June 25 - South Beach State Park, near Newport OR

On this day in six months’ time we will be waking to Christmas morning!!  Hope you’ve all been good so far this year!

We wake to drizzle this morning as forecast, but it promises to clear this afternoon.  We have a relaxing morning, get some ribs and BBQ sauce into the slow cooker, that’s dinner sorted and then go for a bike ride to the beach and around the camp.  We get talking to a couple of scuba divers and spy their catch.  There are seals flopping around in the channel, the water in the channel is a lovely deep green, just like at home.  Some fishing boats come back into harbour as we watch.

Impressive catch, the fish were still flopping!

Wonder how much better these guys did

Snowy Plovers are nesting here the first time in many decades so we are careful to not disturb any nests as we sightsee.

Boardwalk to the dunes and beach, those are our bikes

Beach just like home

Different aspect of the Yaquina Bay bridge, Newport - we have seen it from all sides now.

By the time we return from our bike ride and we’ve probably ridden a few miles, the sun is out and it is warm, so its out with the sunscreen, kindle and the recliner and I am happy for another hour or so.

The Ribs were really tasty but cooked way too long, the meat had already fallen off the bones leaving them already clean.  Next time (and we have some left) I will just cook for the recommended four hours on high.

Come evening the campground is covered by a low wispy ceiling of smoke from the many campfires, might have one ourselves tomorrow.