Oregon Coast

We've been hearing about the coast for years. Starting in Portland, we traveled up and down the 101, had a few adventures, ate incredible seafood, and landed in Seattle for an-always-great time with Laura and Shane. 

My Portland

With Powell's Books and the Pearl District on my agenda, I landed 36 hours before Adam so that I could take my time in Portlandia. 

I was greeted on the drive into downtown with the bustling frenzy of the Starlight Parade preparations. 325,000 spectators were setting up their folding chairs as dodged my way to a parking garage. 

I pulled over at one point, seriously contemplating paying for another hotel to valet park the rental, just to hear that I was so close to the parking garage of my own hotel, just five left turns away. Once parked, I was pretty desperate for an oyster bar with a serious cocktail menu. This is exactly what I found at Southpark Seafood. Their version of a "French 75" took the edge off as I slurped down half a dozen oysters. Their oyster shooter choices were wide-ranging. I chose a quail-egg, uni, oyster shooter with asian flavors. Excellent.

After a quick bite, I headed down to the waterfront. I wandered for a few hours through the carnival, downtown streets, past the parade, towards the setting sun.

Our Portland

Newport, OR

Local Oceans Restaurant

The aquarium:

We met the pacific ocean at Newport, which is about in the middle of the Oregon Coastline. Local Ocean Seafoods was the perfect place for dinner. The establishment operates as a fish market and restaurant, our kind of place. 

Walking the docks after dinner

The Best Coast

For the next several days, we drove up and down highway 101. We bought fresh almonds and cherries from a farmer in Florence. We drove, walked, and took in the beautiful west coast. 

Waves

Yachats
 This is one of my favorite memories from our trip. 
At the urging of a local, we found ourselves at this beautiful beach where
​we watched the waves come in for the better part of an hour.
Rising and falling scupltures of water exploded from the sea like fireworks. 

The road less traveled

We got off the 101 for a bit and took Oregon's 131. The rural towns were small and the wilderness big.
Quiet and wild, in a way, like home. 

Lighthouse

Cape Mears
The lighthouse was built in 1889 and sits 217 feet above the Pacific but is only 38 feet tall iteself.
 The Fresnel lens was shipped from Paris, hoisted up the 20 story cliff, and magnified five tiny flames that could be seen 21 nautical miles away. The lighthouse guided mariners for three generations.
 I couldn't stop taking pictures.

Astoria

On our way to Astoria, we passed by Tillamook to get some cheese. Then, it was onward to my favorite town of our trip. Astoria sits at the mouth of the Columbia river. The Maritime Museum gave us a glimpse at the epic feats of the earliest mariners to brave the Columbia River Bar.

I found myself sitting in this window seat more than once looking up marine traffic that was passing us by. Thinking of the people who canned fish in this very building 100 years ago.

We walked around town, ate great food, and flew through the air for over a mile of zip lining; it was all a total blast. 

​We will be back, Astoria.