Depoe Baykery

Depoe Baykery is actually outside of Depoe Bay, at Salishan Coastal Lodge in Gleneden Beach.

They have received some great reviews and honors, including "Best Bakery in Oregon" from Taste of Home Magazine.

They sell bread, cookies, and items like chocolate mousse, and seem most known for their eclairs. We ended up mainly getting doughnuts.

That decision was based on concern that some items would not travel well, and having had some very rich cookies at our previous stop. Sadly, we arrived late in the day, and they were out of eclairs.

We could not resist trying a Depoe Dong out of the cold case. Oddly, it feels much more immature to refer to a Depoe Dong than a Ding Dong, even though the connection is clear. This may be why Mod Pizza just calls their version a No Name Cake.

There was still a wide selection of doughnuts left, and the prices were quite reasonable. We were expecting that to be worse, as Salishan in general seems kind of spendy.

And... everything was fine. That is faint praise, but it is still praise. It's not that anything was bad, but at the same time "best in the state" seemed like it might be an overstatement.

Is the deciding factor the eclairs? Or maybe the mousse? I am not hurrying back to find out, but I am also completely willing to stop by if we end up in the area again.

Accessibility: The aisles seem pretty navigable, even with cozy corners set up for lounging. The doors would probably require assistance.

COVID: But of course, these are not great times for lounging, and no, no one was wearing a mask (except us).

https://depoebaykery.com/

Depoe Bay: OPRD Whale Watching Center

Although you can see whales from pretty much anywhere facing the ocean in Depoe Bay, Oregon State Parks has a nice location on the sea wall with good view and educational materials.

It makes a point of remembering that whales are not the only wildlife around, with educational material and a board listing the sightings of different species for the day.

Still, most of the artifacts are fairly whale-centric.

This includes getting to examine and touch baleen.

There is a fair amount to see, beyond simply looking out to sea, though the center is well-designed for that.

COVID: As much as my expectations have been lowered, I really thought at least park rangers might still be wearing masks. That was disappointing.

Accessibility: The web site lists everything as being accessible except for the flush toilets. (I did not see the vault toilets, but apparently they are there.)

I saw no other way to the top level or the bottom floor than the stairs. I looked for signs of an elevator and found none.

There was a ramp from the street to the main level, where all of the exhibits are, and also a ramp to the lower level outdoor viewing platform, so there is a lot accessible, but I thought it could use improvement.

https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=183

Visiting Depoe Bay

Depoe Bay is a town and a bay twelve miles South of Lincoln City. It was named for Charley Depoe, a Siletz Indian who was granted the land in 1894 under the Dawes Act.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depoe_Bay,_Oregon

Advertising itself as the World's Smallest Harbor, the small harbor covers about six acres.

While that might be too small to support a lot of industries, it is enough to support several whale watching boats that take advantage of the resident gray whales.

https://whalestaildepoebay.com/depoe-bays-resident-gray-whales/

The relatively small area combined with the stable whale population means you can spot whales from shore. I don't doubt that you can see more on a boat, but in a very short time period I saw one tail come up and wave majestically and the side of another whale break the surface briefly. That was without the use of binoculars or any guidance.

That is not all there is to see. I also saw a cormorant gliding over the waves, then suddenly dip below. There were many birds hanging out on the wall that guides the passage out from the harbor to the open sea.

You can make them out there on the end, but that is not a close look. The area seems to be popular with bird watchers as well.

I admit that seeing the whales is a bigger thrill. I think it is because it happens so quickly. By the time you can tell someone what you see and point, the whale has already resubmerged. So when it does happen, it is that you were looking at the right spot at the right instant; it's a magical moment.

On childhood trips, I remember a wooden boardwalk where we would get ice cream and feed sea lions. Most of that is gone (probably best for the sea lions), but there are still spots like Gracie' Sea Hag, since 1963, and still places to get ice cream, salt water taffy, and T-shirts... all that one would expect from a day at the coast, but without being at the beach. (For walking on sand or dipping your toes in the ocean, you can head back to Lincoln City or continue South to Beverly Beach.)

Our recent trip included the OPRD Whale Watching Center, Whale Bites Cafe, the Whale, Sea Life, and Sharks Museum, and the nearby Depoe Baykery. It felt important to treat the area as a whole first.

One fascinating thing was how the fog kept rising and sinking. At times it seemed like we would lose all visibility and not be able to see anything, and then it quickly shifted again.

I should also mention that the street parking fills up quickly. There is a public parking lot on Collins Street, but it was full the first time we tried. Somehow we lucked out and got a space after another loop around town. Most places shut down fairly early (between 2 and 5 PM), so the parking gets better, but there is also less to do.

COVID: We saw so few masks, except for on us. Fortunately, there is a lot to do outside.

Accessibility: Sidewalks are mostly pretty good, and the total area of attractions is small. The lack of parking can be an issue, as even the handicap parking spots fill up quickly, and as you go up for other parking on the main drag there is a fairly steep incline.

It seems like a situation made for tour buses.

https://visittheoregoncoast.com/cities/depoe-bay/

Salem, OR: Willamette Valley Pie Company

I have heard it referred to as the pie "factory", and in fact there is a large pie factory next to the shop and building we visited recently.

Over the summer they have an outside stand with hot dogs and chili.

But year round you can order lunch and have it served in these cute pie tins.

The shop is filled with food products and Americana.

Obviously you can buy pie. There are stacked boxes of ready to eat pies, and pies in the freezer case ready to be shipped, though those can also be ordered on line. Plus, there are the slices of pie you can order with your meal.

Pies tried by my family included key lime, peach raspberry, and marionberry. They were all good.

The grilled cheese sandwiches and potato salad got high praise.

My sandwich was okay, but I was only told that what I ordered was out of stock after the rest of the party had their lunch. In finding that out, I also found out that they were out of ham, eliminating some potential substitutes. It was a little frustrating.

I get that they are really about the pie.

From the pie choices offered, it looks like they sometimes try out new flavors there, or that there are flavors that they don't ship. There is a field with a play structure, so it can be a nice family destination.

Accessibility: The play structure is not. The building seems pretty navigable, though I would hate to run into any of the displays considering how much merchandise they hold.

COVID: Masks are not commonly worn. There are the outdoor options, and that may be the way to go. Or, of course, you can order through the web store.

I would have felt remiss if I had not tried the pie shipping service.

You can order a pack of two 40 ounce pies for $39.99. Given the size of the pies, I believe this is reasonable.

You can then expect another $20.00 or so on shipping, but for two good-sized pies to arrive frozen, this is expected.

Please understand that you cannot eat the pie right out of the box. It will take either a few hours thawing or over an hour in the oven and then a few hours of cooling. Instructions are on the box. I did need to check on the pie in the oven, deciding to use the shortest cooking time and to add foil to the top, based on the rate at which it was browning.

Unfortunately, the blueberry crumble pie was disappointing. Though the topping was delicious, our mother's blueberry pie filling was better. I am not sure how much of that is sentiment, and how much of it is needing the pie to be able to stand up to freezing, shipping, and baking. I suspect I should have gone for something with bigger fruit, like peach or apple.

Tomorrow we will try the chocolate cream pie, after it thaws overnight.

https://www.wvpie.com/