After leaving Sunset Bay, we had some time to pass, so we took the recommendation of our new friends Joanne and Seaton that we met at the campground... heading to the interior of Oregon, partly to see the sights but also hopefully finding drier weather.
We drove a gorgeous winding road eastward into Oregon, finally stopping for the night in the overflow parking lot just outside the Belknap Hot Springs... rain all through the night, but slowing down the next morning... 
After taking Tank for his morning constitutional, we went into the Hot Springs center. What a treat! $7 each for an hour soaking in the 104 degree water, mixing the hot spring itself with water from the nearby McKenzie River. Awesome!
Feeling reborn we headed on down the road to the next recommendation, Clear Lake. Created over 3,000 years ago by volcanic action, this lake features very clear turquoise water filtered through lava beds. Tank went for a swim and tried to play with a duck, who wanted nothing to do with him!
There were little brass plaques on the rail at each barstool. I thought maybe it was a fundraising gimmick... asked the owner, and she replied, "This bar has been open since 1943. The plaques are the names of all our deceased patrons, at the stool where they used to sit!" And each stool of at least 25 bar stools had one or more plaques. Wow! I shared space with the departed, Fred and Henry. Karen sat in Barton's spot. Interesting!
Then on into Newport, where we are interested in eating at the Local Ocean restaurant, a place that we enjoyed on our trip through here over three years ago! First, a stop at the Barge Inn, a little dive bar that we knew... holy cow, what a change! New owners and a new bar, and a much younger and louder clientele! We wandered down the street to the Uptown Bar. Some great bar signs and bumper stickers...and a good band.
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