Oregon, 2026 - Monday - Tuesday, June 29-30, 2026

 

Monday morning another typically rain squall peppered Oregon coast today. As we are departing tomorrow, our mission now is to wipe out as much of the foodstuffs we have left. Cereal and oatmeal were consumed, together with a banana and more orange juice. As we had specific tasks and destinations for the day, we were headed and ready to leaved the house by 11:30, pulling ourselves away from the unfinished puzzle.

Today, we are going to visit Sean Eustice and Grant Phillips, two friends of Darcy’s. Two years ago, Darcy became a registered officiant in order to perform the marriage ceremony for these two here in their Oregon coast home where they live. The home (now a compound) is along the Siletz River, just a few miles from our location. The turnoff of US 101 at Kernville. Grant’s parents purchased the original cabin and eventually an adjoining lot and built a larger two bedroom home, and now, most recently, a “barn” that looks out over the river and is actually a studio with space for a ceramics studio, with potter’s wheel and kiln as well as a loft bedroom and bath.

We arrived shortly after noon and received a warm welcome from Sean, Grant, and their dog Olive. Olive was most talkative as we walked in the yard, but as Darcy warned, ignore her and she quickly calmed down and leaves us alone. We received tour of the two homes and the Barn (studio) and enjoyed tea and coffee with the fellows. A large fenced-in garden with a greenhouse, apple trees, and raised beds for vegetables is visible from the front porch of the studio, one that instilled envy in all Omaha gardeners. Of course, the cool and rainy coastal environment is very conducive to vegetables. So much so that we witnessed something we never see in Omaha - parsley bolting to 18” high!

We left Sean & Grant and drove north to Depoe Bay for lunch at The Sea Hag Bar & Diner, a fish and chips emporium along the highway. Deb & Mark each enjoyed some clam chowder, agreeing that this sampling was the best of the trip. Don picked a huge seafood salad, while Ann chose salmon with chips. A good and filling meal, our final professionally prepared meal of the trip.

Next stop was the hardware store for some household purchases and then back to the house for some puzzle building, reading and resting. At 5:00 we had our customary wine and dined on leftovers which we had been accumulating in the refrigerator. We tuned in on the Orange Felon Antics on PBS Newshour and then enjoyed a marathon of eight episodes of the 1st season of Ted Lasso. Deb & Mark were happy to introduce this show to Don & Ann, and also gave them the opportunity to rewatch the interactions of these characters prior to the new season breaking next month.

Tuesday being a travel day, it was early to bed; the morning arrived quickly, Mark was out of his room and checking the fog rolling in from the ocean by 5:30 and Deb was soon out also. We finished our packing and began policing the area. With Ann as our directoress, we secured the house, closing down all the blinds, stripping the bedding and towels for deposit in the laundry room, and clearing the refrigerator of anything that might spoil. Ann’s nephew and family are scheduled to arrive from their home in Portland on Thursday so we needed to prep for the cleaning crew who was to immediately follow us and prepare for the new arrivals.

Our goal was to be out of the home by 8:30. We would have achieved it except for a small problem with the car keys. They had gone missing. We knew they were most likely somewhere in the vehicle as Don was able to start it and back it out of the garage. We moved seats, took all of the luggage back into the house in case the keys were in the bags (if the keys were out of the car in the luggage, then it wouldn’t start- right?) Don finally discovered the set tucked along the driver’s seat, next to the console. We reloaded the vehicle and left for the drive back to Portland. 

We arrived at the airport at 11:30, right on schedule. We said our goodbyes; Don & Ann were driving north into Washington state, visiting with some friends and then journeying onward in their quest to visit the all the U.S. state capitals, this time Olympia, Washington.

Our flight was on schedule. We checked our two bags, grabbed our small backpack containing our meds and other small electronics and went to our gate. Deb had secured 1st class seats for this trip, so we settled in, accepted a glass of wine, and readied for a smooth journey. As we started towards our runway, the United Airlines pilot came on to inform us that the new United computer in Chicago had determined that the plane was over loaded and so we had to go back to the gate. One passenger was released, the Pilot vented on the poor gate agent about the bosses. We were off again and this time (although lighter by virtue of one less passenger and a lot less fuel having been burned in the taxi maneuvers), we were off.

Our meal, previously chosen from the website, was coq’au vin, with a lightly dressed vinaigrette salad, a roll and a luscious lemon tarte with a Rasberry compote drizzled on top.  Tasty. As we crossed the western border of Colorado, the pilot again addressed us; there were horrible thunderstorms in the Denver area and the FAA had closed the airport. As we had burned all that fuel driving around the tarmac in Portland, we didn’t have enough fuel to just circle until the airport reopened; therefore, we were setting down in Grand Junction, Colorado to wait out the storms and re-fuel. The good news for two passengers whose eventual destination was to be Grand Junction, their trip just got shortened. Over two hours later, we were cleared to leave; the bad news: there was a two hour wait for the stairs to let off the couple who were going to deplane in Grand Junction. They would just have to continue on with us. (There were roughly nine UAL flights that were stuck in Grand Junction due to the storms, the stairs were in great command it seems.)  

