Seconds With Steff

I have been looking to this day for months!!!!! Just wait to see what we do!!!

Up at the crack of dawn and by 8:30 we were at Depoe Bay for whale watching where we met the mayor, Cathy as she was tending the flowerbeds. Depoe Bay holds the world’s smallest harbor, but also, look at those Goonies Caves!

Although there were no whales to see this morning, it was the cutest little tiniest drive-through town! 

Then onto the Devil’s Punchbowl which was mostly empty due to the low tide.

We drove down into Newport Oregon, which according to the sign is Coast Guard City USA (which my dad would’ve liked) and I saw a sign that said, “Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area.” We had thirty minutes before the aquarium opened, so we gave it a shot, and what a fantastic surprise. Not only did the road lead to a pretty lighthouse, we were able to tide pool, something I wanted to do during the trip but didn’t think we would be able to accomplish! And even better Hunter’s All Access National Parks pass made the experience free!

Then we drove straight to the Oregon Coast Aquarium for their 10am opening… yes, this is our third aquarium in case you lost count.

It was a really nice but fast experience. Well laid out, but small there were sea otter and seal exhibits, an aviary, and a fantastic walk-through Shark Tank. They also do a really nice job of bringing the natural aspect of the land. They also incorporate the aquarium into the coast of a marsh on which it sits.

From the research I did, it would take about two to three hours to complete the entire aquarium which I halved for Hunter-speed. It actually took about 45 minutes to complete. That being said, signage is naturally incorporated into the exhibits to assist anyone with a neurodiversity. Well Done, Oregon!

As the morning wore on, Hunter wasn’t sounding right, so I stopped at a local pharmacy to get Mucinex. I also asked where they eat lunch, and it was some of the most delicious Mexican food I’ve ever had! I asked the waiter to bring me his favorite thing on the menu, and it was absolutely fantastic.

Then the Little Log Church

The Cape Perpetua area held three attractions for us…

First, we visited the Devil’s Churn, which was more active than the previous well we’d been to but just kind of taking on water as the tide was coming in, but not really churning per se. 

We drove to the top of Perpetua Overlook and did the short Whispering Spruce Trail and got beautiful pictures looking down, but there was a bit of fog, so it prevented a clear view, but the fog definitely gives it a Pacific Northwest vibe. 

Lastly, we went to Thor’s Well which was by far the most active well!

The Sea Lion Caves is an old-time tourist trap, but kind of worth it. Having bought the ticket, we went to see the sea lions on a rock as during this time of year they don’t go into the caves. After watching them for a while, we then descended into the caves just to look around.

And Here It IS!!! We had a 4:00 reservation with Sandland Adventures! I had no idea that Oregon has these types of dunes, so with a bit of research, Hunter and I headed off for a 30 minute dune buggy adventure!

A few things to be aware of: The actual store-front is only where you check in. We then had to drive a few more miles to get to the meeting place. Also although my tour was booked for 4 o’clock, that was the check-in time, and the tour didn’t start until 4:20 because of those few miles of driving and the safety measures. But the tour before ours returned late, so we didn’t get going until almost 5:00 after being outfitted with goggles and helmets for the under 18s, told where to sit, and finally buckled in … which for a kid on the spectrum is a lot of time to wait (and honestly, for his mom too). After a fast, fun, bumpy, ride where Hunter smiled and laughed the whole time, we returned to store-front only to be told they were closed and the outside bathroom (think gas station) had been bleached already. I don’t know what me using it tonight versus somebody using it in the morning would’ve done, but it wasn’t the greatest customer service I’ve ever experienced in my life. But our guide absolutely ridiculously amazing.

The Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area was a park I found just three miles off The 101. Free roaming elk. They were simply magnificent!

I seriously wish we had one more day in Oregon. On the way to California we had to drive through the The Samuel Boardman Corridor where I had been really really looking forward to doing a couple of small hikes and taking some amazing pictures hiking, but with the delay from the Sandune tour, our whole night was shifted. We should’ve arrived around 7 o’clock, but instead we rolled through in the dark.

I guess that’s my excuse to come back to Oregon however I really don’t think I need one. This place is amazing and I can’t wait to do more!

We crossed into California at 9:00

Vertullo Summary – tide pools, aquarium, views, and dune buggies