Lets go find a punchbowl...

(Wednesday 3rd)
After breakfast we packed up & checked out. Before we properly headed off we took a walk up on the cliffs (or the bluff as they call it here) just by the B&B as we decided to be intrepid explorers today!!! Stunning views up high over the shoreline. It was still very misty and the sea looked quite rough so the waves were crashing on the rocks below us.. so beautiful.

We went into Depoe Bay itself still hoping for a whale watching boat ride but, despite the fact it was definitely getting brigher and warmer, you couldn't see a bloody thing when you looked out over the sea.  There were boats going out but we weren't convinced you'd get to see much so Dan suggested
we just leave it for another day "....and after all, we have been on one of the best whale watching boat trips we could go on so why worry".  And he is right, it will take a lot to top the one in Santa Barbara the other year.

So we mooched around a little and had a snack/beer in a lovely little cafe there, bought some tat and some saltwater taffy and pushed on.

Route was all down HWay 101 so again there are some breathtaking views. However we peeled off onto 'Otters Crest Loop' as this ran alongside the hway & closer to the coast. Definitely a good move as we found some beautiful places.  Cape Foulweather was amazing. You could look along the coastline so clearly and see Otters Rock, The Devil's Punchbowl (area) and the huge golden stretch of Beverly Beach. The fog was still around but it was much warmer with sun and blue skies too so it made it look particularly dramatic!
From there we moved on to the actual Punchbowl which was something I have been looking forward to. And it didn't disappoint.

OK so it was completely dry of water at the time we arrived so I am sure it looks even better when it is filling up but dry was good for us as we were going to find a way down there and into it!  Which we did yippeeeeee.. It took a couple of false starts but we finally find a little path & a steep drop that got us onto a beach over to the right of the bowl.  We took a good old walk on the beach first, past beach waterfalls and numerous rock pools.

 I spent AGES investigating the rock pools, clambering around on and off the rock formations, whilst Dan had pushed on, up and over some other rocks and was sitting proudly high up watching some seals sunbathing!

I finally met back up with him and we climbed over closer to the seals to watch them properly. Of course we were really conscious about getting too close and once we spotted more than one of them waking up and looking over at us we retreated. But I tell you, I was close enough to have been able to throw a fish to them.. if I had had one!

Made our way back the way we had come as we had noticed that the tide was slowly moving in so we wanted to get into the bowl still.... made it over there with a fair bit of climbing and scrambling and that was it, we were in!  It is just full of rocks really but the two openings to the sea had the water crashing in and around so it looked awesome.. as did looking up out of the bowl to clear blue skies. Very difficult to explain how fantastic it was really. I spotted a crab too hiding in the rocks.. managed to get a decent pic of him.

The water was getting more and more crashy now so we made a hasty retreat and found our way back to the 'path' we had taken and back to our car feeling excited and proud of our little adventure.  Ha. I bet people do it every day but there was hardly anyone else there so.........

We stopped in Lincoln City for lunch at Rogue bar.  Couldn't manage it all so we boxed it up to take to the Lighthouse with us!
Along the way we stopped at Cape Perpetua to see the Spouting Horn and Thors Well. Basically not a lot to see as our timing wasn't the best. It was too close to high tide to be able to clamber over to it but as it wasn't actually high tide we didn't get to see it the horn spouting or the well 'draining' the sea... ah well.....

And on to the lighthouse we went..  It was just bloody wonderful. So pretty, so quaint so private and excluded.. ahhhh yeah. Everything I wanted. The other people staying in the cottage were brill - we had a lot of fun with them and some very interesting conversations about Roundabouts (they love them!), Marmite - they had never heard of it. Dippy eggs and how you get into them and toast soldiers!!

 Hahahaha. Sadly I cannot remember everyone's name but Janice/Jill was Funny.. She thought I was so cute with my little english accent and proper way of doing things and we had some great banter about Americanisms and the correct English way!  Her and her husband were from just outside Sacramento.

Another couple - Diane and Larry - were around 70 and from Louisiana- they were awesome. We chatted into the night with those two. I could have spent more time with them to hear their stories and experiences. There was one couple I wasn't massively sure about but mainly because the husband trod the fine line between banter and being offensive once too often for my liking. Especially the next day during our 7 course breakfast that everyone gathers in the cottage for. Which was fantastic.

 

I have to say despite having to deal with 8 other people first thing in the morning and someone who doesn't know he's just crossed a line with me....!  (Oh yes there was another young couple staying there who now live in Zurich but she was from Minnesota and he was from South Africa. We didn't see much of them the evening before but the others had all met them a the cheese and wine reception - which we missed as we got there later than intended due to our intrepid explorations of Punchbowl!!!)

And I DID get my time on the porch, sat with Dan overlooking the ocean, eating food from the local deli, sipping wine whilst wrapped in blanket and watching the sun set...............It had been a most wonderful day and this was the perfect, dreamed of ending to it. I was so happy I could have cried....