I have to admit, I wasn’t altogether thrilled about my vacation. After all, I figured the Pacific would be far too cold to swim in and that it would rain the whole time (it was Oregon after all). Plus, being stuck in a rather crowded beach house didn’t really sound like my kind of thing.
But my trip turned out to be amazing.
Cool ocean air, misty rain forests, and soft sandy beaches awaited me when I set out for the coast. There was plenty of space for everyone and, yes, the ocean was cold… extremely cold… but since when have I let small details like that stop me?
The Beach Life
This was a trip of small, special moments, tiny details of life that you only get at the beach: getting sand in my hair, plunging into the icy cold water, watching the sunset, and falling asleep to the sound of waves. Not to mention exploring a place entirely different from my Utah home.
The sunsets provided a spectacular backdrop to the ocean. I looked out from the porch of our beach house and was shocked to see the massive shapes of whales swimming past. First we’d see spouts of mist hanging above the water and then, if we watched carefully, we might catch a glimpse of a head or fin. They were so close that I could see them swimming right under the surface. Entire pods were passing through right before my eyes.
Of course I spent a ton of time on the beach itself. One of the timeless traditions of beach living is the art of wave hopping. If you go to the beach you must honor this (no matter how cold the water). Wait until the warmest, nicest time of day, preferably after you’ve finished all your other plans for the day (for me this was about 4:00-5:00 in the evening). Wade out into the surf and slowly, as you legs adjust to the temperature, go out further and further. When the waves come crashing against you, try and jump over them without loosing your balance. When they get too big for that, just try and stand there without falling. Trust me, it’s a blast, especially if you have a nice warm hot tub to retreat to after you’ve been knocked down a couple of times.
Temperate Rainforests
You wouldn’t expect to take a trip to Oregon and end up deep in a rainforest. I was amazed by the tall mossy trees and thick ferns that carpeted the soggy ground. I was lucky enough to go on a hike through this amazing place.
My hike followed a trail through the forest over a suspension bridge. The bridge crossed over a deep ravine beside a waterfall.
Beach combing
I spent the last day of my trip beach combing. I found handfuls of tiny agates, a semiprecious rock translucent enough to glow when you hold them up to light. They were all smaller than my pinky fingernail, but you can’t always get what you want (a saying that is very true and also, by the way, an awesome song by the Rolling Stones).
My more exciting find was none other than an arrowhead. You can imagine my shock when I looked down to see it just sitting there in the sand (thanks ocean).
In the end my trip went above and beyond what I expected. I would go again anytime. Thanks to my family who planned this incredible trip.
The Inky Teapot 