We arrived in Denver, anxious as to the next portion of the trip. Every other flight had also been delayed, so we ran/hobbled from gate B38 to B8 and boarded our final leg home. The flight attendant poured us a glass of bubbly, we took our first sip, and toasted each other on a long day’s travel. NOT YET! This pilot came on the speaker to inform us that the Chicago computer had decided that this plane needed repairs and was not flight worthy. We all trudged off, leaving our champagne behind and back into the airport. 40 minutes later we went to a nearby gate for a new plane. The same crew was aboard, but alas, the flight attendant did not bring our wine with her.

We settled in for a quick five hundred mile flight over lightning storms to Omaha, landing at 12:01 AM on July 1, just before the rain also landed. As we taxied to a stop, the pilot again came on the speaker, we would have to taxi over to a holding area while they cleared another plane from our landing gate. Finally, 12:30 and we crawled off of a United airplane, vowing not to travel with United again! Of course we will not be able to keep that vow, considering how much of the Omaha market this carrier has, but it felt good to complain.

After 40 minutes, our bags both arrived (a miracle).  Abigail was there to pick us up, and we were home shortly after 1:15AM. Poppy the cat was a bit aloof, but quickly warmed up. We crawled into our own beds at 1:49 and were soon comatose, tired but well travelled.

Oregon 2026 - Saturday-Sunday, June 27-28, 2026

Saturday Morning - ahh, the weekend! How is this day any different than any other vacation day on the Oregon coast? It’s not. Another gray day with the temperatures in the mid to upper 50º F temperatures. The ocean pounding away at the beach with a mesmerizing roar.  A fire in the fireplace.  All is right with the world.  Mark prepared bacon, fried eggs and toast with orange juice for the late morning meal. Cereal with fruit and bananas were also on offer. This was a wonderful, lazy day.

We spent the afternoon chatting, and, when the weather cleared a bit, Ann and Deb walked on the beach. Deb had so been looking forward to her beach walk and her anticipation was justified. She collected a few rocks for her collection back home and thoroughly enjoyed the stroll. She noted however that the climb back up from the beach seemed more strenuous than she recalled. 

We worked on the million piece puzzle, snacked for dinner, and watched some television between snoozes. The day ended as it began, quietly and lazily.

Sunday morning breakfast was hot oatmeal with berries, bananas and some of the remaining sourdough toasted and slathered with marionberry jam. Very Tasty. Determined not to let the day descend into another of restful indulgence, we broke camp and piled into the rental car to explore.  This time we headed north towards Lincoln City. We stopped for lunch at the Wildflower Grill, a local dining favorite. Deb ordered the Wildflower soup and salad, Don opted for Fish & Chips; Ann chose the fish tacos so that she could sponge some of Don’s fries. Mark thought he was ordering the Wildflower soup and sandwich combo, but ended up with a large cup of soup, a ham & swiss on a po’boy roll and chips. All the menu stated was Wildflower soup of the day. When we inquired, we learned that the soup of the day, every day, was clam chowder! As our tasting of clam chowder continues, this was not the best. A bit more bland than some we have tasted. Overall the meal rated well, though. 

As we departed, the weather remained clear, allowing us a chance to pause and admire all the wildflowers and shrubs planted along the walkway to the restaurant; towering flowering pea, a vibrant plant our phones identified as falling stars or Valentine flower, and one of the largest lavender bushes we had ever seen.  A beautiful display. We continued northward, our destination being Tillamook and the Tillamook Creamery.

Tillamook is famous for its ice cream, dairy products and cheese. This verdant valley fed by the Tillamook river, is perfect for grazing dairy cattle, providing wonderful milk for all things dairy. The Tillamook Creamery is a co-operative venture, with all the dairy farmers providing the raw milk for its products. In the mid 1850’s the farmers of Tillamook, having more milk than they could ever use, began to make cheese and butter but found it almost impossible to get the products across the mountains to the Portland for disbursal. So they built a boat, running three or four vessels before finally creating one that could complete the journey - christening it The Morningstar of Tillamook. A replica drawing of the sailing ship now adorns every package of Tillamook product. 

The creamery facility is also a wonderful visitor center where one can overlook the creation of the cheese, following the process from overhead galleries with explanatory signage. There is even a mocked up area where children can nurse mechanical calves with a bottle, and attach milking equipment to a large demo cow’s udders. Don and Deb procured large ice cream cones to sample, Mark took more than his allotted share from Deb’s cone as he was instructed to hold it for a moment, and Ann went wandering off to see if they had a product to indulge her lactose intolerance (they did not!)

