RVing Beach Bums: Newport, OR

From the park way over there is the Port of Newport RV Resort, which really is a large parking lot at the Newport Marina. That is where we stayed for two nights, and it was very windy and cool despite being 90 plus in Corvallis, a mere 30 miles inland.

This a small state or county park right at the mouth of the Yaquina Bay. It was too windy and cool to spend more than 15 minutes here, just long enough to snap off about 10 pics.

Above, the wind swept Bay towards the ocean and miss Nancy keeping her hands warm while reading the story boards. to her back and my right is the Bay Lighthouse. It closed at 5 so we missed going up there. Oh well!

Next day we went up to the Agate Beach State Park, which was just on the north side of Newport.

It was just a gorgeous day to outdoors and what a neat place here on the Oregon coast, at this neat park.

We found this little park had a lot of things going on. Here are few on these story boards.

You may be able to the cobbles above, instead of sand, on the beach. They were not easy to walk on.

Above, looking up the stairs from the inlet beach, and below, me carefully negotiating my across the slippery, slimy surface. I must confess, that right after this while Nancy was up visiting the lighthouse (all the way to top, mind you) I slipped and fell. Yep, busted my "arse" and elbow and back and got wet in a little slough. Embarrassing as class of kids on a field trip, "Sir, are you ok"? Yep, just fine, just testing my camera on human falls. It's still working. Embarrassing, all those kids giggling...

Caught Miss Nancy "pic'ing" me...

Our first selfie, sporting our Arnold Palmer wind beakers from the Bay Hill Classic in March in Orlando.

Some of these pics need no words, just admiration of God's handiwork. Below, note the ladies walking precariously...the one on the right did in fack fall, but she quickly disguised her fall into a cute "cobble" searching adventure. Funny.

Above, the tour guide for Nancy's walk up the lighthouse, along with 15 other visitors...

A couple old pics of the property from days gone by...

All of the inside pics were taken by Nancy.

Above, viewing glass ports in the floor of the lens house, gives the keeper a view from the bottom and was the means to check as to whether the light was still on or not. If not, a long walk up the spirals to re-ignite was required, no matter the weather or time of night.

Above, from about 100 yards away, with my 300mm tele, I took this pic of Nancy up in the lens compartment.

This is interesting: The fuel for the light in the lens was LARD. Yep, lard, old pig fat-tau. Above, the guide explains how the local farmers provided the lard in these lard cans. The assistant keeper periodically loaded up the containers for the trk up the spirals and loaded up the reservoir for another 6 hours or so of light. The assistant to the assistant had to keep plenty firewood chopped and split for the fireplace here in this room to ensure the lard stayed in the liquid state. Wow, who knew?

Just outside the visitor center front door, folks were snapping off pics of these almost-fledgling Peregrine Falcons. I had to zoom way out, so the pics are a little fuzzy, but you can make three chicks.

We found it interesting that there was so much wildlife in this small area of shoreline/habitat. Whales, birds, seals, falcons, eagles, and many other creatures.

Cobbles and a starfish

Above, a few pics of a hermit crab slumbering along a slippery slope.

Sea Urchins and Harbor Seals...what a diverse stretch of environment here in just a few hundreds yards...

Above, a few pics of a nursing baby seal and below, Puffins, Cormorants and gulls

Time for a yummy late lunch at Local Seafood Cafe on the historic Newport Waterfront. I had Salmon, Nancy had Cod. We shared a cup of shrimp/crab bisque.

There was this one seal that was so annoying to the other ones, and he kept it up the whole time we there, about 20m. All they wanted to do was lay around and snooze, They must have all been males, and the one was one of the "wives" and wanted her hubby to get busy, doing something, anything, just get busy! There she is below annoying. Note the fellows bellowing loudly their disdain.

Newport was a very busy fisheries seaport. Thousands of crab pots lined the wharf awaiting the opening of Dungeness/Snow seasons, as well as other fishing boats harvesting the sea's bounty.

Above, we didn't spend a lot of time here in front of this automated shrimp peeler. Whew!

Managed to take a tour of a local craft brewery, Rogue, which really has quite a distribution network, all over the world. Below, Master Brewer, 1993-2006, :-(

Above, a bottling machine...below, the tasting room, which we did sample three varieties. They actually have over 100 different recipes of their craft beers.

And they have their bottle-stamping machine for unique you-design labels.

Above, our guide in their museum, explaining some of the relics of past events with foreign customers, namely Japan. Their beers are very expensive. And so are their spirits. They have a small craft-type spirits department. Below are some of the formulas awaiting final judgement and decisions as to production runs.