OUR TRAVELS

 .....we realize it's time to leave Newport.  We have had a wonderful time combing the beach and exploring the town.  We will leave you with a few last pictures. Hatfield Science Museum - isn't she grand?  She was very active for us while we stood near her. Oregon Coast Aquarium We've been amazed at the huge beach along the ocean.  At low tide, we walk a long ways between the sand dunes and the water's edge.  We learned at the Aquarium that the beach changes in the winter.  Winter waves drag sand off the beaches and deposit it in sandbars offshore.  That leaves only coarse sand and pebbles on the narrow steep beaches.  The spring waves are gentler and push the sandbar back towards shore, rebuilding the wide beaches of summer.  Who knew?!? We went to the Wooden Boat Show in the Port of Toledo, the town next to Newport.  We took two buses to get there. Here is a live Dungeness crab we saw on the beach. Here are cooked and cleaned Dungeness crabs before we devoured them wi

 .....starts at low tide.  We rise early before the sun is over the horizon to drink fresh coffee and to partake in a hearty meal of oatmeal, fruit, and nuts.  We leave the condo shortly after 6 am, wade through the ankle deep creek, hike through the dunes, and walk down to the water's edge.  At low tide, the water is 200 feet or so further away than usual.  Fog is in the air and the temperature is 50 degrees.  We pause to take a photo of the nearby lighthouse. As we walk down the beach we find several whole sand dollars.  We pick them up with the idea of giving them to our grandchildren. As it is low tide we are able to reach tidepools and rocky areas that are normally under water.  And...wow....it is well worth getting up at the crack of dawn.  We have never seen so many sea stars  (formerly known as starfish) and anemones - hundreds of sea stars and thousands of anemones. One tide pool has a sea of sea urchins. We find many moon jellies of various sizes that have washed ashore. 

 ......A quick run into ocean waves and back out!  We're at the beach in Newport, OR and, BOY IS THE WATER COLD!  We woke up the other day.  The sun was out and the wind was calm, so we took the plunge.  We donned our swimsuits and headed out to the beach.  Needless to say, we didn't stay in the water long.  Who would with a water temperature of 51 degrees?!? For reference sake, the Atlantic Ocean near Miami, FL was 86 degrees yesterday (35 degrees warmer) and the Atlantic Ocean at Hampton Beach, NH where we were last year was 64 degrees.  Note the hats! Here is a short video of our reaction.  (If you are viewing this post in an email, you will need to go directly to the blog post  https://usnomads.blogspot.com/2022/08/what-does-51-degrees-get-ya.html )   We mentioned Hampton Beach in New Hampshire - the crowd sizes are definitely different. Newport Beach, OR in the middle of the day (LAST YEAR) Hampton Beach, NH in the middle of the day The temperatures here are in the low 60