Decidedly, one of the most important parts of my Epic Journey was seeing the Pacific Ocean.  The night before we (Mike was with me by this time) got to Newport, Oregon, we had car camped in a Walmart parking lot and that experience was not the most positive of experiences.  The next day’s drive to Newport seemed to take forever, but we eventually got there.

The weather that day was fairly inhospitable as it was very cold, overcast, windy and on-and-off raining.  We decided that we would get a room for the night rather than try to stay warm and dry in our tent.  We passed a small motel that stood by itself, not near any others, and we thought we would try it.  We told ourselves that if it was over a specific nightly room rate that we would move on as we tried to stay frugal in our efforts.  The rate fit with our parameters and we checked in.

Little did we know we were going to fall in love with the Moolack Shores Motel and with the owners, Frank and Yvette.  The small lobby had newspaper clippings of Frank, Yvette and friends saving a sea turtle that was hurt and landed on their beach.  They called friends and got the turtle the help and rehab it needed and it was eventually re-released into the wild.  Yvette had other stories too about seals and other sea life they had saved.  She explained that the reason they loved this place so much was because of their love for all things nature.  Keeping the place going was truly a labor of love.

As we went to our room, Frank was outside assisting the cleaning crew by washing windows, taking out garbage and just about whatever else needed to be done.  The attention to detail, in everything, was apparent everywhere you looked; from the homemade treats Yvette makes for all the guests to the individual porches with each room so that you can enjoy the beautiful scenery.  Each room has a theme and we were lucky enough to get the Nostalgia Room.  It was full of old movie posters, pictures of stars, antiques and was really welcoming.  The room had a fireplace and a claw-footed tub.  After several days of tent camping and car camping, the bed looked like a dream come true.

We got settled in and decided to walk down to their private beach.  It was simply breathtaking.  Of course, the weather was not cooperating, but it did not matter.  The beauty of the ocean could be seen no matter what the circumstances.  We walked the beach without much contact with other people, the solitude was lovely.  The time spent at Moolack was truly special as it encompassed several things; seeing the ocean, enjoying the beach and sleeping in a real bed.  We were able to relax, stretch out and enjoy the stunning views at a place we felt really good about being at.  One night in Moolack, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Link to Moolack Shores Motel