Newport was one of the stops on Leighann’s list for this trip. She was drawn to is historic bayfront and boardwalk, so we spent an hour walking along the bay and exploring some of the shops. Newport is home to male California sea lions much of the year and they bark…constantly!
yaquina head light + cobble beach
This was my favorite part of the entire trip. Leighann did so much of the planning for our adventure and she found Cobble Beach in her research. We were both very excited for this stop. Walking from the parking area to the lighthouse, we met a lady who pointed out a whale-watching tour to us. She told us how to spot whales along the coast and which came in handy later on that afternoon, further down the coast.
Yaquina Head was every bit and wonderful as I had hoped. The Light perched on the cliff was picture-perfect and it was a joy to see such a beautiful spot. This area inspired me artistically and I feel like I barely scratched the surface of it as a photographer, despite spending almost two hours exploring.
lunch, devils punchbowl, and whales
We went for a very late lunch at Nana’s Irish Pub; our waiter was from Texas, not Ireland (sadly), and we discovered the deliciousness that is Irish soda bread. Fortified with the second-best meal of our trip, we drove up the coast to Devils Punchbowl. I was caught off-guard by how awe-inspiring Oregon’s landscape was. Just walking along the coast to the Punchbowl was an experience: a fallen pine tree looked like a toy in comparison to the coastline and cliffs.
It’s believed that Devils Punchbowl was formed when the roof of two sea caves collapsed. The photos I took do not do justice to the size or impact of this spot.
The highlight of the trip for Mom was the whale spotting. The tips we received earlier that morning came in handy when we pulled off the road at Rodea Point. We wrapped up an incredible day by watching grey whales swimming just off shore.