Where've We Been?

There is always an element to gambling when heading to the Oregon (or Washington) coast in the Summer. Once, we drove all the way there and it was so windy and cold that after we played on the parking lot side of the sand dune for twenty minutes we turned around and headed the two hours home. We did stop at one of our favorite favorite (just after the Hash House A Go Go) resturants on the way home, so the trip wasn't a total loss. Another time, Wrigley and her friends swam in pools on the beach on a sunny warm February day. Go figure.

This summer we headed to the Long Beach Peninsula on the South Washington Coast to stay in Ocean Park. We enjoyed ourselves immensly despite having only a single hour of sun all week. Every cloud cover has its silver lining, though. Three different groups of friends (apparently this summer was go to Long Beach summer) that went to the peninsula before and after us had sun and so much wind the beach wasn't much fun. We had no wind at all, so we played on the beach everyday.


We stayed at Shakti Cove in Ocean Park. It was an excellent place for people who like to walk. We walked at least a couple miles each day - to the store, to the bay, to the beach, and to the ice cream. Wrigley was a real trooper when we took her on a two plus mile hike through Leadbetter Point. Ed and I each finally found unbroken sand dollars. Wrigley walked the whole 1.3 miles there and walked about a third of the way back. Ed and I took turns telling a story about a crocodile who moves to Florida and a mouse who moves from Florida to Oregon. So long as the story kept going, the feet kept moving.

We discovered the Cottage Bakery in Long Beach, home of really really big doughnuts. Ed recommends the Devil Dog.

Wrigley met a couple of 7 year old twins and had a fabulous time making mud pies with them. For about an hour all four adults in the two familes read in deck chairs (wearing sweatshirts and jackets and sipping coffee). Ed and I read and read and played gin rummy. I was reminded about how much I dislike Scrabble. We stayed off the internet for a week (it's possible!) , but watched baseball and The Daily Show each night. I started and undid my new knitting project about five times (that is in addition to the half dozen times I started and undid the same project before the vacation). I am having a hard time determining the exact shape of this new purse. All in all we did a bunch of the stuff we love to do.

Here is a slideshow of more photos.