Fog. Surprise? No.

Walks in AM. We met at Depoe Bay Coffee Shop for coffee/hot chocolate.

Quiet day at home. Packing.

Mo’s clam chowder base with half and half added for dinner. Garlic bread. Nice.

And off at 7 AM on Sunday for Redding, CA on the way home.

Posts on the way? Maybe.

Home on Tuesday afternoon.

. . . except it hasn’t moved on. This is day eight. Not even a glimpse of sunshine. Oh, well.

Lunch was at Local Oceans, our last visit for this trip. Smoked Salmon Bisque and Grilled Calamari Salad (roasted fennel, poblano pepper, shiitake mushroom, orange, onion, Niçoise olives, queso fresco, fresh herbs, and white balsamic vinaigrette) for Elaine. Roasted Garlic & Dungeness Crab Soup and Fishwives Stew (Dungeness crab, Oregon pink shrimp, wild prawns, scallops, clams, rockfish, wine, saffron & garlic herb tomato broth, and toasted garlic bread) for me.

Call it a day. Cheese and crackers for dinner.

OK, we are permanently socked in with fog. No sun since last Saturday. We’re not complaining. We had two very good weather weeks. The third week, not so much. But it’s what you get on the Oregon coast. Fifteen miles inland the sun is out and it’s 20º warmer. We’ll take the ocean.

We went today to the Lincoln City Outlets. We browsed around Pendleton, North Face, Columbia, and a tool store. The only thing we bought was a $12 tool that supposedly makes cleaning the inside of your windshield easy. We’ll try it before we go.

Today’s big event was a return visit to the Bay House, one of Oregon’s most prestigious dining establishments. We discovered it years ago when it was located right on the coast road. It has since relocated to be part of the Salishan Coastal Resort located just about five miles from our condo. It’s still run by the old owner. So today’s pictures (courtesy of my phone) are all about the food. we’ll start with a picture from our booth.

Kir Royales to Start

Amuse Bouche and Wine

We chose an expensive bottle of Eyrie Vineyard’s Pinot Noir. Eyrie is our favorite Oregon vineyard. The founder is the man who brought the pinot grape from France to Oregon. The vial contains a Chamomile Tea Infusion. The spoon contains a salmon concoction.

Appetizers

Elaine: Beet Salad (Chevre, Edible Earth, Pomegranate, Hibiscus, Seed Cracker, Oregano Vinaigrette)

Joe: Pork Belly (Soft-Poached Fried Egg, Polenta, Carrot Crumb, Salted Caramel Apple Butter)

Mains

Elaine: Pork (Brined Pork Chop, Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes, Heritage Beans, Broccolini, Salted Caramel Apple Butter)

Joe: Beef (Piedmontese Beef Tenderloin, Pave Potato, Cherry Tomato, Cocoa Demi-Glace)

Desserts

Elaine: Chocolate Delight – Joe: Lemon Sponge Cake

Yum. Home to bed.

We leave Sunday, so time is running short. Wednesday was, as expected, cloudy and foggy. Blah. I think that’s what we’ll see until we leave. We decided to visit Nye Beach in Newport to visit the shops and galleries. We.ve been there numerous times to eat at Pacific Kitchen but have never really strolled the area. After walking the area, we had lunch at the Gyro Guys, a family run Greek/Mediterranean restaurant. Falafel sandwich for Elaine. Lamb shawarma for me. Baklava for dessert. Delicious. We got baba ghanoush to go for tonite’s appetizer.

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

Around Nye Beach

Petunia’s Place Gift Shop

An interesting place. Petunia loves dogs. Lots of rules. One rule: no photography inside – I broke the rule. Elaine bought a gift for someone.

Archway Market

Archway Market is everything. It is a market – sodas, toothpaste, medicines, groceries. And it’s also a gift shop. Lots of interesting stuff. In fact, amazingly, I bought a few things! (for stocking stuffers at Xmas). We chatted up the owner.

Yaquina Art Association

Yaquina Art Association displays art work by locals. We chatted with one local who does underwater photography. She has some amazing shots. Another photography artist on display is Walter Duvall. Great photos! Here’s his Yaquina Bay Bridge shot. We bought a 2023 Duvall calendar.

