Hobbit Beach
“It is confidence in our bodies, minds and spirits that allows us to keep looking for new adventures, new directions to grow in, and new lessons to learn – which is what life is all about.” – Oprah Winfrey
I have always wanted to explore the Pacific Northwest, but never suspected this would be launched via sending my daughter to college 1,200 miles away from home.
It was apparent in her junior year that her interest in marine biology was not just another fleeting idea, but a lasting passion. Living in Colorado is amazing but doesn’t offer the same access to studying marine life in the ocean! After an exhaustive year of research, visits, discussions and itemized lists it was settled: Oregon it is!
Let’s Go to the Coast and see some sights!
As we crept closer to the start of the school year, my planning expanded. She is living in a brand new state, a place she has not spent very much time in. I felt inclined – no obligated – to explore more of her new home with her. I booked our arrival to be 4 days prior to her move in to the dorm and extended my stay an additional week after. My obstacles were clear -I had not actually accounted for more time off from work. However, with some creative maneuvering, I was certain nothing stood in our way of exploring and simply seeing the beautiful coast of Oregon. I had my own boundaries in place: I’m not wasting any full day on driving with such limited time. I knew my end point was the marine biology lab in Charleston just south of Coos Bay and the furthest north, therefore, that I would want to drive from would be Newport.
We Need a Home Base
Newport is a fantastic home base for such a trip. As with all coastal towns in Oregon, its small but its not as small as many of the others. You have access to restaurants, stores and sights. Home of the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the sea lion docks seems like a pure win to me. I was quickly comfortable with the towns on our path appearing much more relaxed and low-key than many tourist towns I’ve traveled to. This is truly the Oregon vibe.
We chose to stay at the Hallmark Resort as I was not about to miss one minute of ocean views during our time if I could help it! And wow, they did not disappoint. Every room has a view of the ocean with balcony. You are front and center to the waves crashing in with a dedicated walkway right down to the beach. As we had come in mid September, the weather was beautiful with sun and close to 70 degrees during the day, dropping to average of 45 at night. We snuggled in sweatshirts by the fireplace at night and ran out in sunglasses and t-shirts by day.
Port Dock One: Newport Sea Lions
Docks, Sea Lions, Delicious Food! Oh My!
Just a five minute drive from the hotel, the Sea Lion Dock was our first stop. This really is a must see. It’s free, it’s easy to get to and just so entertaining. The time of year is important, they leave in July and come back in August. They fill the dock and you watch the drama unfold. The incessant barking begs the question “what are they arguing about?!” To which we may never know. Watching the overpacked dock you start to see a few swimming around, climb up, wobble all over each other as the others yell at them. Clearwater restaurant is directly in front of the dock and I will say their food was wonderful. We even stayed for dessert after our dinner there! Sidenote: there is a ton of advertisement for the Sea Lion Caves further up the coast in Florence but when we stopped there we were told the sea lions were not there at the time, so maybe this can be more hit and miss. We had much more sea lion viewing right here in Newport!
Berry Cobbler at Clearwater Restaurant in Newport, OR
Lighthouses, Viewpoints, Sand Dunes and other Sights
The remainder of our time was divided amongst my work hours getting completed in the early mornings and late evenings and fitting in as many viewpoints as our time and energy would allow. In Oregon, whale season lasts all year so you are not limited to December – March. We jumped at the chance to do it during our stay but the water conditions fairy was not on our side and alas the trip was canceled. We managed to see two lighthouses (Yaquina Head Lighthouse, Heceta Head Lighthouse), hike some fun trails including the Hobbit trail which leads down to Hobbit Beach, ride a sand rail (30 minutes of pure adventure going up to 60 mph on the sand dunes!), test plenty of local ice creams, stop at many view points, Devils Punch bowl, Devils Churn, toured the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology in Charleston and then begin our slow trek back to Eugene to prepare for university life! I will say it was the best few days I could have asked for.
Experiences Make the Best Memories
We saw so many beautiful spots of the ocean and the lush greenery that makes Oregon such a special place to spend time. More than anything my daughter and I explored this together as something new and exciting and cozied up at night with movies, books and the fireplace to wake up each morning with a breath taking view of the Pacific Ocean. We have memories that will last a lifetime. If you are wondering if its worth it to cruise up or down the 101, do not put it off!