Oregon Coast: A Life-changing Experience

The same week that we visited Hurricane Ridge, we drove to the Oregon Coast.  We wanted to see the Big Water, and I was beyond excited.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  The first stop was in Astoria, Oregon.  You see, we were sort of going on a "Goonies" trip.  The movie "The Goonies", which came out in the '80s, was filmed at the Oregon Coast, and the house where the two main characters lived is in Astoria.  So, we crossed the bridge where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean, and into Oregon.  It was a lovely drive.

That last picture is the actual bridge we went on.  It's pretty long, maybe 2 or 3 miles.  As you can see, it was a lovely day.

As I mentioned, the first stop was "The Goonies" house.  The current owners understand their home's cult popularity, and they have a sense of humor about it:

Lorelei is throwing this huge, unexplained fit in the picture above. She threw a tantrum the size of Utah.  I don't know what got into her, but I'm posting this so everyone can know what a monster she was at "the Goonies" house.  Here's the house:

After our diversion to the house, we left for Cannon Beach, also a film sight of "The Goonies".  I'm not sure I have words for Cannon Beach.

Yep, that's Haystack back there.  It was a perfect day, but just a little bit of rolling fog that we watched come in off the sea.  I can only imagine what it's like to watch a storm roll in.

Shawn and I feel most at home at the ocean.  Maybe it's our Piscean nature, maybe it's just one of those important things we share, but I can see in Shawn the same reaction I have to the ocean:  peace and joy.  This is where we are truly alive.  Similarly, Lorelei is enchanted and engaged at the ocean.  She did not have a single toy, beach gear, or even a warm enough jacket, but she was constantly entertained and busy.  She was far more excited and happy than I've ever seen her.  This is her place, too.

We spent the afternoon at Cannon Beach, and then followed the coast down about 60 miles to Cape Kiwanda (in Pacific City), where we stayed the night.  Cape Kiwanda has its own "Haystack":

The Pacific Ocean, at least in Oregon, is a wild animal.  It's crazy and dangerous.  It's not for the beach bunnies who are after the relaxing heat and a dip in the calm Atlantic for relief from the sun.  No, the Oregon Coast is for the thrill-seekers, the ones looking for a challenge, those who need to be reminded that they are nothing but a speck of sand in this great world.  That water is too cold to swim in, and the surf is so loud - you can hardly talk about the roar of the waves.  The wind is so strong coming off the water that a ponytail is useless and a sweatshirt is a must.  The Pacific is not your backdrop for a beautiful vacation; no, you can't make that the background.  The Pacific is the main attraction and will not be ignored.  The Pacific will not be trifled with.

Cape Kiwanda is a lot less busy and touristy than Cannon Beach, and we liked the isolation.  We wrapped up the day at the brewery across the street from our hotel where we watched the sunset from the patio:

The beer was pretty amazing.

Lorelei also challenged us to climb up this sand dune that was, I don't know, 100 feet high?  I'm not sure.  It was ridiculous though.  The view from the top was stunning.

These pictures are gorgeous, right?  They don't do it justice.  You can't smell the sea from these pictures and hear the ocean.  The sand is that perfect soft sand that warms your feet in the midst of the chilly breeze.

The next day, the skies were overcast and there was lots of fog.  We loved the beach just as much, if not more.

The above picture is our view from the hotel room balcony.  That is what we woke up to.

We decided to have breakfast in Cape Kiwanda and head back to Cannon Beach for the afternoon before heading home.  We walked to "Haystack" and got a good, up close look at it.

These formations are amazing.  I can't imagine getting used to seeing them.

Of course, Shawn talked to a realtor on the way out of Cannon Beach.  As it turns out, she is originally from Cleveland and a Kent State grad!  We have been discussing the idea of buying a house along the Oregon Coast.  We aren't sure yet - it's in the Tsunami zone, so, uh, you know, that's weird.  But we'll see.  We love it too much to at least not go back several times a year.  We have to give this to Lorelei, too.  It's her place as much as ours.

One thing I know:  we won't wait to go back.  As long as we can get there in the winter weather, we will be back.  The sooner the better.

August 17, 2012: HURRICANE RIDGE (and some other stuff)

Doesn't this picture make you feel like breaking into song, Julie Andrews-style?  Just one week ago today we went to Hurricane Ridge in my beloved Olympic Mountains.  After staring at those crazy beautiful mountains for the better part of a year, we finally got to go up in them.  I cannot begin to describe the excitement I had about going to Hurricane Ridge.  A kid on Christmas morning isn't strong enough - I was far more excited than that.

