dolphins_log | Entries tagged with cannon beach

We have about 30 minutes left of our room.
Time is winding down.
The morning sun is shining, something that the forecasters did not promise.
We have coffee, and book, and ocean surf.
*
*
*
And now I must unplug the computer.

( Click here for Good By. )

Current Location: Cannon Beach
Current Music: Surf -and- Gas Log -and- People On The Beach

We Volksmarched Cannon Beach.

Juli is sold on Volksmarching, for good reason. We've been to Cannon Beach many times. We've done the regular things like walking the beach and the town. Shopping, of course. But with the Volksmarch we've discovered places we didn't know were there. There were places that we would not have known we could walk through if we didn't have the route map. And to walk over the places that we normally drive through makes it a far more personal experience. We've discovered a new Cannon Beach. ...with some old familiar landmarks.

( There just Has to be dragons beyond this point. )

Current Location: Cannon Beach
Current Music: Surf -and- Gas Log

( Juli took this. One Clicky Says it All. )

Current Location: Cannon Beach
Current Music: Surf -and- All We Want To Do Is Eat Your Brains [thanks alot, miko2!]

Good By from Cannon Beach.

It's about time for us to check out. The rain is starting to make it's way ashore and the weather Radar says the rain is significant. THe waves are a little bigger.

We'll be off to the Pig & Pancake, because that's just how we roll. We may walk the beach or the town, but the weekend is drawing to a close.

Juli has started her third book. Naomi Novik's "Black Powder War".
I've started my second. Carrie Vaughn's "Kitty and the Midnight Hour. [Werewolves, Vampires, and Talk Radio in Colorado.]

The weekend almost did it's job of causing relaxation. I could do with another day. But Monday comes.

Next bit of breather... NorWesCon.

Current Mood: Leaving the Ocean
Current Location: Did I mention we were at the ocean?
Current Music: Surf and Dogs chasing things.

Happy March everyone.

We're enjoying our last few hours here at the beach. It's raining lightly. The tide is out and the, "Don't go out on Haystack Rock!!" car is out there with pamphlets and nature walks. Juli is still snoozing and I'm reading another book. We have our slider open and we are right next to the stairs to the beach. So I hear the conversations as people head down for their beach walks. "No it's too cold for swimming." "Get Karly's leash! Get his leash! Karl!" *bark bark bark yap bark!* "Don't Feed the Seagulls [that sounded official]" "seagulls: Mine! Mine mine! Mine! Mine!" "I got up before sunrise and watched the world come alive." "Coffee's ready!"

So now we're going to lounge a bit, and then check out and go to breakfast. ...or lunch.

( I finished "The Accidental Sorcerer" by K. E. Mills [a.k.a.Karen Miller]. )

Current Mood: Did I Mention The Ocean?
Current Location: We're At the Ocean.
Current Music: surf

I'nit Sweeet?

Current Mood: We're At The Ocean.
Current Location: Did I mention we were at the Ocean?
Current Music: Surf

Back in 1996 , when Juli and I took our first trip down the Oregon Coast together, we were held up in Gerhardt on our first night, just north of Seaside. That next morning we saw a giant billboard promoting "The Pig and Pancake". I told Juli, with a name like that it's got to be good. So we stopped in Seaside and got in line for one of the 240 tables in the restaurant. We we're not disappointed.

The Pig and Pancake has a bit of a history. It started off as a 35 seat restaurant that had to close at 2 PM so the Italian restaurant could take over for dinner. Since then it has grown to take up a city block in Seaside, a large space in Astoria, a choice location in Cannon Beach, and as of late, a new location outside of Lincoln City.

Juli and I always make it a point to stop at the Pig and Pancake whenever we are in town. Today however, they served to disappoint. The hostess stood at the door with her arms crossed looking board. She guided us to our table and tossed the menues higgly piggly. It sort of set the tone. If I were a restaurant reviewer I would have started to look for failings and I would have expositoried all over them. The bacon, slightly overdone, I would report as "cooked to ash". The coffee, spilled slightly, I would have reported as "slopped into the cups". The mood so set, I would report as gloomy and despairing. It only goes to show what an important job the host has.

We will still return to the Pig and Pancake in the future. It's tradition.

