Annual New Years Eve Trip to The Coast - 2003

Seems like just yesterday Rocke and I were on our annual New Years Eve to the Coast for 2002. This past year came and went entirely too fast!!

It had snowed in Portland on Wednesday, so Rocke and I were not sure if we were going to be able to make our annual trip to the coast. We had rented a room at the Elizabeth Inn in Newport with a Jacuzzi, Fireplace and a view of the ocean and there was a 48 hour cancellation policy. We were a little concerned that we'd have to pay for a room without getting to use it! On Wednesday morning, we woke up and there was some snow around but we didn't think it was enough to keep us from making our trip. Rocke had some work to finish up in the office, but around 10:30 am, we were on our way.

We didn't run into very much snow until we were going over the mountain pass on Hwy 18. It was snowing and there was quite a bit of slush on the road. Rocke took his time and we had no problems getting over the pass. Once over the pass, all we had was rain for a while and by the time we reached the coast, it was warmer and cloudy but no rain.

The drive along the coast from Lincoln City to Newport was beautiful, the ocean and clouds were very pretty. We arrived in Newport about lunch time, so we went to Mo's for some clam chowder.

After leaving Mo's, we went to find our hotel. The hotel we were staying at, Elizabeth Street Inn, is situated on a bluff overlooking the beach. Before checking in, we stopped at Don Davis Park, that is adjacent to the hotel, to go down to the beach. Before going down to the beach, though, we stopped at the the glassed in (and heated) gazebo at Don Davis Park. We then left the gazebo and walked down a winding path toward the beach. On the way, we came across the Vietnam Veteran's memorial along the pathway that's deciated to Oregonians lost in the Vietnam War.

There was some blue skies and seagulls on the beach. It was windy and cold, but a walk on the beach always leaves us with such a wonderful feeling. I love walking on the beach, no matter how cold or windy it is.

Then it was time to go check into our room so we can relax a little bit before going out to dinner. We had dinner at the Shilo Restaurant, which was within walking distance from where we were staying. It had a very nice atmostsphere and was decorated for New Years Eve. We sat by the window and were able to watch the waves come rolling in from the ocean as we enjoyed our meal.

We spent our New Year's Eve in the hotel room with the door open listening to the surf pounding below us and an occasional firework going off! Occasionally, we went out on the deck to watch the surf. There were enough lights from the hotels to light up the ocean so we could continue to watch the waves come rolling in. Such a beautiful site at night, seeing the waves come in with their frothy white caps. We opened out champagne just before midnight and toasted the new year in.

On New Year's Day, we slept in until about 10:00 a.m. We had listened to the weather report the night before and didn't want to start back to Portland too early to give all of the snow expected to fall in the passes a chance to "slush up". After getting up, we took our time in getting ready to leave . . . we showered, packed up our "stuff" and loaded the car. We went to Georgie's for a big hearty breakfast.

After breakfast, Rocke gassed up the van before leaving to go back to Portland. The attendent told him that he would suggest we not try to drive back to Portland today, because there were reports about lots of snow and downed trees on the roads . . . especially in the passes. We decided to take the attendent's advice and looked for a motel for the night. Someone had told us that if we got stranded in Newport, there was a fabulous show going on at the Newport Performing Arts Center. We decided to check it out. It sounded great to us and we purchased tickets to see the show that afternoon.

The group is called "Tiller's Folly". They are a spirited West Coast Canadian group whose unique brand of Celtic music reflects a Pacific cultural heritage. For years, this Vancouver-based band has been spinning songs and stories about the Northwest, it's people and it's history. Their sound is dynamic, contemporary, and draws from a number of Celtic music traditions. The Tiller's Folly have integrated Irish Dance in many of their live performances since first producing their “CELTIC THUNDER” show in 1996. If you would like to check them out, there website is http://www.tillersfolly.com/. It was worth getting stranded in Newport to see this group. This group is a "must see" if you ever get the chance.

On Friday, Rocke and I made it back home from Newport and happy to report that we didn't have any trouble whatsoever getting back. The roads were clear and it turned out to be a beautiful day.