Newport Oregon on the Coast
One of our favorite getaways is the Oregon Coast in the fall for crabbing, although it is a beautiful place to visit any time of the year. I still work full time, so our vacation spots RVing are usually not too far from home in Sacramento. We took a couple of different trips in this area over the last couple of years – but I wanted to make sure I shared all of the things to see & do in Newport Oregon.
This trip we stayed just a few miles north of Newport Oregon at Beverly Beach State Park. A very nice state park, although our 40’ pull-through spot barely fit our motorhome (site F11)– there were a lot of trees in the site. But John is really good at driving this big thing, and our site was nice and secluded, and we really enjoyed this park. It is a short walk/drive to a long sandy beach, depending on which site you stay in.
Newport Oregon
The first day we just wandered through Newport Oregon – and found a little touristy area on the Yaquina Bay called Newport’s Historic Bayfront. We wandered the shops and of course, had some clam chowder for lunch. We ended up at Mo’s, a local chain on the coast here. The chowder was ok (we have had a lot of chowder in a lot of places – kind of our thing to do on the coast), but he Marionberry cobbler – YUM!
Newport Oregon has an awesome bridge going over the Yaquina Bay – Perhaps Newport’s most iconic landmark is the gorgeous Yaquina Bay Bridge. More than just a way to cross the bay, the bridge is an ambassador for the city and a magnificent piece of art-deco architecture. Also, Newport has two picturesque lighthouses, Yaquina Head and Yaquina Bay.
The next day we headed north to Lincoln City to wander around. It’s a beautiful drive up the coast, and the area around Depoe Bay is known for whale watching. We saw a lot of whales without even having to take one of those boat sightseeing tours.
We pulled off at Boiler Bay State /wayside to see the whales. The little town of Depoe Bay is very cute with lots of touristy but fun and unique shops, so we wandered there too. It is considered the “Whale Watching Capital of the Oregon Coast”. We also took the Otter Crest Loop south of Depoe Bay, a very pretty drive, one way in some areas. It took us to Devil’s Punchbowl State Park.
All of these are an easy drive from Newport Oregon. And another stop – you know me – there was a winery right there at the park, so I had to check it out. Flying Dutchman Winery – very nice people, and the wines are pretty good too. I opted for a Raspberry Honey wine, reminiscent of the honey wines we used to carry in my wine bar in Old Sacramento. Nice little store too, and I found a great apron to go in our “cabin” aka the motorhome.
A little about this winery … Winemaker and owner Richard Cutler started the winery in the restaurant of the Inn at Otter Crest. It was billed as Oregon’s first ‘micro-winery’ and was popular from the start. With a little beginner’s luck, Cutler’s first vintage of Pinot Noir won the winery’s first medal at the prestigious 1999 Oregon State Fair. Since then Flying Dutchman wines have earned many medals and are highly regarded in the northwest. And of course, we wandered out to check out Devil’s Punchbowl too.
There are so many more things to see and do in this area, and we will be back in Newport Oregon to try to see some of them. Our next stop, is Bullard’s Beach State Park, near Bandon, for crabbing. We stayed here last year, and love it.
2023 Update – Newport Marina RV Park
This RV park is located in the port of Newport, Oregon. It is designed for big rigs, and a lot of the visitors are out catching crab, fish, and more. The park is nice and clean, has a great laundry room, and a Good Sam park.
