Day Twelve (9-26-2010)

South Beach State Campground; Newport, Oregon


Woke up to the soft pattering of rain on the RV roof. 

 

Alert, excited, and champing at the bit

While getting ready to go, Tim & Cathy, a really great couple we met in the campground, yesterday, stopped by and talked with us for a while.  Afterwards, we went over to see their set-up, which is quite unique, as they are camping in an SUV, with no tent or any other sleeping facility.  They cover the windows with pieces of heavy, black paper, which they have precisely cut to press-fit into place, making it nice and dark, when they want to sleep.  All of their stuff is stacked into the back of the SUV, and they have to move it, in order to sleep, each night.  He is a college instructor (teaches financial classes, like taxes, auditing, advanced accounting, etc.) and she is a C.P.A.  They are the nicest, friendliest people that anyone could ever hope to meet, and we are hoping to stay in touch with them.  I wish they lived closer. 

Tim and Cathy, two gems





After pulling out of the campground, we stopped at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, again, so Bonnie could get some goodies in the aquarium store.  Next, we made our usual trip to Starbucks, to update the blog, have some coffee, and to check our e-mail. 

Today was kind of a dull day in more ways than one. It started out totally overcast and drizzly, remaining the same right to the end.  In addition, we didn’t really see much that was unique or interesting.  After wandering in and out of so many little coastline tourist shops, the seashells, kites, cheesy ceramic lighthouses, and stuffed animals all begin to look commonplace, losing their original flavor; habituation, I guess.  So far, aside from the beautiful coastline and redwoods, the best things I have seen are: the campsite tree frog; the cute little girl who was trying to stuff some food into a small dog’s mouth (the poor dog wasn’t having any part of it), a nice Pendelton shirt ($100), and--most memorable--the fully-restored, functional, Vought F4U Corsair, which is a gull-winged WWII naval fighter plane. 

After leaving Starbucks, we drove to a section of Newport called “Historic Nye Beach,” but it turned out to be rather boring, with nothing all that great to see or do.  The only thing of note was a big (about four feet) statue of an eagle with outstretched wings and spread talons, in a small shop that has all sorts of blown glassware. It was priced at "only" $37,500, making it pretty close to twice as much as the amount we borrowed from the bank, in 1975, to build our house.  The only thing about it that was noteworthy was the price tag; personally, you couldn’t give it to me for free. Although it was a good rendering of an eagle, it was too glitzy, making it look like something that belonged right where it was: in a little roadside art gallery, but not the Louvre.  

Continuing onward, about halfway between Newport and Depoe Bay, there is an interesting coastal geological formation, called “The Devil’s Punchbowl,” which is a circular notch that has been eroded out of the seaside cliff .  When the surf is up, as it was today, it makes for a spectacular display. As the water rushes shoreward, it crashes into the seaward side of the formation with a roar, sending spray upward, while the rest of the wave rockets through a small open channel, into the punchbowl, itself.  Of course, we stopped there and took some pics, before moving on again.  



The Devil's Punchbowl



Taken from the Devil's Punchbowl Parking Lot--Scenic or what?

After loading back into the RV and wiping the sea spray from our cameras, we made it as far as the Nehalem Bay State Park Campground, where we bedded down for the night.  Being a Sunday night, the campground was relatively empty, compared to other days.