Spring Break on the Coast - Day Three

"The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man."

As we walked our Bandon beach on Wednesday morning, Neil made an interesting statement. He said, "The beaches of the Oregon Coast are an introvert's paradise." 

It was funny that he should say that as I had just purchased this book from Powell's to act as my beach read.

Neil is right. Those who frequent the Caribbean may be disappointed in the beaches of the northwest. Oregon's beaches are for those who love the ocean but prefer never to swim in it, who don't mind putting on a hoodie and a pair of galoshes to enjoy the beach rather than a swimsuit, who kind of like the fact that they may not encounter another living soul as they beachcomb. 

The Oregon Coast beaches are chilly, and windy, and rustic, and breathtakingly beautiful.

We bundled up for our stroll along the beach this particular morning. It was a stormy day, and the beach was extra windy and extra cold. As usual, Neil was the only one who bundled up sufficiently with his winter coat, beanie, and winter gloves. The rest of us were still slightly chilly.

This couple was ready to go explore the beach without the company of hyper little brothers and doting parents, so this shot was taken, and then they quickly disappeared.

This is the fog horn that sits perched on the edge of a jetty. Our beach shack was just down the way, so we were awoken every morning by the sound of its faithful warning. There is something wonderful about the sounds that accompany the sea. They are sounds so unfamiliar to me and so pleasant.

This young lady had one real goal in mind. That was to collect as many beautiful shells and rocks as the sea would allow her. She was disappointed at the lack of sand dollars but thrilled by the abundance of agates and sea glass.

And this little turkey cannot stay out of the water! The water and air was frigid, and he was in jeans, but it wasn't longer than ten minutes before he was up to his thighs in cold salty ocean water. Galoshes seem futile if you're going to frolic in the waves. You could hear the water sloshing around in his boots the rest of the morning, and he emptied a small pond of sea water out of each boot when we got home.

Looking for ocean treasures.

The beach in Bandon is much rockier than the beaches up north which is why it may now be my new favorite Oregon Coast beach. There is something pleasing about those large dark rocks juxtaposed against the sandy beaches and blue ocean. And it makes for much better tide pooling.

There's Jonah taunting the waves again.

It makes me feel a little nervous inside to think of what kind of force was necessary to wedge this large tree into this rock. The ocean is a powerful thing. I feel respect and awe whenever I visit this part of God's creations.

When we couldn't feel our fingers anymore and our noses were sufficiently red and glasses seasprayed to the point of losing transparency, we decided to head back to the shack, where Sabrina began to clean and sort through her ocean spoils.

The sea was generous in its offerings this brisk morning.

Meanwhile, Jessica snacked on what was left of our Blue Star donuts.

I love this artwork done by the children of the owner of the beach shack. You can tell this family loves little Bandon. How nice that they are willing to share their shack with others.

Eventually everyone wanted a snack, so we broke out the cheese and crackers, Tillamook cheese of course. When in Oregon, eat nothing but Tillamook. I think that's some kind of unwritten rule. 

This was our only source of heat in the shack, much to Jonah's inexpressible glee. "Hey Dad, should we get a fire going?" were the words constantly hanging from his lips. Who says the Watsons don't camp?

Vacations on the coast offer much needed down time.

I loved this little porch room that was stocked with galoshes for everyone and plenty of firewood to keep the fire stoked at all times.

After sufficient vegetating had transpired, we decided we wanted dinner. This is when we discovered that the sleepy coastal town of Bandon shuts down at about 4:00 during the off season. Luckily, there was a pizza joint open, where we met a delightful gentleman who lives in the area and happened to be a member of the LDS church. He told us all about the great people in the little branch here in Bandon and snickered at the fact that I was photographing our food. I forget that that's not normal for most people.

After dinner, we took a scenic drive so as to enjoy the view of the beaches we had combed that morning from atop the Bandon cliffs.

This may be my favorite photo of the day. This is my Jonah. A boy with a newly acquired stick, exploring the cliff with feverish abandon. 

This is probably my second favorite photo. A boy and his dad, overlooking the sea with all of its wonders.

