Coastline South of Depoe Bay

It was the end of the summer season, but a few of the gift and souvenir shops in Depoe Bay, Oregon, were still open.

Ahhh, yes, the wisdom of the coffee mug.

The "fairy tale fishing village of Depoe Bay is brimming with colorful stores, gift shops and galleries featuring maritime collectibles, fine art, apparel and the tastiest candies and salt water taffy available."

Opposite the row of shops is "a huge sea wall that runs the length of the downtown area allowing visitors to shop or dine always within view of the ocean."

"The stunning beauty of Depoe Bay's rugged rocky coastline, snug harbor and easy access via Highway 101 make it one of the most popular destinations along the Central Oregon Coastline" (depoebaychamber.org).

Not only was the rugged coastline beautiful, but the rocky shore produced sounds that reflected its ruggedness.

The Ben Jones Bridge (also known as Rocky Creek Bridge) on the Otter Crest Loop between Depoe Bay and Newport was built in 1927. Ben Jones is known as the “Father of the Coast Highway.” Jones introduced legislation for construction of the Roosevelt Military Highway (the original name for the Oregon Coast Highway) in 1919.

We could imagine sitting outside this home and listening to the sounds of the waves rushing to the shore, colliding with the hollowed-out, rocky spaces,

and then shooting the water out of the spaces (see below) in a large spray.

The view from the Otter Creek Viewpoint was captivating.

In 1778, Captain James Cook was searching for a passage to the Atlantic. The first promontory he named on his five-day journey along the Oregon coast earned this description: "...At the northern extreme, the land formed a point, which I called Cape Foulweather, from the bad weather that we, soon after, met with.”

The Devil's Punchbowl State Natural Area is a state day use park on the central Oregon Coast in the United States. It is centered on a large bowl naturally carved in a rock headland which is partially open to the Pacific Ocean.

Unfortunately, the conditions were not right for us to observe and hear waves enter the bowl and churn, swirl, and foam.

"Depoe Bay is the world’s smallest natural navigable harbor, currently covering approximately six acres, with a 50-foot wide, 100-foot long rockbound, dog-legged channel connecting to the Pacific Ocean" (cityofdepoebay.org/pages/history).

Originally, the inner bay was shallow with a beach area on the east side surrounded by a cedar forest. Boats would simply anchor in the bay, afloat during high tide and resting on the bottom during low tide.