Last time here we found a wonderful Mexican seafood restaurant and wanted to eat their food again but were wary of dining in in these pandemic times. Fortunately Nuestro Mexico does take out. Would it be as good? We ordered on-line and drove to restaurant to pick up the order. We shared a ceviche bowl appetizer (raw fish marinated in citrus juices) and then both had the Mariscos Poblanos (Scallops, fish, and shrimp cooked in a creamy chile poblano sauce) with flour tortillas. Chips and salsa were also included. Back to the hotel to enjoy the meal with the wine we brought with us. Spring Hill Suites have microwaves, but we didn’t need one. The food was scrumptious. And then early to bed.

Thursday

We spent all day Thursday on busy I-5 in California. The only stop of interest was in a rest area to finish our packed picnic lunch. But wait!!! There in the rest area was a Mexican food truck. I had a delicious (and huge) burrito. Elaine had two delicious looking tacos. Yum! The picnic remains got dumped. Also, while in the rest area, Elaine bought some California oranges from some guy selling them out of his van.

We arrived in Redding, California and checked in at the Sheraton Sundial Inn. Sheraton is owned by Marriott, so again we stayed free with my points. We decided to have dinner on the patio at their restaurant, Mosaic. Also the patio was full, so braved eating in at a tall table in the bar area. Everyone was appropriately masked, and the tabled were well spaced. Elaine had brussels (crispy brussels tossed with lemon marmalade and spicy pecans) for an appetizer while I had a Caesar salad. We both had the house sangria. For our main, we shared a delicious pizza margherita. Excellent meal.

Before dinner we had a walk around the beautiful Sun Dial Bridge park. After dinner it was off to sleep.

Friday

Last day on the road. Still on I-5 most of the way. We had a brief stop to take a picture of Mount Shasta, and then had an important stop in Eugene, Oregon to visit Costco. We stocked up on Willamette Valley pinot noirs and some Costco prepared meals for the days ahead. Finally, we off I-5 onto US 20 (which runs all the way from Newport, OR to Waltham, MA) and then onto the Pacific Coast Highway to reach Depoe Bay. It was good to see our condo again!

Saturday

Rain, rain, rain. The Newport Farmer’s Market was rained out. We filled the condo larders with a stop at Safeway. We forgot Tillamook marionberry ice cream! Fortunately the little market near our condo had some. We saw glimpses of sun late afternoon, but too cold and windy and rainy to sit on the balcony. We had a nice home cooked meal and watched the angry seas from inside. Whales have been sighted!

Elaine tried the oranges we bought at the rest area. “Best orange I ever tasted!”

Weather will be bad on Sunday and Monday. Sun coming back on Tuesday. We hope. All is good. Next blog post on Tuesday.