As we were getting packed up, we watched the surfers ride some of the longest waves on the coast and kayakers heading out over the surf. The haystack rock here is 235 feet high. We took a quick detour to the Riverhouse restaurant to buy some of their supposedly excellent blue cheese dressing, then continued our drive south along the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway.
The D River at Lincoln City connects Devils Lake and the Pacific Ocean; it's the shortest river in the world at 120 feet.
Depoe Bay claims to have the world's smallest navigable harbor. It's a pretty little area where fishing and whale watching boats are frequently seen. Whale migration is during the winter months and in the summer around 60 gray whales reside off the coast. We had lunch in a traditional Mexican cafe overlooking the ocean.
The Yaquina Head Lighthouse near Newport is the tallest lighthouse on the Oregon coast at 93 feet. It's been blinking constantly since 1873. It sits on a pretty bluff over the ocean, with barking sea lions and seals and pelicans on the rocks in the ocean below. It's part of the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, well named. Near the lighthouse is Cobblestone Beach, made up of different sizes of cobblestones that make magical sounds when the surf slides over them.
The Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, which sits atop a bluff at the mouth of the Yaquina River, is Oregon's oldest wooden lighthouse. It was only used from 1871-1874 because it was determined that it was built in the wrong location. It was restored and put back into commission in 1996. It's also the only Oregon lighthouse with living quarters attached.
We enjoyed the coastal views and stopping points so much that once again we took more time than expected and spent our last hour or so driving in rain and darkness. Our stop for the night was Florence. We had dinner at Kelly's Cantina, an excellent little cafe in the quaint old town.
We wondered if we would see an abrupt end to coffee kiosks once we passed over the border from Washington to Oregon but no, Oregon does have them as well, just not as many. We were in tsunami country all day, with signs noting that we were entering and leaving tsunami zones.
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