Looking for whales we went to Depoe Bay, to the Whale Watching Center at the entrance to the bay, “the world’s smallest harbor”. Apparently it is now in-between whale migrations. The 20,000 or so whales that pass this area headed south in December and January and will be heading back north starting in March. So we did some exploring in Depoe Bay. We walked around the edge of the harbor and found the City Park where Depoe Bay Creek enters the harbor. There is a fantastic short trail hidden in the sitka spruce forest behind Depoe Bay!

Heading downhill from Hwy 101 on the north side of the bay we accessed the harbor.

We passed the Coast Guard Station;

I guess the harbor inlet looks like a ‘hole in the wall’ when coming in from sea!

Once in the City Park we found the nature trail as we passed this cedar growing from the remains of a tree trunk.Continuing around the trail we headed uphill, back towards the south end of town.We didn’t see whales, but we saw more of Depoe Bay than we have before!

A walk around Olalla Reservoir on a beautiful sunny day.

A lone snag in the lake with a sapling growing from the top.

A morning crabbing on the pier under the Yaquina Bay bridge was unsuccessful, except to afford a view of an incoming rain storm!

Another walk in the woods with our great friends, a picnic spread on the bench in the late afternoon.After our walk we were driving out of the Preserve and finally saw some of the elk we see evidence of all over the area! They disappeared into the woods before we could get a picture!

Finally! More color than just green!

Beautiful Rhododendrons!

We reconnected with some old friends and took a walk high up on the ridges above Cape Perpetua, then along the oceanfront on the 804 trail in Yachats!

The long view over the ridges to the fog covered ocean.