I'll leave you with a few final shots from that evening in Bandon.

I fell in love with this lighthouse nearly 19 years ago when Neil and I visited the coast for the first time. How lovely that our house was nestled just across the beach from it.

Spring Break on the Coast - Day Two

"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." -Jacques Cousteau

 
We woke up Tuesday morning with coastal towns on the brain. So we shoved everything in the van and set off. But not before making one last stop at Powell's. If you are a bookie at heart, you really really must see Powell's City of Books before leaving this life. The name is appropriate. To call it a bookstore is a great understatement. I walked into Powell's this morning and felt the sudden need to stay awhile. Jonah got a panicked look in his eyes and spent the next ten minutes trying to keep me from meandering to a far off corner and slipping into a bibliocoma. I just made that word up. It's the only term to accurately describe my state while visiting Powell's. Sabrina is my literary kindred spirit, and suffers from the same disease. The only known treatment is the purchasing of large sums of books. 

The other must-stop before saying good-bye to Portland was Blue Star Donuts. The. Best. Donuts. In. All. Of. Portland. I kid you not.

I don't usually pose with large boxes of donuts, but in the case of Blue Star, I simply had to take a moment. A gentleman passed by with his son and said, "See, I told you they're the best donuts. She's even taking a picture with them." 

 As you gaze upon this photo just let the salivary glands do their thing. When in Portland, eat one of these donuts. It will change your life. In our case, this was a snack for the road.

Some final shots on our way out of town. Cool buildings.

Cool bicyclist who matched his bike with his socks. He didn't know he was being admired by a minivan full of Utah hicks. We just wished we were as hipster as him.

Next stop, Depoe Bay. The world's smallest and quite possibly cutest harbor.

This was one chilly day, so we didn't stay long. Just long enough for some great photos. It was cold, but the lighting was FABULOUS.

There's that cute couple again. 

I seem to have a mild obsession with old walls displaying trails of spontaneous growth. The only thing that grows spontaneously in Utah is sagebrush. Ew.

I am also obsessed with this bridge. I can't decide which bridge I love most in Oregon. There are so many, and I love them all.

Tiny sleepy little harbor.

Neil began to speak of the resident seal that lives in the harbor. The kids looked at him like he was crazy. "What do you mean resident seal? You see a seal like once and decide that he's a regular? You're so silly, Dad!" The conversation went something like that.

As the scoffers looked over the wall, what should appear out of the dark water? None other than the resident seal. Don't question your dad, kids. Nobody knows the coast like he does.

We had seen our favorite waterfall, now it was time for our favorite lighthouse. Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Newport is just as postcard worthy as Multnomah Falls. It is always...always windy there.

Oh wait, is that a cute couple I see? Better snap a picture.

Jonah trying to spot a whale. No whales spotted this trip. I think we were a tad early for the migration back.

Did I mention that it was crazy windy?! Like knock you off your feet, twirl your hair into a rats nest windy. Hold your skirt down or you'll pull a Marilyn Monroe windy. Dad, can we get back in the van windy.

Jessica is the selfie extraordinaire of the family. That she can get herself and Taylor perfectly centered in every photo with a nice patch of scenery in the background nearly every shot is mind-boggling. I attribute it to her long arms and skilled cello fingers.

 Poor Taylor was so kind to humor us as we systematically fulfilled all Watson vacation traditions on this trip. Like how we have to get at least one Toyota Jump shot taken in rapid succession.

Very few people were crazy enough to be out on that cliff in that windstorm, so more photos devoid of tourists?...don't mind if I do.

We made one last stop to catch a glimpse of Heceta Head Lighthouse. This one has a special place in mine and Neil's heart as we stayed in the Lightkeeper's Home to the right for our anniversary a few years back. The best seven course breakfast I have ever eaten! 

The sea lions had congregated below us and were barking up a storm.

To find a pair of matching footwear in a minivan stuffed to the gills with people and paraphernalia...the struggle is real.

At last we landed at our little Beach Shack in Bandon. Home sweet home for the rest of the week. Tomorrow I will tell of how I came to fall in love with Bandon Oregon.