We returned to Salishan with our purchased samples, and changed (sort of) for our 7:45 dinner reservation. Our dinner destination was Tidal Raves restaurant in Depoe Bay, a wonderful seafood restaurant with views of the bay. A blackboard listed all the seafood and the nearby towns from which it was sourced. Don & Ann both chose a halibut served over house made gnocchi, the halibut sourced from the town of Newport. Deb and Mark chose a grilled chinook salmon served over a blue cheese potato gratin, the salmon sourced from Coos Bay. Don & Ann each picked a N/A IPA beer while Mark enjoyed a glass of St. Innocent Pinot Noir and Deb had her first trusted me prepared dirty martini of the trip. A delicious meal.

By the time we left, closing the restaurant, the rain had returned.  We arrived home safely and worked the million piece puzzle for a bit before retiring after another wonderful day on the coastal plain.

Oregon 2026 - Friday, June 26, 2026

This morning was a quiet one.  Raining early then just cloudy and cool. Mark assumed cook’s duties this morning and whipped up scrambled eggs with baby shrimp tucked into the curds.  Surprisingly tasty, accompanied by orange juice, coffee and toast. Shortly after noon, the crew popped into the chariot for some sightseeing. We hoovered south on highway 101 towards the destination of Newport. 

We stopped at Yaquina Lighthouse for some history. This 93 foot tall lighthouse is Oregon’s tallest. It is one of  a string of lighthouses built along the Pacific Ocean coast to allow shipping and to open up the region to commerce.  The construction of Yaquina Lighthouse was begun in 1871 and the light was first lit on August 20, 1873. The light was visible for 20 miles out to sea, courtesy of a Fresnel lens manufactured in Paris, France in 1868. The lens was shipped across the Atlantic to Panama, carried overland across the isthmus and then continued its voyage up the Pacific coast to Oregon. In the 1930’s the 4-wick lamp fueled by oil was replaced wth a 1,000 watt electric theatrical lamp of 130,000 candlepower. In 1939, the U.S. Lighthouse Service was incorporated into the U.S. Coastguard which took over control of the lighthouse, its structures and supervision of its keepers. 

In 1966, the era of Lighthouse Keeper ended as a computerised light was installed. A GPS system has since replaced most navigation, but the lighthouse remains lit for those vessels not equipped with GPS equipment. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management now administers the sight and conducts tours of the lighthouse and staffs the facility with Rangers to provide lectures about the lighthouse and it’s animal and sea life in the tide pools.

The  other attraction at Yaquina Point are the small islands just off shore which are part of a designated bird sanctuary.  We were able to spot Brown Pelicans, Pelagic and Brandt’s Cormorants, Xantus’ Murrelets, Pigeon Guillemot, Seagulls trying to steal eggs, and Turkey Vultures swooping down to scare the small birds and steal some eggs. We talked  at length to a volunteer Ranger, Wil(helmina) who provided us with some background and information on all the wildlife. She was just getting off of her shift and so walked with us towards the parking lot.  A younger tourist woman was walking  up the path towards the lighthouse, with a young pit bull type dog pulling on the leash. As she walked past the “No Pets Allowed” sign, Wil said “I’m sorry, Ma’am, no pets are allowed as this is a bird sanctuary.” The woman looked over her shoulder, kept going and said “This is a service dog.” Wil said,”Service dogs don’t pull at their leads.” The woman ignored her and kept on going. Wil muttered that she was off duty and didn’t want to lose her temper, so turned towards the  parking lot and left. We are not sure not sure if the dog was a bitch, but we are certain about the woman!

We then continued south into the town of Newport. The fishing industry and warehouses here are gradually giving away to tourism, but the town still bustles. We stopped at a local jewelry shop that Ann frequents to find earrings to match a ring she had purchased last year.  It was a Herkimer diamond, which I had never heard of but are only mined near Herkimer, N.Y.  Considerably less expensive than regular diamonds but very attractive, nonetheless.  Afterwards we went looking for the “hundreds of seals” that generally hang out at the local pier only to find one poor, lonely bull seal with the whole pier to himself.  We have no idea where the others are hanging out these days but when we find out, we will send someone to tell him.  We stopped for a late lunch/early supper at the famous Mo’s Diner for our afternoon repast. Deb & Mark enjoyed wonderful clam chowder accompanied by a bowl of fried onion rings for the table. Ann ordered fish tacos and a small shrimp salad (which proved to be too much food, so the salad became take-out) while Don enjoyed a large seafood salad.  We finished the meal with a shared piece of peanut butter cream pie, which was delicious.  Deb is still talking about it!

