The day after the 2017 solar eclipse, we did not want to have to sit in traffic on the I-5 driving back to San Francisco. Instead, we decided to head out and explore the Oregon Coast for the day. Our original plan was to drive to Newport, turn north, and make a big loop back to my aunt’s house. However, there was traffic on US-101 north of Newport, so we ended up just exploring Newport for the day.

Take in a Birds Eye View of the Oregon Coast at Yaquina Head

Our first stop was at the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, a name I always chuckle at. Yaquina Head is a great place to take in the scenic vistas and walk the beach and the cliffs. There is a lighthouse that you can take tours of as well. We did not take the tour since you have to make reservations ahead of time and this trip to the coast was a bit of a spur-of-the-moment adventure. The vistas and scenery from the lookouts were absolutely spectacular.

Yaquina Point Lighthouse
The Yaquina Point Lighthouse
Spectacular view of the Oregon Coast from Yaquina Head
Breathtaking views of the beach from one of the vistas at Yaquina Point
Bird Quiz at Yaquina Head, Oregon
The perfect quiz for bird brains like us

Eat Incredible Seafood and Tour Oregon’s Breweries

After a stop at Mo’s Seafood Restaurant for a delicious lunch, we headed to the Rogue Brewery. It was way too crowded there to do the formal tour of the brewery, so we went to the gift shop. We bought a wide range of different beers, ranging from chipotle ale to a chocolate stout. I also managed to buy the most Arizona thing I could: a couple margarita glasses whose stems were saguaro cacti.

When I was in line at the gift shop, a lady in front of me bought Sriracha ale. She said that it sounds really gross, but they pour the Sriracha ale over vanilla ice cream and drink it like a root beer float. It’s supposedly really good. I’ll leave it to you to draw your own conclusions on that, but the next time I’m back in that area, I’m definitely going to give that a try.

Until next time, happy adventuring.

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