HUFF’S POSTS: What I did on my summer vacation

Published 4:18 pm Sunday, July 27, 2025

I had a whale of a time on my summer vacation. 

I mean that both figuratively and literally. As a birthday present for me and my daughter, Tracy, I booked us on a whale watching tour in Depoe Bay. My daughter came out from Boise so we could spend our birthday week together — hers was July 15 and mine was July 19. 

We had a great time! And what a lovely drive, just tooling down the 101, taking in each town, weaving inland from the coast into lush forested hills — some trees jutting so straight and tall, seeming to touch the sky. Every place has its own personality, you can tell that even as you pass through. 

The weather was gorgeous, sun winking at us behind clouds at times, or shining down like beams from heaven. We mostly drove with the windows down, past Seaside and Cannon Beach, getting a glimpse of Haystack Rock from the road. Manzanita, Rockaway Beach, Garibaldi, Tillamook. I have fond memories of driving the 101 from when my husband Bob was alive and we would make the 10-hour trek from Boise. (I know it’s not that long for most folks, but we always took our sweet time.) And we always stopped to hug — at Hug Point.

But this time, even though we only had to drive a few hours, Tracy and I couldn’t dawdle for long — we had a whale watching boat to catch.

We got to Depoe Bay, “the world’s smallest harbor,” in plenty of time and so we were the first in line on the dock. While we waited, we got to watch an amusing scene play out. A fishing boat had just docked in front of us and there was a guy on it with a big meat hook divvying up a barrel of fish parts for chum buckets. After a while, he tossed one of the fish pieces, a big one, out into the water and a sea lion bobbed up and grabbed it — only to be attacked by a dive-bombing seagull who snatched away the prize and pummeled the poor sea lion about the head for good measure. The sea lion ducked under the water for cover as the seagull flew away with most of the fish. Seconds later, the sea lion peeped up cautiously and snagged the scant leftovers. Ah, nature is better than any TV show. 

Also while waiting for our boat, the Sportfisher, to arrive, I had time to read a big sign posted on the dock boasting that a famous scene from “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” was filmed there. It’s the scene where Jack Nicholson’s character, R. P. McMurphy, hijacks the patients from the state hospital and takes them all on a deep-see fishing adventure that goes awry. I smiled, remembering the hijinks that ensued. If you have never seen Ken Kesey’s book brought to life by director Miloš Forman, I highly recommend it. 

Finally, it was our turn and we boarded the boat and headed out to sea. It was rough and choppy at first and it felt like we were on a roller coaster made of waves. But then it smoothed out and we sidled over to a place where our captain said we would see whales. “Look — out there, off the right side of the boat at about 1 o’clock — there she blows!” And even though I was on the left side, I saw the blows! I saw the breach! I even saw a whale tail!

Our captain said the whale we were watching was a gray whale called “Creamsicle,” and not necessarily of enormous size. Whatever — she looked humongous to me.

There is something so thrilling, spellbinding and magical about seeing such a creature up close and sharing space, separated only by a small expanse of water between us. It made me feel humble and awe-struck, all at the same time. Tracy and I shared can-you-believe-it smiles as we ooohed and ahhed. And, unlike some of our fellow passengers, we did not get a bit seasick, thanks to taking a motion sickness prevention pill prior to our boat ride. Happy birthday to us!

Saying so long but not goodbye to a friend and colleague

You may have noticed that one of the bylines you’ve been seeing in nearly every issue of The Astorian for the past couple of years is no longer there. That’s because Olivia Palmer, the uber-talented and multi-faceted reporter — and violinist/fiddle player — is moving on. She will be the new local government reporter at the Yakima Herald-Republic. 

I had the privilege of working with Olivia for three months. She taught me a lot about the community and made me feel welcomed in the newsroom — and her careful, thorough reporting and stellar writing blew me away. We wish her well — and we will miss her a lot

Jeanne Huff is news editor of The Astorian.