Exploring Yachats and Newport

Thursday (June 10): The first order of business was a morning LWOTB.

After a light breakfast, I made the short drive to Yachats, a small hamlet about 25 miles south of Newport. I had driven through Yachats on the way to Newport and made a note to check it out.

Yachats is a cute village with a vibrant food/drink/craft section. I noticed a tiny little shop called “Just Local.” The shop featured hand made craft items by local artists and crafters. I immediately discovered two items that I admired and made the purchase.

I walked down by the shoreline and took a few photos, then headed back up to the main street (HWY101) to look for lunch. I chose Luna Sea Fish House and ordered a bowl of clam chowder with garlic bread. The clam chowder was excellent, so delicious that I am declaring it better than the Hungry Clam chowder I had been comparing everything else to. So: Winner, Winner, Clam Dinner!

After a quick stop at a chocolate shop for a few(!) items, I drove back toward Newport. I continued in to town and checked out the Yaquina Bay area. The Yaquina Bay bridge is the centerpiece of the bay and is also the primary north/south route through the area. This bridge is another engineering marvel by Conde McCullough. The bayfront area is packed with restaurants, coffee shops, novelty stores, fish markets, and believe it or not – a Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

I returned to the campsite and began re-arranging the mess of items in my trailer and car. With a forecast of rain on its way, I decided it was time to get it organized and put everything back in the trailer. I felt the trailer had dried out enough, and I did not want try to take care of this while it was raining.

By late evening, the wind began to blow harder and the clouds got darker. It would occasionally drizzle, but I knew a bigger storm was on its way. I hunkered down for the night and promptly dropped off to sleep.

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