Newport, Oregon

Today we start our adventures in Newport, some 15 miles north of McKinley’s Marina and RV Park, and check out the Yaquina Head Light. This structure is the tallest lighthouse in Oregon, standing 93 feet tall.

It sits on 100 acres of land now operated by the Bureau of Land Management and classified as an Outstanding Natural Area. (visittheoregoncoast.com)

I get a chuckle out of this sign beside the lighthouse.

We opt out of making reservations to tour the lighthouse and choose to whale watch around the premises instead. It’s a cloudy day. The sea looks ominous. The rocks remind me of angry ogres from fairy tales.

There are birds dotting the jagged boulders above; a colony of murre

 newslincolncounty.com

and cormorants.

 opb.org

To everyone’s delight, a few whales make their presence known by exhaling misty sprays from their blow spouts. Uninvited, little, pesky kelp flies show up as well landing in clusters on shoulders, jackets, backs, and caps. Even Jeff is itching so we quickly head down to the cobblestone beach.

There’s no sand on this beach, just tons of gray cobblestones washed smooth by the waves from the sea.

I capture a nice view of the lighthouse from here.

Finally, as we pull away in the car, I take this shot of the whole area we just visited.

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Traveling south from the Head Light we pull over at Yaquina Bay State Park

and Newport’s 2nd lighthouse.

The Yaquina Bay Lighthouse is the only wooden lighthouse and the only one with attached living quarters in Oregon. Built in 1871, it only operated for 3 years. The house is now a museum. (visittheoregoncoast.com)

According to the docent, a family of 8 lived here. Below is the view from the window in the hallway on the 2nd floor.

The 3rd floor is the light keeper’s watch room. An iron ladder  ascends to the lantern room, which is not open to the public.

In 1996 the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department restored the lantern room into a working navigational aid. The light, operated by a photocell, shines a steady white light from dawn to dusk 161 feet above sea level. (yaquinalghts.org)