Arrgkt, arrgkt, arrgkt

Yesterday we drove the rig for the first time in nine days; we are now in Newport, Oregon -- right on the ocean and pretty much due west of Corvallis, where Jim went to college at Oregon State University. At our former RV park we heard the roar of planes from nearby PDX.  In Newport, we hear a faint and charming “Arrgkt, Arrgkt, Arrght” -- which is how I spell what a sea lion says. We have not yet seen the sea lions, but they are obviously near by.

When we got the the Port of Newport RV Park, the owner told us fresh tuna was being sold on nearby boats and that people were crabbing on the pier, as in catching crabs not just standing around complaining.  As we were exploring, I told Jim I knew this wasn't cool to say, but every time we walked by a fish cleaning station I about threw up from the smell.  Jim said I wouldn’t have been bothered if it smelled like cow manure.  He’s right -- but come on.  Cow manure versus rotting fish guts?  I can see (and definitely can smell) the difference, and cow manure wins the good smell award every time.  But since Newport is a real fishing village, you are going to smell some fish.

Within very close walking distance to the RV park is the “world headquarters” of Rogue Brewery, so I took a photo of Jim with his camera so Jim could text it to our friend John, which is what they do every time either one of them gets near a good beer.  We also had dinner at Rogue.  Jim had salmon; I had a hamburger -- which come to think of it, may have been a continuation of our earlier discussion regarding smells. 

Today we walked around Newport and had lunch at Mo’s, where the clam chowder is said to be famous and the restaurant front is a garage door -- a customer once accidentally crashed through the front of the store; owner Mo told the customer she'd replace the damage with a garage door so the customer could just drive in any time she wanted.  We also went to nearby Nye Beach.

The Yaquina Bay Bridge on Highway 101 as seen from the 
Port of Newport RV park.  Yaquina Bay is a small bay 
on the Pacific Ocean and partially in Newport, OR.

A closer view of the Yaquina Bay Bridge with Jim, Cooper and a passerby to the right.

On the left are boats on the Yaquina Bay, in the background 
is the RV park, and to the right is the Rogue Brewery -- plus 
the restaurant where we had lunch.

Jim at the brewery.

This was taken in downtown Newport.  The town's two largest industries are  tourism and commercial fishing, and Newport is the self proclaimed "Dungeness Crab Capital of the World."

Another shot of boats and piers in Newport, with the Yaquina Bay Bridge in the background.

Commercial crab pots.  Crab season starts about now and runs until about February.

Jim and Cooper walk toward Nye beach, a few miles north 
of the RV park where we are staying.  It's  named after 
a man who claimed 160 nearby acres in 1866.