About 25 miles south on Highway 101 was the cute Yaquina Bay lighthouse at, you guessed it, Yaquina Bay State Park. It was at the south end of Newport, OR. The state bought the land and built the facility in 1872. It operated until 1874 when the new Yaquina Head lighthouse was built a few miles away. The light was too small and too far inland to be of much use, so it was decommissioned. The house was used for a multitude of projects over the years. It fell into disrepair and was only recently refurbished by volunteers.
It may not have been too functional, but you have to admit it made for a picturesque setting. How about the view out the upstairs landing window.
A great many steps took us down to the beach. Actually, we had to walk back up over the dunes and then back down to the beach, but it was all about the fresh air and exercise.
We walked about a mile to Nye Beach, an artsy section of Newport, where we had lunch at the Chowder Bowl. It was one of Katie and Mike's favorites. It had to be some of, if not the best clam chowder I have ever tasted. My fish and chips were pretty great as well.
Joani and Katie spent some time visiting the unique little shops and galleries while I tried not to lose them.
Glass bowls created by Kenny Pieper were beautiful and fascinating.
Photos were not allowed in the gallery, so I grabbed this from Mr. Pieper's website. Each glass was exquisite and unique, but it was the display method that blew me away.
The Yaquina Head lighthouse on a spit of land jutting out into the Pacific was still in operation. It was another mile down the beach, so this was our closest picture.
Crab dinner for two?
The Yaquina Bay Bridge was a sight to see! The bay was so large the only way around it was almost a four-hour drive.
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