Down on the beach the day dawned thick with fog again but just half a mile further inland the sun was shinning. Our visit to Newport had been based around the Newport Aquarium which various guidebooks told us was very worth visiting. It was nice to turn up on a weekday with very few people around. The aquarium was very extensive with some wonderful indoor displays and a number of large outdoor exhibits with otters, sea lions and penguins. The jellyfish and sea lions were my favourites. I'm glad we had time to spend here. I could have easily spent longer.
Before leaving Newport we spent some time down at the marina. Here, sea lions sunbathe on wooden platforms and you can watch the territorial battles for the best spots and most space. We had lunch outside overlooking them. The marina has lots of specialty craft shops and was a great place to pick up souvenirs such as the local marrionberry chocolate.
From here we deviated from our coast route to head more directly to Portland, OR. We'd booked a room at the Heathman but due to a double booking we ended up being transferred to a Junior Suite at the Benson - with a free drink at the Heathman later at their Jazz evening.
The Benson was fantastic and the room amazing. We went back up to the Heathman for their Jazz evening. I was tempted by the 50 shades of gin cocktail, but it seemed a bit too cheesy really.
Having studied the reviews of the many great cocktail bars in Portland, we decided on Kask an upscale cocktail bar serving deconstructed dishes by candle light. I would highly recommend it. We went through a number of the cocktails on the menu between us, each of which was unique and absolutely fantastic.
Finally we retired to the bar of the Benson until the early hours of the morning, admiring the grandeur of the chandeliers in the lobby with yet more cocktails.
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