Hurricane Ridge is the highest elevation you can drive to.  It's about 5,000 feet, maybe a bit more.  From there you can take several different trails that are all levels of difficulty and scariness.  We took some of the main trails that were well-marked and not too long, but still very narrow in spots with sheer drop-offs.  Quite an adventure for young Lorelei.  Hell, quite an adventure for her not-so-young parents.

This is the trail I took up to a point called Sunrise Ridge.  Lorelei and Shawn stayed below because it was pretty narrow and steep:

I walked up the trail, got to the top, took a few pictures, had a panic attack, and very slowly made my way down.  Yikes.  I got some good pictures though:

The road you see is the one we drove on to get to Hurricane Ridge.  17 miles of terror, as some would say, but frankly, I have not experienced anything like driving through the Smokies in West Virginia in the fog.  I'll take Hurricane Ridge any day.  It's still crazy though.  17 miles of crazy.  We saw lots of cyclists heading up the mountain on that road as well.  I think those people have some sort of disorder.

Lorelei and Shawn standing on a big pile of snow in the middle of the trail.  Isn't that cool?  I mean, except for the sheer drop off on the side of the trail so you have to very gingerly make your way over the snow....  I think it took a year or two off my life.

There are loads of deer in the mountains - black-tailed deer.  Just like our Ohio white-tailed but with (you guessed it) black tails.  They are quite used to the tourists making their way on the trails.  They just hit the cool shade and chill while the tourists ooh and aah.  It's pretty amazing, really.

I love how Lorelei is getting photo-bombed in that picture by a deer.  Click on it to make it bigger.

They really are just sort of everywhere.

That guy was a young buck.  His antlers were just starting to come in.

And of course, there were the beautiful flowers in bloom all over the place.  The mountains are a spectacular place.  I can't say enough.  I suspect I will return again and again to Hurricane Ridge.  The trails are amazing and you know what you hear up there?

Nothing.

Nada.

Silence.

You don't even hear the deer.  That alone is enough to make me very curious about this strange thing people do that involves sleeping in tents outside with campfires and such.  Hmmm.  I might have to explore that.  I am a hotel snob, but we'll see.  Hurricane Ridge makes me think that whole camping thing might be worth a look-see.

The white stuff in the picture above is snow!

Wildflowers!

Out in the distance (which is north) is the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which is the strait to the Big Water.

All of these pictures were taken from trails.  How can one not find peace in these surroundings?  As you can see, we had a misty day.  There was a layer of fog in the valley over the strait (which is fairly common) and a layer of mist toward the tops of the mountains (also common).  I think the views are lovelier with the mist crawling in and out of the peaks.

I love the mountains.  That's all there is to it.  This move to the Pacific Northwest gets better and better.

I didn't take pictures of the drive over to Hurricane Ridge, and I'll do better next time with that.  The drive was gorgeous.  It started with the ferry across the Sound to Southworth, then heading north and west.  We went over the Hood Canal, which was lovely.  We also had to go through Port Angeles (city on the strait), which was a nice, quaint little burg.  We had lunch there.

We also took a detour to Lake Crescent, just few miles from Hurricane Ridge.  Look at that water!

Isn't it beautiful?

Lorelei and I waded in those waters - so clear and crisp!  It felt wonderful.  It very much reminded me of the Minnesota lakes, with their wilderness all around and then these fantastic waters - the quarries too.  It makes me happy to give these experiences to Lorelei, as my parents gave similar ones to me.

The weekend before we went to Hurricane Ridge, we explored some of the parks closer to home.  We explored a very intriguing place called FLAMING GEYSER State Park.  Here is the FLAMING GEYSER in its glory:

Isn't that about the funniest thing you've ever seen?

But it is kind of cool to think about this flame being caused by the geological phenomenon....  It's just...well, not what you picture when you hear FLAMING GEYSER PARK.  It was a pretty park, though.  It reminded me of Battelle Darby.  I loved that park back in old Galloway....  Here are some trees covered in moss - really pretty:

From FLAMING GEYSER, we headed to Snoqualmie Falls.  Snoqualmie Falls is nestled in the Snoqualmie Pass and Wenatchee National Forest, right there on I-90.  If you are driving to Seattle from the east, you can't miss it.  There's not a lot there, just a little town (the town Twin Peaks was based on), and of course, the Falls:

Pretty cool, right?

Snoqualmie is a bit kitschy, but quite picturesque.  And it's right here.  Maybe a half hour away.  I love the road trips, but how nice to have so much local too.

August is high season and traveling season here in Seattle.  It's go-everywhere-and-be-outside-all-the-time season.  Why wouldn't you?  It's fantastic outside!  We've had a bit of a heatwave (90 degrees) this week, but it's still not terribly hot - much less humidity.  We are surviving without A/C, and I can't remember when I last turned it on in my car.  It's good.  Shawn is also enjoying a month-long break from school, so that's another reason for our great excursions.  He continues to do well in school and at work, and Lorelei is, of course, loving summer.