It was so foggy it was pointless to have cocktails on the balcony. You could barely see the ocean. So it was extra episodes of Silent Witness before dinner. (We’re up to Season 11 of 25 now). After the baba ghanoush appetizer, dinner was at home – smoked salmon (from Local Oceans Fish Market and Restaurant, our go-to lunch spot) served with sour cream & capers and toasted baguette. Caesar salad on the side.. Nice wine. Rocky Road ice cream for dessert.

Fogs, clouds, drizzle. Not much else to say.

We had lunch at Local Oceans in Newport. Halibut ceviche to start. Fried oysters for me, Salmon sliders for Elaine. We each had a local draft ale,

Other than that, I’ve got nothing! The fog is not conducive to ocean photography. We still enjoy the ocean on the balcony with our cocktails. Not many whales about today.

We were full from lunch and skipped dinner but not dessert – Tillamook Rocky Road ice cream between two episodes of Silent Witness.

Alas, more of the same predicted for tomorrow. Inland it’s sunny and warm. But there’s no ocean inland.

Later!

A do nothing kind of day.

No rain but cloudy and foggy most of the day.

No pictures (almost).

No food reports (almost).

No road trips.

No shopping.

We DID go to breakfast at the Surfrider. Snapped a couple of pics of the food (with a view) with my phone.

Then we went home and listened to the last few hours of The It Girl. Phew! It’s over. The insufferable Hannah prevailed.

Lunch at home.

Naps.

Cocktails on a chilly balcony with lots of whales about.

Leftovers for dinner.

Two episodes of Silent Witness.

Bed.

For those who love photographs here are some random shots from around Depoe Bay that (I think) I have not included before.

Late again. SORRY! And thought you escaped videos. Nope. A couple below.

82º yesterday. Not today. Cloudy, foggy, and cold. High of 58º.

We drove 10 miles north today into Lincoln City to visit the second and final day of the Fall Kite Festival. They had beautiful sunny weather yesterday, but no wind. Kites like wind. No problem today. We walked the beach a bit. Elaine found a rock she liked with a hole in it. There were kids swimming and surfing (brrrrrr). Then we watched the early kite performers. They have large stationary kites in one area and teams giving synchronized shows in another area. It was cold, but enjoyable.

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

Then we drove back toward home but stopped at the Taft Area of Lincoln City. The beach is a bonanza for driftwood fans. Lots of people were surf fishing.

And right at the Taft beach, there is a Mo’s, a venerable Oregon restaurant chain famous for their chowder, We stopped in for lunch. Great clam chowder followed by a cod sandwich for Elaine and beer encrusted halibut and chips for me. Alcohol free lunch.

Then it was home to watch some football, read, nap, and listen to some more of the latest audio book that we didn’t have time to finish on the drive – The It Girl by Ruth Ware. It’s a before/after murder mystery with an insufferable young heroine named Hannah. Will we every finish it? We are invested, so we must endure.

P.S. For my sister who mentioned it:
Then there’s Cat Lick Park, originally known as Cat Lick Rock Park. It’s a simple grassy area overlooking the ocean with that goofy sign.
What does that mean?
According to Weidner, it’s a kooky tale that came about because of city discussions on how to enhance the look of the rock signage. They originally wanted a lot of moss to grow on the rocks, and ideas were thrown around on how to achieve this, including encouraging moss to grow. Someone suggested pouring buttermilk on the rock. “Then, someone said: ‘If you pour buttermilk on it you’ll have every cat in the neighborhood licking it,’ “ Weidner said.
Thus the name simply stuck. It’s become a bit of a fascination on the internet as well, with some actually discovering the correct origin.

In all our spring and fall visits to Depoe Bay, the temperature rarely gets as high as 70º. It’s usually in the mid 60’s. But sitting on the balcony at 65º facing west into the afternoon sun shining on the ocean sometimes feels hot. Today was an anomaly. The Depoe Bay temperature reached 82º It was definitely HOT sitting in the bight sunshine.

Saturday is Farmer’s Market Day in Newport, so we were off early after our walks to visit. This is a real farmer’s market with actually farms displaying their product. Of course, there are also lots of other vendors too selling stuff. And there is an excellent artisan baker. We bought a delicious sourdough boule and some mouth-watering oatmeal cranberry cookies from the baker. And we bought lettuce, tomatoes, sweet corn, cucumbers, raspberries, strawberries, and peaches from the farmers. Finally we picked up some hot salsa from a vendor who we met last year. He introduced us to Juanita’s tortilla chips which ae made in Hood River, OR. They are the best! And, interestingly enough, you can buy them in the grocery stores in Scottsdale too.

