The Oregon Coast

Ruth and I started out just before 9:00. The day was grey, but I do not pine for days of sunny weather - I prefer the days as they will be. Grey clouds and misty days have their own beauty. While I certainly wouldn't complain if the sun came out, from my point of view there was no reason to postpone the trip until a "better" day. It wasn't up to me to judge the worth of a cloudy day as somehow of lesser value than a sunny one. We wandered north and west until we got to the continent's edge in Newport, Oregon. There had been four whale sightings so far that day, and we scanned the water near the rocks for a spout or a grey smooth back breaking the surface. The whales were someplace else, and declined to give us a show. I bought a most wonderful bag of caramel popcorn, and we continued on our lookabout. We stopped at likely pullovers, took pictures, and developed a hankering for lunch. I noticed an awful lot of cars outside a small building with signs for crab cakes and fish and chips. We pulled in, and found the South Beach Fish Market. There was a line to order. We took our place at the end, which shortly became the middle, and then the front. Ruth and I both ordered the fish and chips, and didn't have to wait long to get our baskets full of chunks of local wild-caught fish nestled on french fries. The fries were so-so, but the fish was absolutely marvelous, just the right amount of batter, tasty freshfreshfresh fish. If you are ever in Newport, go there. They also will ship! www.southbeachfishmarket.com. After that stop, even if the rest of the day had problems, the drive was a great success. We continued poking down the coast, turned inland at Florence, and got back to their house in time to attend a Father's day barbeque at the house of Mel's daughter and son-in-law. Marinated salmon on the grill, shrimp on skewers, and tasty sides. I am eating way too well on this trip, and really don't think I should be standing on a scale any time soon.

Even with all the food, wonderful scenery, and the enjoyable company I kept, the best part of the day was when I got a call from my daughter Cori, letting me know that she had just gotten engaged. Greg is a wonderful fellow, and I am so happy for both of them. ♥