Oregon Coast part 3

As we were packing up the rig at Gold Beach, I walked over to the people across from us to kill some time.  As it turned out, they are both Irish, Bob born in Belfast and Jess born in County Down. They have been in the US for decades but still retain a faint Irish brogue. Mike and I spent an hour talking with them about RVing and especially about Ireland.  What a great way to finish at Gold Beach.   They live at Point Robert, Washington, so we may see them later in the summer before we go to Port Townsend.

The drive up the coast to Newport was relatively short, 170 miles, and very beautiful.  We were stopped for 15-20 minutes while traffic was held for construction at a tunnel.  Fortunately we had a great view of the Heceta Head Lighthouse.

We are staying at the RV park associated with the Newport Marina.  There is another spectacular bridge, this one also originally built in the 1930's.  Mike said the sign said it was a WPA project.

You can see the marina and part of the RV park below and behind the bridge.  A little boy next to us on the viewpoint told his mother, "It's a roller coaster!"  And it does look like a roller coaster.  

The crowds are beginning to gather here, as this is a big resort area and Memorial Day is Monday.  We went out today, got exasperated with the crowds, and wound up at the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse Park, Yaquina Bay Lighthouse.

Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

I continue to be surprised at how deep these Oregon beaches are.  My "better" camera got water inside the lens and I'm using the little camera which has a short telefoto.  People out on this beach look like ants.

There are people on this beach.

I had to laugh at the sign at the entrance to the path down to the beach.  It lists a couple of dozen warnings and "DO NOTs". Nothing like fear of death to make for a great day.  Note the sign at the right about the debris coming ashore from the Japanese tsunami.  The camp host told me an entire dock washed up here and it is somewhere in the harbor, secured so it won't take off again.

There are two replica sailing ships in the harbor.  In the afternoon, they sail out into the Pacific off the beach and conduct mock sea battles, complete with black powder smoke and cannonfire.  My telefoto is so anemic that you can barely even see the ships.  It was fun to watch, as we had binoculars. 

Black specks in center left are the ships.

Once again we have been the recipients of the kindness of strangers.  Last night I walked out to the trash bin to drop off what was left of the steamer clams we had fixed for dinner.  There was a multi-generational family across from the bin with a big pot over a propane burner.  Curiosity being a major component of my psyche, I asked the oldest guy what they were cooking.  It was crabs which they had caught that day.  He opened the cooler and pointed out Dungeness crabs and rock crabs (?) and said they had been lucky as they had a whole bunch.  We chatted back and forth and he was surprised we were a) from Kansas b) full-time RVers.  An hour or so later, there was a knock on the door.  Here was the gentleman with a whole gallon bag of cooked crab for us.  That's twice now that a local has given us cooked crab.  

Sunday 5/24:  It was supposed to rain all day today but it appears to be clearing.  All the people who came out to Newport for the holiday and to fish/crab will be happy to get a good day.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a big installation here in Newport.  I walked the dogs down to the river this morning (Yaquina River is very wide and deep as it approaches the Pacific).  There are two large and technologically advanced ships tied up at the harbor.

NOAA

What do to in case of earthquake.

Just in case any of you are in need of earthquake/tsunami emergency preparedness.  

There is another lighthouse, an active one (entirely automated, no lighthouse keeper) a little further north up the coast.  That was today's objective.  As you can tell from the photos, our beautiful weather has now deserted us and it was VERY CHILLY AND WINDY on the point.  Mike and I are both amazed at the number of people who are running around in shorts/t-shirts/sandals.  We were cold in pullovers, jeans, and jackets.  

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

"To those lost at sea with special affection
for the fisherman of the Pacific Northwest."