After breakfast we wandered the town a bit. A lot of stores we used to visit have emptied. Others have changed. Bruce's Candy Kitchen has expended and is thriving. Apparently in bad times people will not give up either alcohol or candy. Our favorite gallery "The Haystack Gallery" has changed a bit. There are still a few good things in there, but it's not what it was. There were some great shots in another gallery of Snow at Cannon Beach. Made me drool, and also demonstrates a good reason to get up early in the morning.

Now we've returned to our room to hear the Ocean and read our bountiful books.

Current Mood: We're At The Ocean!
Current Location: Did I Mention We're At The Ocean?
Current Music: Surf

After spending 3 hours at Powell's World of Books we drove out the Sunset Highway, up through the snow, and down to Cannon Beach. Our room is fine. It could be better. We're on the first floor next to the beach access, and the bed is a pull down without reading lights. It's got a couch though. And a gas fireplace and the sound of ocean surf. ...and isn't that why we're here.

While we can receive email, we can't send it. So here's as good a place as any to communicate.

It's all good.

Current Mood: We're At The Ocean
Current Location: Did I Say We Are At The Ocean?
Current Music: Surf

No, the Icon isn't Cannon Beach. I'll have to make one when I get home.

We have to check out at noon. Even though we don't have a view we are probably going to stay and enjoy the sound of the surf and the nice fire. Our sliver of a view is just over the stairs to the beach, so we hear the various families heading out.

"Don't get too far ahead, Johnny!"
"Look! A doggie!"
"Can I feed the birds?"
"Skree! Squawk! Skree! chatter." [Translation: "Mine? Mine. Mine! mine-mine-mine..." ]

Because we're above the beach access the surf sound echos in and is as loud as if we had the nice rooms. We left the window open [COLD!] and stayed snuggled under thick blankets all night.

Dinner at the Driftwood Inn was crowded. I tell you, if you want good food then go where the locals go. There are a number of restaurants that look incredible from the outside. The Driftwood Inn looks like a bunch of driftwood with a deck out front [okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration] I had baked halibut with dill sauce and Juli her fillet mignon. Both of us had Delicious big chunks of garlic bread and a glass of wine.

Last night we lounged in the room again. We do a lot of lounging in our winter visits. Read books and relaxed. Today we will leave so as to get home at least by 10 pm. I have to get up at five tomorrow for my first "actually scheduled" shift.

All in all, driving down in the night on Friday is a great idea. It gives us the feel of actually having been here for a three day weekend. Sure, we didn't get to go to Powell's Books, but Powell's isn't going anywhere. ...and we certainly don't lack for books.

That's all from Cannon Beach!

Current Mood: Ocean!!!
Current Location: Cannon Beach
Current Music: Surf ..[In my head "The Tide Rushes In" by Moody Blues]

Juli and I drove down to Cannon Beach last night... in the dark... late... with nice music on the CD player. It was very reminiscent of some of our middle-o-the-night ocean trips back in high school with Brian and Co. It's been that long since I've gone to the Ocean late at night.

There was a decent wind storm when we got here. While our room doesn't have much of an ocean view, if we open the window we can hear it. The wind literally roared down the chimney for most of the night. Fun!!!

This morning after breakfast Juli and I strolled down the beach in the sunshine. It's rather warm, actually. Juli just wore a sweatshirt and I, my jacket. We have some great pictures of silhouetted people in the mist in front of "The Rock". Some of the shots are spectacular silvery things. Unfortunately I didn't bring my camera cables, so I can't post them. Ah well. Much of the sand has washed out to sea for the winter, as is its pattern. The tide was high and the sneaker waves were catching many sneakers off guard. We were very watchful strollers and stayed dry.

We spent much of the reminder of the day walking the shops in town. This is actually Veterans Weekend, so the town is rather full. that explains why we couldn't get an ocean front room at the last minute. I bought some interesting vocal music compilations.... sort of country, sort of not, soft stuff that one of the shops were playing.

We've made reservations for dinner at our favorite restaurant, The Driftwood Inn. We though that might be smart. ...well, the manager just wrote our names down and said "your on the list" so I'm not really sure what that means. Maybe we didn't need them.

Now we're sitting and relaxing with internet and books, though the internet connection cuts in and out. The fireplace is on. Juli made coffee, and we're reading and eating saltwater taffy to the rhythm of the falling waves. It's a good day.

Current Mood: I'm At The Ocean
Current Location: Cannon Beach
Current Music: Ocean Surf [Though "Sails of Silver" by Steeleye Span is in my head.