Heceta Head Lighthouse

One of the most beautiful spots on the Oregon Coast is Heceta Head Lighthouse. Just after you drive south past Sea Lion Cave on Highway 101 you come to a turn-out on the west side of the road. You must stop! Get out of the car and walk up to the edge. Across the bay to the south is the Lighthouse sitting out on the edge of the head. To the right, sitting behind a white picket fence is the keeper's house. The head keeper's house was torn down after the light was automated. But luckily, the assistant's house sit remains. It was constructed as a duplex serving the families of the two assistant keepers. The common wall that separated the dining room has been torn down to allow the building to become a bed and breakfast with a most spectacular setting.

Once a year, for the two week ends prior to Christmas, the keeper's residence is decorated and lights are hung and the entire site is open to the public from 4-7 on Saturday and Sunday evenings. In addition to the period style decorations, there is live music provided by local musicians, hot drinks (coffee, tea, hot chocolate) and cookies and bars to enjoy. After enjoying the ambiance of the house, R & I walked to the gift shop to check find many treasures. Then it was stroll up to the tower itself. I had remembered to bring a flashlight so several visitors walked with us in the dark up to the lighthouse. A volunteer greeted us in the work room and told us the story of the light and before taking us up the stairs to see the light itself.

The 56 foot tower was constructed in 1894. The light pattern is a flash every 10 seconds. Because the light is 205 feet above the ocean, the light can be seen 21 miles out to sea, rated as the strongest light on the Oregon Coast.

South Beach State Park

Well we are now at South Beach State Park near Newport, Or. It is a beautiful example of the Oregon State Park system. There are over 250 campsites and yurt sites scattered in several loops. All sites have paved driveways and water and electricity. During the summer over 2000 people a day are in this park, either in the campground, picnic ground, or at the beach. But today there are just a handful. Normally, the weather at the coast is moderated by the proxima... (closeness) of the ocean. It doesn't get really hot and it doesn't get really cold. Well, except for last week. A large cold front stopped by and dropped the temperature into the high 30's in the day and the 20's at night. The park here is not set up for cold weather so several faucets have been replaced this week due to the freezing temperatures.

The weather is beginning to moderate with rain in the forecast. The Willamette Valley is experiencing freezing rain as I write this, because the rain has returned and the ground is still cold.

Yesterday was our day off so went into Newport to look around. We ended up at Yaquina Head Lighthouse which is just north of town. It started construction in 1870 and was completed in 1872. It took so long because the 300,000 plus bricks were brought by ship from San Francisco. Not having a harbor meant that cargo needed to be unloaded unto small boats for the trip to the beach. Also when the lens arrived (via supply ship), it was discovered that parts of the Fresnel lens were missing. So the missing parts had to endure the same long journey that the lens did the first time, which was Paris to New York by ship; New York to Panama by ship; across the Ismus by Train ( that was before the Panama Canal); Panama to San Francisco by ship; and then by lighthouse tender from San Francisco to Yaquina Head.

After spending an hour or so exploring the visitor center, we drove the 1/2 mile out to the point where the lighthouse is perched on the edge of the cliff. We climbed the 110 stairs to the top and had a great visit with Tom, the volunteer who was stationed in the watch room. He had many stories to tell of the lighthouse and the people who manned it. R and I will go back again on another day to check out the tidepools located below it.