On the way home we stopped buy the beautiful Yaquina Bay Outstanding Natural Area (that’s the real name!) run by the US Bureau of Land Management. It’s the home of Yaquina Head lighthouse.

Then it was a quiet afternoon at home and a hot cocktail hour on the balcony. Dinner was home cooked ‘shake and bake’ chicken with Caesar salad and fresh sweet corn. Great sunset and a pretty moon outside. After a couple of episodes of Silent Witness, we were off to bed.

Late post today. Sorry. Enjoying the sunshine.

By the time we finished our walks, the sun had risen from behind the hills to the east and the sunshine was bright. It stayed that way all day until the fog rolled in starting at 5 PM.. In the morning we visited four of our favorite spots. Great sun for gleaming ocean photos. About the calmest ocean we’ve ever seen in Depoe Bay, so no crashing, thundering waves today. We see dozens of whales every day. It is almost impossible to get a photo, since all you really see is the whale spout as it surfaces, then maybe his back as he rolls over, and may a fin as he dives. The eagles who lived nearby last year are apparently gone. We haven’t seen them. Lots less sea gulls than usual. Lots more pelicans than usual. The usual amount of seals.

Today’s Learning Experience – Seagulls

Among the most tenacious and clever foragers on the planet (or as I call them, flying rats), the seagull is a family of birds that lives near the coast. There are more than 50 documented species found all over the world. The most common species you’re probably familiar with are the European herring gull and the American herring gull, but there’s plenty of diversity across the entire family. This article will cover some interesting facts about the appearance, behavior, and diet of the seagull.
Seagulls do share some superficial resemblance with an eagle, including a large body and hooked bill, but gulls are generally not considered to be birds of prey. They are more closely related to auks, plovers, and other shorebirds, whereas eagles are related to kites and vultures.

3 Incredible Seagull Fact

1) The seagull is considered to be among the most intelligent birds in the world. Some gulls will drop a mollusk shell onto a rock to break it open. Others have been observed baiting fish with bread. One of the most amazing facts is that they can remember new foraging strategies and pass them down to the next generation of gulls.

2) Unlike most animals, the seagull can drink both freshwater and saltwater. A specialized gland right above the eyes can collect and then flush out the salt right through the nostrils.

3) Seagulls have a small claw halfway up the lower leg that allows them to roost on high ledges without falling off.

Now it’s picture time (Click on the galleries below to bring up scrollable windows with full size pictures – the gallery previews may show just thumbnails of the pictures.)

Otter Creek Bridge

Cape Foulweather

Cape Foulweather was discovered and named by Captain Cook during a raging blizzard, today the weather was anything but fowl.

Otter Rock Beach

Devil’s Punchbowl

Boiler Bay

Dinner was at the Bay House, one of four Oregon AAA four diamond restaurants. Alas, I forgot my camera and my phone, so no pictures. Fear not as we return there next Thursday night for an encore. The food was wonderful. We both had duck (Smoked Muscovy Duck, Black Lentils, Crisp Brussels Sprout, Parsnip, Carrot-Cardamom Purée). Elaine started with the date appetizer (Bleu Cheese, Roasted Eggplant-Quinoa Salad, Mango Tuile, Hummus Vinaigrette) while I had rockfish over risotto. Elaine had lemon tart for dessert while I feasted on three delicious ice creams.

Another day without a morning walk. It’s all supposed to clear up by tonight.

We drove into Newport for lunch at Pacific Kitchens. I had clam chowder and an oyster burger with bacon (fried oysters instead of hamburger). Elaine had fried calamari (I helped) and black cod fish tacos. Elaine had a Pacifico beer; I had a local Arch Rock lager.

Otherwise it was a quiet day at home. It magically cleared up for an hour around 6 PM before clouding up again. I got a few pictures from the balcony.

Friday Morning

Friday morning broke clear with a slight bit of fog. We took our separate walks. For something to do I took a pictorial retrospective of Depoe Bay signs. Here it is. Tomorrow there should be some good ocean pictures in bright sunshine.

Ré the last picture: something new has been coming soon for a LONG time.

The View from the Bedroom on a Rainy Day

Cold Weather Gear for the Balcony