Central Oregon Coast - and a fun visit

We took off on a Friday afternoon for what is referred to as the Central Coast of Oregon, and more specifically, Newport. We got into Lincoln City (about 20 miles north of Newport) and had dinner at a wonderful little place off the beaten path called the Dory Cove Cafe which is located in Roads End, and oddly enough is almost at the end of the road (leading onto a beach!). This unassuming little restuarant located on the coast had good service, excellent seafood (Salmon and Halibut), and an excellent homemade berry cobbler dessert. After that fine meal, it was off to Newport to find our hotel and settle down for the night.

The next morning it was quite foggy during breakfast. We ate at a resturant called the Apple Peddler and had an average breakfast, certainly nothing to write home about. From there is was off to the beach, and the first one that we stopped at was called BEACH. The tide was out that particular morning ... and it was WAY out. As we walked along the beach we came across a magnificent set of tide pools where we saw tiny crabs and starfish making themselves at home. Of course, with all these cool things to see, Chloe just wanted to spend all her time in the water (which is FREEZING!) or digging in the sand. After the beach we drove over to the Oregon Coast Aquarium which was a treat. There was no crowd to speak of and, best of all, we just happened to arrive as all of the animals were being fed so we saw them on their "best behavior". We had fantastic weather while we were at the aquarium, but it is Oregon, so we knew that was subject to change at any time. From the aquarium we started to drive to find lunch, and Chloe passed out from the morning's activities. We got sandwiches from the local gorcery and drove down to historic Nye Beach where we sat in the car watching the birds and the waves come and go. Being that we are in Oregon, the rain is never far away. Our next stop was to see the historic Yaquina Head Lighthouse just north of Newport. The rain actually let up just enough for us to get out and walk around, snap a few pictures, and get back in the car to escape as the rain picked up. Later that evening, I set out to get a sweet treat and found myself on the Historic Bay Front and a candy shoppe run by two very friendly older gals that would have talked to me for the rest of the night. They were very generous as well since I probably could have tasted everything in the store without a purchase (making me sick in the mean time).

The next day we made plans to meet with Heidi's cousin in Depoe Bay (on their anniversary!). The trip was initially supposed to be a whale watching adventure, but the weather was not being cooperative. We met for a late breakfast at a wonderful little place called the Whale Watch Cafe. HUGE reasonabley priced meals! Following that we decided to head inland and visit the home of Oregon State University, Corvallis - which is where Heidi's cousin's Jackson, Kyle, and Lucas live. We cruised around the town, looking at the downtown area, then spent some time catching up at their lovely house. We're hoping to be able to make a trip back to see the remodel once it's completed. Dinner was a fun affair at a very eclectic pizza joint, and then we were off to drive back home.