Last weekend we also went to the Oregon coast.  That is a blog post all its own, and will be coming soon.  For the time-being, however, ruminate on these photos of Hurricane Ridge, and let me know when you are coming to visit.

Love to all -
Becky

July 22, 2012: Mountains and Music

It's been a crazy busy time here in Seattle, so we have a lot to catch up on.  But first, a word about the weather.  Summer has arrived in Seattle, and with it warmer temperatures (70-80 degrees) and lots of sun and blue sky.  Our house does not have air conditioning, but with the purchase of a few fans we keep comfortable enough.  There is little humidity, so the air quality is much different than it is east of the Mississippi.  The days very often have started out overcast, and then the clouds all burn off in the afternoon, bringing heat and stunning views.  Then in the evening the cooler temperatures return.  The most striking thing is the sunsets.  The picture above was taken from our balcony one evening.  The building you can sort of make out in the distance is Lorelei's school.  And of course, that's the Sound further out.

This one is taken looking directly across the street.  Spectacular.

Lorelei and I had a lovely visit in Ohio - it was too short but it was fantastic.  We had so much fun seeing everyone, and Lorelei enjoyed her cousins on both sides of her family.  She couldn't wait to have a sleepover with Emma and Kayden and her Shrader Grandparents:

And her favorite:

Lorelei also had the opportunity to enjoy her Siefert cousins in a way she never had before.  The boys doted on her and took her places, and really made her feel a part of things.  Even with her diving board accident (which took several years off my life as I watched her fall off the board) she didn't even cry because her cousin and Aunt Janice kept telling her how tough she was.  Now she has her own war story from the summer and the memory of hanging out with her big, grown-up cousins.

 It was a lovely trip.  Too short, of course.  We missed Steve and Stephen, and also John and Meredith, but they were a bit busy welcoming James' little sister, Madeleine Sue!  Fantastic!  We also had a lovely July 4 with the Niemanns - that is a tradition that I find wonderful.  I'd fly back every July 4 for that!

Another word about the weather.  It was over 100 degrees in Ohio and high humidity.  Last summer I vowed to have no more summers in Ohio.  I miss my people so much, but this move has taught me one thing:  I'm not cut out for Midwestern summers.  The Detroit airport was so hot inside that I counted the minutes until we boarded.  When we landed to a clear, cool Seattle evening, I was happy to be home.

We arrived in Seattle and the busy summer events have begun.  Everyone waits in Seattle to schedule things until July and August, the high season.  We barely know anyone and we've been invited to two weddings in July.  We also have Capital Hill Block Party (music festival) going on now, which I hope to make it back to yet this afternoon.

Last weekend we drove to the foothills of Mount Rainier for Dave and Megan's party commemorating their wedding (which they had back east several weeks ago).  They rented a cabin and had a nice cookout.  Even though the cloud cover prevented us from seeing Mount Rainier in all her glory, the scenery was so amazing anyway.  We were about 2 miles outside of Mount Rainier National Park.

That sign identifies the White River Forest.  It's pretty much all protected land out there.  I admit, I caught a little bug to buy a cabin there.  There is no cell phone reception and nothing to do but hike around, which is fine with me.  Here are some scenes from the cabin's back yard:

Isn't it gorgeous??  We rode down there with Ed and Amy and Dave and Megan's friend Laura.  Here's Maya being a chip off the old block.

 Look at her fabulous party dress!


Lorelei and Ed have thumb wars when they get together.  The smack-talk is getting pretty obnoxious.

Maya and Uncle Shawn. 

We really loved it down there and will make a point to go back on our explorations, hopefully yet this summer.  I'd like to go when you can see Mount Rainier, but it's really such a crap-shoot as to whether she will be "out" or not.

As I mentioned, this weekend is Cap Hill Block Party.  It's a 3-day music festival.  We went yesterday and I may go back to see a few bands this afternoon, but it doesn't hold a candle to Bumbershoot Festival, which is Labor Day weekend.  It's good to go, though.  It's helped me learn my way around the city, doing things like this.

These pictures were taken last night at the Block Party.  It really was a lovely evening to be out and about.

Next weekend we have a wedding to go to in Grapeview for one of my coworkers.  Grapeview is on the Case Inlet, a little southwest of here.  We'll have to take the ferry over and then drive about halfway to Olympic National Forest.  I can't wait to go - it's at her family's house on the beach.  It should be fantastic.  I'll certainly have pictures of that.

Until then, everyone enjoy the summer!  Be safe, and start thinking about when you are coming to visit Seattle!