Come Visit Newport, Oregon

There are oh-so many reasons why you should visit this classic coastal town on the Oregon coast! Newport, Oregon offers an ample variety of lodging and activities for families to experience in this beautiful and majestic coastal jewel so don't wait. The 19th century era is preserved in the Old Bay Front and is an elemental spirit of Newport with its working fisheries and visiting old-time schooners. You'll find coastal shops and restaurants by the piers that are welcoming and have a home town atmosphere.

Mariner Square offers amusement with three main attractions and all within walking distance from the downtown core. Venture along the coast line of Newport and explore the charming and well-preserved lighthouses. Many offer beach access points so you can sink your feet in soft therapeutic sand. Newport has variety of fabulous restaurants serving local Dungeness crab, shrimp, oysters, clams and salmon and offers some of the best seafood dining experiences around. For those not into seafood, the menus offer many other delightful items.

One such eatery is Mo's Restaurant on the Old Bay Front with its relaxed and casual environment. Mo's has been serving locals and visitors for over fifty years and is famous for its New England style clam chowder. Another great plate to enjoy offers fresh Halibut in the form good 'ol fashioned Fish-and-Chips. Mo's desserts are homemade and delicious and no visit to Newport is complete without a stop into Mo's on Bay Blvd.

The canneries alongside the harbor front preserve the history, personality and sentiment to Newport. Commercial and Charter fishing boats sail in and out of the harbor and are easily accessible along with other businesses lining the waterfront on Bay Blvd. Across Yaquina bay you can see The Port of Newport Marina. The Port of Newport Marina and RV Park is a great place to walk and observe vessels in many forms-some visiting from California and Washington. Local charter services offer narrated whale watching excursions and my personal favorite is Marine Discovery Tours. The crew was very pleasant and informative with interactive activities for children and adults. Please visit their web site http://www.marinediscovery.com for more information.

Mariner Square on Bay Blvd is home to Wax Works Museum, Under Sea Gardens and Ripley's Believe It Or Not. Paid admission is required to experience these attractions but they are well worth the small admission prices. Undersea Gardens has a fantastic show with a diver interacting with the live marine animals as the diver details about the sea creatures over the viewing room intercom. Children off all ages will enjoy this show. For more information please visit http://www.marinersquare.com Shops and galleries line the streets along the harbor front bay and a great place to stop is Cosmo's Café and Gallery at 740 West Olive St. They can be reached at 541-265-7511 for hours and gallery featured artists. There is another distinct element to Newport's Old Bay Front in the form of beautiful nautical theme paintings and murals. As you walk along the bay front, each mural is unique and augments Newport's coastal feel.

An amazing experience is at the Hatfield Marine Science Center. Operated by Oregon State University, this exciting activity is open daily to the public and offers scientific exhibits with Oregon marine life along with regional plants and animals. Also on display is a skeleton of a Minke Whale. Several exhibits offer hands on, scientific experiences, like tide pools where the public can enjoy the feel and sensations from star fish, sea anemones and more. Touch lightly! Marine-related research exhibits are on display from 200 marine scientists. Additionally, Henning Auditorium has 160 seats and offers 100 different natural science videos. A gift shop is located in the center and the admission is modest. Please visit their web site http://www.hmsc.oregonstate.edu for more information or call 541-867-0271 or 541-867-0100.

Oregon Coast Aquarium is located at 2820 Ferry Slip Rd Newport Oregon. There is a fee for this attraction but the money will be well spent! This is home to more than 8,000 animals from sharks and octopi, to many more. There are four indoor aquarium galleries that have coastal habitats like Jelly fish and sea anemones. The Oregon Coast Aquarium was home for awhile to the beloved Orca named Keiko of Free Willy fame. After Keiko left the aquarium it was turned into a great under water tunnel that lets one experience the natural habitats under water. This exhibit is known as the Passages of the Deep. This is an awesome 200ft underwater tunnel that is surrounded by 1.32 million gallons of water. In the tunnel you can see the sharks and other sea creatures swim below, above and beside you. It is an amazing experience to see them that close and experience their habitat. There are also other exhibits that include seals, sea lion and otters in their rocky pool habitat. They also have a very large and exciting walk through sea bird exhibit. Visit there website: http://www.aquarium.org for more information

Beaches are boundless on the Oregon coast and in 1913 legislative actions were taken to leave the beach fronts as uninterrupted public property and again in 1967 this was upheld. This means that, unlike many beaches in California, for instance, you can walk freely along the entire Oregon coastline without fear of trespassing. There are many access points and most of these are well maintained state parks and waysides. A few of my personal favorites are Agate and Nye Beaches. According to Sunset Magazine Nye Beach is "The Most Romantic Beach" (in Oregon).

Newport Performing Arts Center is located at 777 West Olive St and can be reached at 503-265-9231. The Performing Arts Center hosts plays, Ballets and special concerts and events. Be sure to check in and catch the shows!
Yaquina Bay and Yaquina Head are at the opposite sides of town if you're into lighthouses, this is the place for you! Both have lighthouses and interpretive centers. Yaquina Head Lighthouse is open daily from 12-4pm weather permitting. There is a fee. This lighthouse has been active and lit since 1873 and boasts the tallest tower on the Oregon Coast at 93 feet. It can be seen up to 19 miles out at sea. Visitors are allowed to walk up the staircase to view the light within, but be forewarned this is a hike to the top and back down again over dozens of narrow steps. It is beautiful and worth the sore calves. Please call for more information: 541-574-3116.

Yaquina Bay Lighthouse tours run May-September daily from 11-5pm and Oct-April on Sat and Sun only from 12- 4pm. There is no fee to visit this lighthouse but they do graciously accept donations. Yaquina Bay operated from 1871-1874 and is said to have captured the haunting of a young girl. A Cape Cod-style house with a 40ft tower and was built with a light keeper's quarters inside the tower and from the porch of the lighthouse you can see for miles into the ocean. See the exhibits and photographs of the families that lived in this lighthouse for an interesting and interpretive excursion. The gift shop offers books and presents a video that gives details about the lighthouse and the haunting by the young girl. For further information please call 541-574-3116.

There is so much life and magic to Newport Oregon! A visit there will leave you yearning for the charm that only Newport can provide.