Newport, Oregon, Day 2

What a way to start the morning: the waves outside your window, the seagulls squawking, dogs running happily on the beach...I love this place!

We went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium in the morning, and it was fun. I didn't take any pictures there because, alas, I'd left my camera behind. But take my word for it: there were lots of fish. And then there was the aviary: puffins everywhere! They have a huge netted area and you go in with the birds. The puffins and the other birds are nesting on the rocks, diving into the water, flying around your head. Very cool!

The we went down to the old harbor to have lunch. It's still a working harbor, so there are lots of fishing boats around, but they've also turned it into a tourist attraction, with lots of restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, art galleries, and ice cream parlors. We ate at a place that had an outdoor deck, so we could watch the boats and birds. From where we sat, we could see a seagulls' next on top of a piling. The waitress told us that last Friday, the baby seagull was trying to fly and fell out of the nest into the water. The parents were very upset; they were yelling at him to come back, swooping around him in the water. He's apparently okay. He's living under the dock for now. He can swim, but he can't fly yet. So maybe everything will still be all right for him.

Then we went back to the hotel. In the morning, Mom had bought Lulu a SpongeBob DVD, and she watched it for a while. Later we went down to the beach and Lulu ran around and splashed in the water. I stayed at a safe distance taking pictures. That water is cold!

We had dinner in our room, relaxing and watching the water. Then we settled in for the evening: I did some work on the computer, Lulu watched TV, Mom went back to her room and read. I was just changing into my pajamas at 9 pm when Lulu said, "Oh! We forgot to go swimming in the pool today!" I groaned, but we put on our bathing suits and went over to the pool. The water was warm, and even though I hadn't wanted to go, I ended up having a good time. It was really relaxing, and Lulu was so happy.

We have to leave in the morning, and I'm going to be sad to go. A great room, a warm indoor pool with a hot tub next to it, a spa in our room, a maid, a good restaurant where someone else does all the cooking, and best of all, a view of the beach, the lighthouse, the bluffs, and the ocean from your own balcony: as Lulu says, "It doesn't get any better than this!" Next year, we'll stay longer.