Seals, rocks, caves, and beaches

The third day on the coast we went to Seal beach/Seal Rock, the Sea Lion caves, and Haceta lighthouse.

Seal beach at low tide is covered in tidal pools full of sea creatures. 

We saw many star fish, anemones, and crabs.

I liked how this star fish looked like an exhausted person who's plopped down on a couch.

Little crab, Hadley and Miles, the crew, hermit crabs

Way out on those rocks were seals sunbathing. 

We found a starfish in the sand and picked it up because it wasn't attached to anything, but we put it right back :)

              Star fish neighborhood 

            Steven, the crab whisperer

                 Grandma and Papa

It was easy to spend so much time exploring the tidal pools with so much to see. 

Sea lion caves is south down the coast, it is the only inland rookery for these sea lions that are found all along the Pacific coast.

From this lookout point you can see about 300 sea lions. They're huge, just not in this photo... 

Then you go down a 200 ft elevator to one of the largest sea caves in the world to see more sea lions all on the rocks.

(Not the best iPhone pictures)

It's pretty neat, but way overpriced.

Haceta Head lighthouse is one of the most photographed. The assistants home is now a b&b and it's surrounded by forest to the east and ocean to the west.

Unfortunately, we made it too late to take a tour inside, but it was still beautiful! 

                   Jesse and Annie

We ate at a place called The Salty Dog for dinner where we got delicious halibut and chips, and shrimp. I'm pretty much deeply in love with fresh sea food. 

Steven and I walked back from dinner in Waldport to the beach house. That meant crossing the big bridge over the bay. It was low tide and when we looked in the water all these harbor seals were popping their heads up. They're so funny, I could watch them for hours.

Further on, a bunch of seals were sprawled out on a sandbar in the middle of the bay. 

That night it didn't rain so we had a fire and ate s'mores and the kids put on a lovely song and dance show for us :) 

I'm also now in love with the northern Pacific coast 😍 

Waldport/Newport day 2

            Newport bridge and bay

This day was filled with lighthouses and crab soup! And the beach of course :)

It was so windy and rainy! Perfect lighthouse weather. We felt like we'd all be blown off the cliff. When we got down to the pebble beach the rain stopped.

We also saw three bald eagles flying together. We've seen quite a few seals in the water. They're funny, they poke they're little heads up and watch us as much as we watch them. 

             Such amazing views

This was the second lighthouse we saw. 

That tiny boat is called the Sea Food :) I dibs it. 

Delicious crab chowder and fish & chips.

         To the founders of the feast!

         And back to the windy beach.

Waldport, Day 1

Waldport, Oregon. Beautiful beach town and surrounding areas. The house we're staying at is a short walk from the beach, where seals pop up from the waves and watch you. 

I had a tsunami nightmare because of the more serious 'tsunami hazard zone' signs.

                    The beach!

              Annie's mermaid pose. 

We ventured to the Newport aquarium. This seal was funny; he'd push his head against the glass and rub, then just sit there. 

                    Demon seal! 

Japanese spider crab; biggest crabs in the world! I bet it's delicious...

Being fish, birds, and the tiny comb jelly fish. 

           Jelly fish are mesmerizing.

    We could touch star fish, anemones, and abolonies (?). 

                          Shark!!

The bottom photo is the amazing scallop meal I had at a local Mexican restaurant. Normally I'm hesitant about mixing sea food and Mexican, but not on the coast. I still can't stop talking about how good it was!  

                           Ha!

Here it is up close, totally necessary.... :) 

          A pier on the bay in the rain :)

It's so great to be here with part of the Powell clan! It's so awesome of Steven's parents to put this together. And we're happy to spend time with family who live so far away.