Bigfoot, beaten paths, and bubbly: A West Coast Road Trip 4

Cannon Beach to Port Orford, OR: Feeling a little crabby.

02.09.2016 - 11.09.2016

We woke up to rain, rain, rain. And drizzle. And fog. And rain.

I should not have been surprised, as I know this is the weather that dominates this region, but we had a 6 hour drive along the coast to endure and rain wasn’t going to make it amazing.

We set out for nearby Manzanita to grab a quick breakfast.

“Do you want it wet or dry?” the young woman with dread locks, a nappy sweater, and wellies was asking me about my cappuccino.

I couldn’t answer because I was distracted by the bakery counter filled with freshly baked black mission fig and walnut bread, chocolate croissants, and orange walnut cinnamon rolls that were as large as my head.

Matt and I couldn’t make up our minds, so we ended up with 2 giant cinnamon rolls so delicate they melted in our mouths; a strata made with eggs, grits, cheese, and pancetta; and a breakfast sandwich on a ridiculously delicious roll that was crispy, soft, and chewy all at the same time.

And then we drove.

When breakfast wore off, we stopped at Nye Beach for a bowl of thick hot chowder with a giant pad of melting butter floating on top.

And then we drove more.

Next up was Local Oceans Seafood in Newport where we found a creamy garlic bisque loaded with hunks of fresh crab, fresh fish tacos, and savory crab cakes.

This day was definitely making me crabby.

We heard a lot of “barking” as we left the restaurant and headed down to the docks where the fishing boats were lined up, fishermen in boots hosing off the decks, hand painted signs proclaiming each to have the freshest tuna or the best live crabs.

We finally saw the source of all the racket.

Apparently, the rain made them crabby too.

After lunch, we still had 3 hours of driving to do, so we wound our way slowly down the misty coast.

We had originally planned to make a stop at the Dunes Park in Oregon but the weather simply didn’t make that possible. We headed straight for Port Orford where we would stop for the night.

I can’t tell you how happy I was when we reached Port Orford and the skies cleared.

I had chosen our accommodation for the night based on the view.

And what a view it was.

The single loft above the Redfish Restaurant had a view to die for and the loft itself was posh and elegantly decorated with original artwork from the owners’ gallery.

It had been a long day and a lot of driving, so we simply relaxed, walked on the beach, and took in the views until it was time for dinner.

Redfish was an obvious choice, particularly since we didn’t want to get back in the car, all we had to do was walk downstairs. The restaurant was warm and cozy, the drinks were strong, and the food was just what we needed.