 On the drive home, we stopped at the roadside Chester’s Market for additional provisions and then, some of us returned for a rest. Don & Ann, however, went for a walk along the beach which was cut somewhat short by rain. Meanwhile, Mark made Deb a Dirty Martini (it is Friday after all!) which she couldn’t finish because she was too full of chowder and onion rings!  We then worked on Ann’s million piece jigsaw puzzle, watched PBS Newshour for updates on the Orange Felon, then Washington Week with The Atlantic. The weather cleared and we watched the sun sink into the wide Pacific Ocean.

Oregon 2026 - Thursday, June 25, 2026

Another cloudy day on the Oregon coast. The sun is trying to break through the clouds early as the morning rain stops. Ann & Deb step out for a walk of 3/4 mile to the shops for some bakery goods, while Mark works on his blog posting and Don enjoys his morning coffee. The ladies return laden with a fresh loaf of sourdough, some frosted cake donuts, a couple of marionberry jam-filled bear claw pastries. Marionberry fruit is a cultivar of blackberry released on 1956; it was bred in cooperation with Oregon State University and is named after Marion County, Oregon. Oregon accounts for 90% of the frozen blackberries grown in the U.S, most of which occurs in the Willamette Valley region.

After a leisurely late morning of coffee and pastries, we regroup and load into the RAV 4 for an afternoon outing. Our first stop is the Alder House Glass Blower, where we peruse all the hand blown glass objects. One of the artisans is explaining the process to  a tourist group watching him create, while we make decisions on purchases. Deb invests in a set of earrings in the shape of a martini glass with an olive in each glass. Don and Mark discuss buying a pair between them, but then they would have to get their ears pierced, and an argument would ensue as to who would get which ear punctured; as no consensus could be reached, the plan was abandoned for the time being.

Next on to the Mossy Creek ceramic gallery. There are 8-12 different ceramic artists represented in the gallery; although the types of pieces (glasses, cups, bowls) were similar, the coloring, styles and shapes were all different. After careful consideration, Deb again made a contribution to the economy.

We pressed onward to the Freed Art Gallery to view their fine art offerings. Nothing much was purchased, but Deb noted that the metal windmill art sculpture she had purchased 20 years ago in Santa Fe was still available and displayed in the front garden of the Gallery. Based upon the current prices, she seems to have made a worthwhile investment.  

Next on the agenda was lunch. We made our way to the nearby Squatchsami Restaurant/Diner. Coincidently, Darcy had texted Deb the day before that this establishment “had the best fish and clam chowder in the area.” The grilled cod was delicious, the chowder was very good, and the feta/spinach salad was tasty, but a bit overdressed (evidently the chef didn’t get the correct current dress code!)

After lunch, we drove back towards the home base with a stop at Salishan Lodge. We learned that the lodge, first opened in 1965, was where Don and Ann honeymooned all those many moons ago (1972.) Although the structure is now 61 years old, it, like the Hosfords, has aged well. The greenery and trees have grown tremendously, but the attached golf course is still well used and there were plenty of people around.

Back at our lodgings, we rested or napped as the case might be and then, as the evening rain began, we left for our 6:00 dinner reservation at The Side Door Restaurant.  Unpresupposing from the outside, it was a pleasant lodge-style look on the interior. Although the menu was fairly extensive, we were bent on seafood for the evening. Don chose the fried halibut dinner for the “hellavit”.  Deb chose the crab cakes and jumbo prawns over mashed potatoes, Mark chose the char-grilled wild salmon (no tame ones were available,) while Ann chose the seafood ragu. Mark & Deb enjoyed a glass of Willamette Valley wine. The real star here was the marionberry cobbler alla mode which was why Don chose the restaurant. Deb had the warmed bread pudding, and Ann the coconut gelato. Mark wielded the spare spoon.

We returned home in time to catch the last half of the WIFA World Cup match between Turkey and the U.S. It was tied up 2-2 going into the last 7:00 minute extra. With 30 seconds left Turkey scored to make it 3-2. Unfortunately for Turkey, given the unfathomable point scoring system of the tournament, Turkey was going home in any event and the U.S. were advancing into the next round. The match was played in Los Angeles, so the partisan crowd were not too happy with the last minute score, but Turkey was ecstatic with the win and U.S. was living with it in order to move on.  After the game, we learned that our eldest, Ed, was actually in the stadium!  Since we didn’t actually spot him in the crowd, we were glad he sent pictures as proof.

After the match concluded, Don, Mark & Deb viewed a portion of their PBS Newshour. Ann is working on a multi-million piece puzzle  and wished us each a good night as, one after the other, the rest of us straggled to bed.  Another great day of vacation in the Northwest.