Portland — Newport — Florence

This weekend we're in Florence for my Aunt Zelma's 100th birthday party. We left Portland and it was 102 degrees. We got to Newport and it was 59 degrees. It was sunny and gorgeous, but there was also this thick, fast-moving low bank of fog hugging the coast that was pretty cool to watch. In this bridge photo we're moving just out of it…at the top of the bridge we were above it. Hard to capture, but here's the shot:

We stopped in Newport and had some fish and chips at the South Beach Fish Market. Usually this is the place we get crab or crab sandwiches when we're camped nearby, but we decided to get some fish and chips instead this time.

We had halibut and prawns, and they were good. The fries were the weak link, for sure. They had a great horseradishy cocktail sauce for the prawns, and a basic tartar for the halibut. Okay, so…about the fish and chips thing. We've had some really good fish and chips, but I think we've figured out that "the best" fish and chips are usually the ones we're eating right now. Several places in a row, we thought "Hey, these might be the best, huh?" This time, though…nope. We were certain they were not the best. The fish and chips we had in Oak Harbor at Seabolt's Smoke House were better, and the fish and chips we had in Bandon at the Bandon Fish Market were better, and the fish and chips we had in Port Orford at Griff's on the Dock were better. So I think if the fish and chips are great, then the "best fish and chips you ever had" might be really hard to decide without a side-by-side taste test, and more often it seems like the best are just the ones you're having right now. But if they are just so-so, then you know right away. What do you think? What are your favorite fish and chips?

Also, what about all the "World Famous Clam Chowder"? We saw a billboard on the coast this time advertising "Nationally Famous Clam Chowder." Could this be a new honesty in clam chowder advertising happening here?