Update

Is it just me - or have the last few months gone by in a blur for anyone else/

It was wonderful to have both guys in town

and the days went by too quickly.

Although it rained on Christmas Day,

we subsequently got almost 10" of snow -

enough for sledding on Art Hill

and making the requisite snowman.

Have to be honest, 

I'm still trying to find my footing following the election results,

the recent inauguration

and dealing with the resultant chaos.

I might be heavy on images for awhile

since words about the state in which we find ourselves escapes me.

Circling the drain.

I had a WONDERFUL time playing with AI

and creating an image which captures the goal for my ongoing effort to grow my hair out.

This is the goal -

one long grey braid over my shoulder,

looking like all the other vintage hippy crones in Taos.

My hair is shoulder length at this point

and it will be awhile before the braiding starts -

but we all need a vision to shoot for, right?

Oregon Coast Itinerary

For those who have asked for a more complete itinerary:

we flew in and out of Portland

and, since we're based in St Louis, 

which isn't a 'hub' for any airlines,

that means there are few, if any, direct flights to anywhere-

which meant flights to Denver, changing planes and a full day of traveling.

 

 Left home at 6am -

arrived in Portland 4:30pm (Pacific time)

rented a car and headed to the coast, approx 90" away.

 

Our primary reference book

along with a state map, 

earmarked with sites we wanted to see

and an app called Oregon 101 on my phone which was great for double checking

where we were - and what attractions were next.

The entire drive, in Oregon, along101, is approx 365 miles:

which for Midwesterners is equivalent of driving from St Louis to Milwaukee;

something I do with regularity in the course of visiting family in WI.

I drive it in the course of a day,

so giving ourselves 9 days to explore seemed like, and was, a real luxury.

We spent our first night in Seaside,

followed by Tillamook, Pacific City, Yachats, Florence, Bandon and Gold Beach

on our way South;

then Florence, Depoe Bay and Portland on the way back north.

Not surprisingly, we put almost 800 miles on the car-

and I don't regret a single one.

 

Maybe because it was early October, which might have been "off peak season"

but we didn't spent more than $200/night for lodging, which I thought was reasonable,

especially when split 2 ways.

 

Oregon was especially forward thinking in deciding that "the coast" belonged to the people;

as a result, you don't see the kind of development,

with atrocious McMansions obliterating the view,

that you see so frequently in other states.

For those of us who appreciate unfettered views, thank you, Oregon.

 There were also a lot of designated 'scenic viewpoints'

with ample parking, so folks can safely pull off the road and gawk.

One of my discoveries (made while walking the Camino) 

is how much I enjoy seeing the world with fresh eyes.

 

When you're in new territory and you have no idea what's around each curve,

it's a level of 'seeing' that we don't cultivate in our daily lives.

We think we know what to expect; 

we become blind to the beauty of the ordinary.

It doesn't have to be all 'sweeping vistas' to be beautiful.

Although I'm certainly not knocking sweeping vistas!

Quirky Oregon

 'cause that's a real thing.

    From Painted Rock beach,

to creating art from recycled trash picked up along the beaches,

chainsawing driftwood and cut timber,

as wellas fine art by talented artists in several small towns 

(Cannon Beach, Bandon and Florence, in particular)

evidence of creativity abound all along Hwy 101.

It was such a gift to have unstructured time to enjoy it all.

And, just like Chicago had its cows 

and ST Louis had its birthday cakes,

Oregon had its dolphins.

The majority are now in private collections, but we did spy 2 in public spaces.

I wouldn't want to ignore the creativity in 'regular' home decor, either.

and, can it truly be creative without a nod to Sasquatch?