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Researching The Locale—Oregon Coast

Two Bald Eagles, Fogarty Creek State Park

Two Bald Eagles Overlook The Beach Where Fogarty Creek Empties Into The Pacific Ocean, Oregon Coast.

The new Romance series is set in a fictional resort about two miles north of a fictional town on the Oregon Coast. The Rocky Shores Resort comes completely from my imagination. It is not based on any place I’ve seen or read about. Otter Bay, on the other hand, is a fictionalized version of Depoe Bay, allowing for any changes needed to support the stories.

Quaint looking shops line the highway, facing the ocean, in Depoe Bay.

Quaint looking shops line the highway, facing the ocean, in Depoe Bay.

Geographically, Otter Bay replaces Depoe Bay. And the Rocky Shores Resort is on a bit of land which is actually part of the Fogarty Creek State Park, just north of Boiler Bay. The creek empties into the ocean through a beach which is north of the fictional resort. Other, real places to visit on the Oregon Coast will be featured in the books.

Fogarty Creek on the left, the box indicates where the Rocky Shores Resort building is in the books.

Fogarty Creek on the left, the box indicates where the Rocky Shores Resort building is in the books.

I spent the day yesterday, traipsing around The Devil’s Punchbowl, Depoe Bay and Fogarty Creek State Park taking photos. I set my dSLR camera to fully automatic and went about collecting images for reference. It was very difficult to not switch back to manual, but I wasn’t looking for perfect photos, just images that would help me visualize the area for the outside scenes.

The images shown in the post represent some of the photos I took. The featured image at the top has nothing to do with the book! On the beach at Fogarty Creek, my husband pointed out two bald eagles in the trees. They were too far away to get a really good shot without changing lenses. However, there was a heavy mist—or light rain—and I didn’t want to expose the inside of the camera to that. So… lousy shot of an incredible opportunity. Two bald eagles in the wild.

Bridge And Boats As Seen From The Dock

The bridge as seen from the dockside, Highway 101 spans the narrow channel into the small bay.

Comments

  1. You might want to take a peek at what goes on at The Inn at Otter Crest. I lived there for several years and often thought of writing a book from the drama I observed daily among the staff and homeowners. Just south of Depoe Bay below Cape Foulweather.

Trackbacks

  1. […] Going to the coast last February was really helpful, up to a point. But I really must go back again. (Some days, I wish we lived near Newport.) I wouldn’t mind going back this Sunday, but it’s hubby’s birthday, and Memorial Day weekend. I don’t want to be on the two-lane roads over the Coast Range on one of the busiest weekends of the year. […]