We picked up some extra travelers for the next 2 weeks my sister Mare and brother-in-law Jim, it was nice having them along for our journey down the Pacific Coast!

The first stop after our amazing Alaskan cruise was Portland, OR.  Many people said it wasn’t a great area to visit but we enjoyed it very much.   Walked a lot over the 1.5 days enjoying the city as well the Portland Spirit brunch cruise on the Willamette River. Sorry I didn’t take a lot of pictures here.

Our next few days we drove Route 101 along the Oregon coast with many stops on the way.  We enjoyed a quick lunch at Pelican Brewing on Siletz Bay near Lincoln, OR. Next stop was a quick view of Depoe Bay we didn’t stay long but we did see whales in the distance off shore.

Next visit, Devils Punchbowl, it was low tide so we didn’t see it in its glory.    Our first few nights were Newport, OR at a nice hotel on the Pacific Ocean with oceanfront views and amazing sunsets.  We took in a lot of beautiful sites on and way and while visiting Newport over the next few days.   We also made a few more stops just to see the amazing views of the Pacific Coast!  We ended up taking a quick ride into Newport Bay area and ate dinner at the famous “Mo’s Seafood & Chowder Restaurant” and some walking afterwards of this small fishing town.

On day two while making our way on foot to the Yaquina Head Lighthouse we could see a few seals on the water’s edge.  They also had a long staircase down to the water however Jim was the only one who made his way there.   

Our lunch was at a fresh fish and crab market which was highly rated on Yelp.  Everyone ordered something different from clams, Dungeness crab, crab sandwich and scallops, everything was amazingly delicious.  After lunch of course we ended up at Rogue Brewery for some tastings before a quick drive to the Newport Village.  Most of the shops were closed for the day or not at all, we weren’t sure if covid had anything to do with most of the buildings being empty but it was cute needless to say. 

Later that evening we took a walk down to the beach and found a lot of large Kelp. We did some research and found that they grow 1-2 feet per day and may grow as long as 100 feet in a season! It was very windy on the beach so we opted to head back to our balcony to watch the beautiful sunset.

Our next venture the following day was Cape Perpetua Lookout with beautiful views high above the Pacific Ocean, the most beautiful views we seen yet.  Another stop was Sea Lion Caves with a tour of the cave with many sea lions in view.  Next, Heceta Head Lighthouse State Park.  Again, we had to make our way by foot to the top to get a glimpse of the lighthouse and the views.  Our last full stop was Umpqua River Lighthouse, the first lighthouse on the Oregon Coast and sits on the mainland away from the coastline. 

Arrived at our next stop, Bandon, OR our last in Oregon, around dinner.  We rented a cute little 2-bedroom Airbnb for the night unloaded the car and went right next door to Bandon Brewing for dinner.  In the morning we had to see the “face rock” in Bandon before we made our way out of town.  You can clearly see the face on the rock!  There were also many Tsunami Evacuation signs in the areas we drove in and out of on our way down the coast on Route 101. 

We made a few more pit stops to enjoy the views before entering California.  A stop in Gold Beach, OR for a little shopping and to stretch our legs a bit. 

As soon as we arrived into Crescent Beach, CA for the night we ended up at Battery Point Island, another lighthouse.  This time we walked across rocks in the ocean to reach the lighthouse.  During hightide you cannot make your way to the top.  Once again beautiful views of the ocean atop the lighthouse hill.  In the water below you could see many hermit crabs, Lorraine even saw a pink/mauve starfish!  Of course, that evening we ended up at the local casino, no luck!

If you ever have a chance to drive the Oregon Coast, do it! The views are absolutely amazing, what a wonderful country we live in!!

Off to Napa, Sonoma and all things Cali!!!