Beach Break

I love the beach.  Everything about it makes my heart sing – the sand, the sun, the clouds, the crabs, the shells, the kelp, the waves, the driftwood.

So given an opportunity to hang out for a few hours in Seaside, Oregon, had me packing my sweatshirt and jeans and heading out across the coast range to spend a couple of nights with my son at a cool little house just yards from the beach.

The sun was shining, even though it was a chilly 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) and the sky was covered in gorgeous clouds.  A group of hardy souls was out in the water, all clad in wetsuits, learning to surf the rough waves (the would-be hang-ten-ers are just barely visible on the left side of the photo above, looking like little tiny black dots in the white foam of the waves).  A walk down the wide hard-packed sand revealed dozens of broken sand dollars – I found one whole unbroken sand dollar and picked it up to take back to my trailer as a reminder of this beautiful day.

The clouds that covered the sky would bring an unusual hail storm later in the day, covering the beach in white frozen balls of ice but the walk back to the house was perfect in every way.

Seaside is a cute little coastal town just an hour or so from Portland.  It’s a popular summer destination and during tourist season, the walkways are crowded with people enjoying a typical summer day at the beach but in early November, the shops are quiet and the parking places plentiful.  A stop at the local candy store, appropriately named The Buzz, brings smiles to faces and dreams of sugar-filled afternoons, sitting in front of a fireplace if the weather is nasty or a pocket full of sweet treats eaten while moseying along the sand looking for shells and pieces of beach glass, washed up by the storm-driven waves.

Along one edge of the candy store is a long glass case probably twenty feet in length if it’s an inch.  It’s only a small portion of the wonderful goodies available for purchase but for a chocoholic like me, it’s heaven.  You can get just about anything dipped in chocolate: bacon, Twinkies, Oreos, Rice Krispie treats – seriously, anything!  This photo is of the center case – full of the colorful truffles that will ensure a sugar overload for anyone buying, and eating, more than one!  I couldn’t decide which truffle looked the best so I got a couple pieces of red Hawaiian salt-covered sea foam instead. It was a good choice!  Mark’s favorite is the Pumpkin Fudge – it’s like the best of pumpkin pie and white chocolate all rolled into one!

Coffee at Auntie M’s is a perfect way to start the day – they also serve lunch!  The friendliest coffee shop ever, sitting with your latte and scone by the little fireplace is the best way to plan your day – and if you ask, they may just have a suggestion or two of some cool thing to do that didn’t make it into your guide book!

I’m heading back to the city today but I take the salt air in my lungs and the sand in my shoes back with me, a reminder that the ocean is here any time I want to cruise on back to the coast.  And if you’re going to the beach any time soon, and want some company, give me a call!  I’m ready any time you are.

*****

Thanks to my son, Mark, for asking me to spend a couple of days with him and to his friend, Beth, for providing the house.