Nomad Life - Day 109

Somehow, the weather ended up being marvelous again this morning!  Despite this, I woke up normally (with alarm) at 0430 and started teleworking.  As usual, I took one break to get breakfast in the lobby of the Quality Inn (Florence) and also put some of my luggage in the car.  Other than that, though, I worked continuously until the time of my late check-out (1230) - after getting my receipt from the front desk, I worked in my car for another 20 minutes, trying to complete my work week.  Once I was satisfied, I drove across the street to the Taco Bell and ate lunch there (inside the restaurant) at 1255.  Next, I drove back to the Fred Meyer and, at Customer Service, was able to successfully figure out how to redeem the deposits on several cans/bottles.  As I departed following my third straight day of visiting Fred Meyer, I was very pleased with everything I've learned about the store.  By 1325, I was on my way north on US-101.  One of the hotel cleaning staff had told me about an interesting hike north of Florence and I decided to follow his advice - my target was Hobbit Beach!  Outside the weather was marvelous (60s, sunny and clear for a million miles).  Along the way, I passed the Sea Lion Caves - I believe this may be the first time I've ever skipped them in all my visits to the Oregon Coast.  But I had places to be!  I stopped at viewpoint for the Hecata Head Lighthouse and got some awesome photos.  "Sam the Seagull" (our family mascot) was there and let me take his picture too.  Meanwhile, there were Sea Lions playing on a sandy beach below me - they were quite loud.  Shortly after this, I stopped at the State Park that coordinated visits to the Hecata Head Light but was turned away (again) by the $10 daily use fee.  Instead, I continued north towards the trailhead for Hobbit Beach (arrived there at 1355).  Almost immediately, I realized why the hotel staff person had recommended the trail - it went through a forest full of Sitka Spruce trees, all moss-covered, and arrived (after only about half a mile) at another stunning Oregon Coast beach.  Along the way through this rain forest, I met a met older man (with dogs) and we had a great conversation about the marvelous weather.  When I reached the beach, I noticed another bright yellow sign, this one with a "93" on it (yesterday, I'd seen "98" and "100").  I learned that these signs are used to assist emergency personnel in finding people who call for assistance.  After getting my fill of the surf and sand, I changed direction and walked back to the fork in the trail that I'd noticed - it offered a 1.5 walk all the way to Hecata Head Lighthouse.  Since this didn't involve paying $10, I took advantage of the free time I had and made my way through the forest (and over some pretty steep hills) towards the landmark.  When I reached the top of the climb, I was stunned to look down and see Hobbit Beach below - it was a heck of a height!  I met a few people who were hiking from the other direction - they turned around when they figured out where I'd started...  When I arrived at the Lighthouse itself, I was going to start back to my car.  However, it was at that point that I met a naturalist, Jamie, watching a swarm of busy ants at the base of one of the trees.  He told me he was headed towards Hobbit Beach and joined me for my backtrack.  I learned he works for NOAA and also a caretaker for Heceta Light (he lives in the basement of the B&B at the Lighthouse Keeper's Home).  We had a great conversation about what a great life he was having (his girlfriend lived with him there too) but he was very intrigued by my own life journey.  The discussion made the 1.5 walk back seem to go much more quickly.  We wished each other luck when we parted (1540) and I returned to my car (on the east side of US-101.  After that, I continued driving north (still very sunny and warm) and enjoyed all the amazing beach views I got.  There was, fortunately, only a little northbound traffic but the southbound side seemed much busier (weekend visitors from Eugene?).  Meanwhile, I listened to audiobooks.  There were so many times that I thought about stopping but the number of choices was overwhelming - there are too many amazing "favorite" places to see in Oregon!  I eventually did stop in the town of Yachats to make a hotel reservation.  When I was back on the road, I must have been zoning out because I passed Cape Cod Cottages (where my parents stayed when they were first married), just south of Newport - I'd planned to stop there.  Oh well...  As I drove into Newport (my lodging destination), I noticed the US-20 sign that indicated distance to Boston (over 3300 miles).  A short time after that, I arrived at Travelodge in the middle of town (1635).  The rate for one night was amazing so I was even more surprised to get "royal treatment" from the nice desk clerk (he added my Wyndham number to the reservation and picked a great room for me).  When I reached my room, I considered whether or not to go out for the evening.  There were some interesting restaurants nearby but, in the end, I decided to cook dinner n my room.  One main reason for this was that I was able to do laundry in the hotel machines for only $2.50!  While the clothes were spinning, I finished my telework day by 1800 and then caught up on some more finances.  After the laundry was finished, I repacked my bags and the car.  Feeling tired, even though it was probably only about 2000, I spent the next 90 minutes reading.  When I realized my eyes were closing on their own, I turned out the light and fell immediately asleep (2155).  Another awesome day on the Oregon Coast!