Pages Menu
Categories Menu

Posted on Dec 5, 2014

Adventures in Oregon: Newport

This past weekend, we set off to show Sydney the magic that is the Oregon coast. We headed to Newport since it is a straight 1-hour shot from our house, and by straight I mean incredibly winding and curvy. We pulled into town and savored a late lunch of clam chowder at The Chowder Bowl. A heads up to fellow pescatarians: this is the only clam chowder I’ve been able to find in Newport that does not have bacon in it. The ambiance is a bit lacking but it’s cheap and tasty with friendly service, making it great for a quick bite and respite from the chilly air outside. You also have the option of having your clam chowder served in  a sourdough bowl but a word to the wise – it is bigger than your face and if you eat it all, you will probably feel like John Candy finishing that ginormous steak in The Great Outdoors.

After lunch, we ventured over to the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse. About a million other people had the same idea so, after a brief tour, we navigated our way back outside and down to the beach.

Newport1

Newport2

Newport3

Leisurely walking along a beach without any hurry to be anywhere is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world, even when the chill in the air makes you pull your coat just a bit tighter.

Newport4

Newport5

The light was, in a word, breathtaking – everything was coated in the most beautiful combination of lilac and amber as the sun made its gradual descent toward the horizon. Witnessing beautiful natural light is like opening a giant Christmas present for me, so I was excitedly running around, framing shots, while Andrew lectured casually pointed out points of geologic interest.

Newport6

And yes, every bit of the above photo was totally natural – not staged at all. wink wink.

Newport7

Newport8

We hung around to watch the sunset and the Hunt siblings patiently let me taken a million and one photos, which I again politely narrowed down to a somewhat more reasonable amount. You’re welcome.

Newport9

Newport10

Newport11

Newport12

Newport13

Newport14

Newport15

Newport16

Newport17

Newport18

Newport19

Newport20

While hanging out at the beach, we noticed a small parade of fishing boats heading out of the bay into the ocean just as the light faded.  As we watched them bob along the rolling sea, I thought about what a tough mindset you must have to head out into the cold and darkness, vulnerable to an unforgiving ocean. I’m 100% sure I would be way too much of a wimp to ever do that – I know without a doubt that I would be that person who immediately falls off the boat at the first big wave and is promptly eaten by a shark. Andrew on the other hand would love it – not me falling off and being eaten (at least he better not) but just being out on the water, amidst all its dynamic power. Sorry Andrew, you didn’t marry a sea-faring lass; instead you got a land-lubber with an extra healthy respect for the ocean that keeps her firmly on shore.

Being that Rogue Brewery was just a stone’s throw away, we stopped in to sample some brews and warm back up. We were too late for a tour but had fun creating our own tasting flights.

Newport21

I enjoyed small pours of the Plot Twist Pear Cider, Rogue Farms ORE-gasmic Ale, Rogue Farms 7-hop IPA, and Pumpkin Patch Ale.

The Plot Twist is a sour rather than sweet cider and was definitely an interesting and unexpected taste. The OREgasmic ale is brewed with 100% Oregon ingredients and had an incredibly smooth finish; it’s the kind of beer that could pair with anything. The 7-hop IPA is brewed with (you guessed it!) seven varieties of hops that are grown at Rogue Farms just up the road from us in Independence, Oregon. It was hands down my favorite – just the right amount of bitter and aromatic with a citrus undercurrent. The Pumpkin Patch was decent – not the best pumpkin ale I’ve had but better than most. It was fun to try out some new-to-me flavors and I’d love to head back for a tour of the brewery sometime.

We enjoyed a fabulous (albeit cold) afternoon showing Sydney around Newport.  We can’t wait to explore other parts of the coast – so much to see! From Astoria (where they filmed The Goonies!) to Tillamook (home of delicious cheese) to the vast Oregon dunes, there are plenty of adventures to be had! Hope you stick around!

 

***********************************************

Follow along on our Adventures in Oregon!

Catch up on other post in the series:

Willamette National Forest

Post a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *