To the Beaches!

Day 2 ~ Portland, OR to Beverly Beach State Park, OR

Portland is a beautiful city, nestled between the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, it butts up to the foothills of Mt. Hood to the east and the Coastal Range to the west.  Our road trip continues today as we headed out OR-26 to the beaches, where you drive among the stately Douglas Fir, Cedar, and Alder (Mmmm, alder smoked salmon!) 

Our morning destination was Gearhart, a tiny community with a big beach.  We’ve been many times with our family and always enjoy the place.  We highly recommend staying at Gearhart Ocean Inn (distinctivebeachlodgings.com) , a pet friendly retro style motel consisting of 12 cute little attached cottages.  Across the street is the Pacific Way Bakery & Cafe (pacificwaybakery-cafe.com), a treasure of a place.  It's a coffee shop/bakery by day and a first-class (tablecloths, great menu, outstanding service) restaurant by night.  Need groceries?  You can get most basics on the other corner at Gearhart Grocery (gearhartgrocerycatering.com) and you can pick up a few things to take for lunch on the beach.  About a three block walk is the beautiful beach where you can walk for long distances in either direction.  We love to stroll around the village and look at the homes we’ll never afford or fantasize about remodeling the ones we might.

Gearhart

Gearhart

The northern OR coast is stunning in so many ways; heavy forests line the mountains right down to the beaches edge.  Charming towns dot the coast along the way (following US 101S), each with it’s own character . . . Seaside with it’s “honky tonk” atmosphere, Cannon Beach with interesting shops including a wonderful kite shop (www.oregon.com/attractions/once-upon-breeze), great restaurants, tidal pools that are easy to explore and stunning views of Haystack Rock which is probably the most photographed formation on the northern OR coastline; Manzanita hugging the hills down to its crescent shaped beach.

Haystack Rock

Manzanita

Coastal Range

Continuing down 101 you reach a long stretch of sandy beach, home to the town of Rockaway Beach.  www.rockawaybeachor.us  It’s long been known as a seaside resort town and has a few condos and motels.  Outside Rockaway is a cedar wetlands preserve where you can see mammoth Western Red Cedars.  Also, you will continue to see the sea stack rock formations the OR coastline is known for.

Garibaldi was once a thriving logging community and Weyerhaeuser continues to operate a mill on the bay providing jobs to the community.   An obvious landmark is the single smoke stack from the 1920s that still stands today.  Garibaldi lies at the northern end of Tillamook Bay, and sport fishing is very popular here.  There are some good spots for butter clamming along the coast.  www.visitgaribaldi.com

The OR coast is where mountains meet the sea, it is home to giant red cedar, it supports commercial and sport fishing, and it offers beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean and its many bays.  But you will also note many dairy farms nestled between the coastal communities.  The town of Tillamook lies at the southeastern edge of the bay; both are named for the Native American tribe who lived in the area until the early 19^th Century.  The Tillamook people spoke a dialect of the Salishan language.  Today, tourists know Tillamook as the site of the Tillamook cheese factory and it is a popular stopping spot for the tourist buses and drivers, ourselves included.  It’s crowded but fun and you can get an ice cream cone, taste the cheese samples, take a self-guided tour of the cheese and ice cream making processes, and of course visit the gift shop or have a meal in the cafeteria. 

Tillamook Cheese Factory

Cheese Samples

Yummy!  Jamoca Almond Fudge

After eating ice cream for lunch we decided to take a detour and leave 101,  go out along the coast to Cape Lookout State Park.  Located on the sand spit between the ocean and Netarts Bay, this area is part of the Three Capes Scenic Route, and a nice respite as well as a pretty “off 101” route.  There’s camping and picnicking , nature walks, beachcombing (watch for glass floats), and beautiful views of the Pacific ocean.  Be aware of the tides as high tide will completely cover some of the beach.  While at Cape Lookout we saw some paragliders, which was fun to watch.

Cape Lookout Fisherman

Cape Lookout

Hanglider coming over Cape Lookout

People flock to Lincoln City in the summer to enjoy the beaches and all the tourist activities.  It is actually a compilation of many small communities and seems to stretch forever.  US Hwy. 101 winds from end to end and you can find lots of motels, restaurants, shops and attractions all along the nine-mile route.

I consider Lincoln City to be the Central OR coast; south of it are some of my favorite communities.  Depoe Bay offers a charming coastal atmosphere and is known as “The Whale Watching Capital of the OR Coast” from May through November.  The small downtown area is protected by a continuous sea wall, which offers views of the Pacific, and its spouting horns, while browsing, dining, or walking around.  There are many lodging choices in Depoe Bay but two very well known and respected accommodations in Depoe Bay, each with it’s own character are worth noting.  The famed Salishan Spa and Golf Resort (www.salishan.com) lies just north of Depoe Bay at Gleneden Beach.  The Inn at Arch Rock (innatarchrock.com) is a family owned and operated B&B perched on a bluff high above the Pacific.  

Depoe Bay

Depoe Bay

Just south of Depoe Bay is Otter Rock, aptly named, as the sea otters like to frolic on the rocks.  The Inn at Otter Crest, or the timeshares make for nice accommodations.  Years ago, I stayed by myself for a week at the timeshares and enjoyed the resort property and jaunts into Depoe Bay or down to Newport. 

Otter Rock Resort

 

Otter Rock

  Devil’s Punch Bowl is an impressive sea spouting horn.  Be careful of the spray at high tide, and at low tide, the cavern of rocks is interesting. 

Devil's Punchbowl @ low tide

One of our favorite chowder and pie places is Mo’s.  Throughout central and southern OR you will see signs for Mo’s famous chowder but this tiny location is a favorite. www.moschowder.com  

It’s worth noting that all up and down the OR Coast, the communities hold festivals throughout the year and summer is of course the busiest time.  You can participate or observe celebrations of Rhododendrons or Tall Ships, and Native American cultures or Celtic.  The choice is yours.  A valuable resource is the website visittheoregoncoast.com/events/

Our day concluded with arrival at our camping site, Beverly Beach State Park.  It’s been a long day of driving, but only covered about 200 miles since leaving the western suburbs of Portland.  Remember our post about needing camping reservations?  Well, it's a good thing we had them for this park as it was busy . . . lots of RVs, campers, and tents!

Bob, the Axe Man

Driving the coast is slow going, but so worth it!  My insight into retirement is that I must love the OR coast or I wouldn’t write such a long blog post about it.  And, I’m only mid-way down the coast!  More to follow, especially about the camping experience and that rooftop carrier which hasn’t been too annoying today while we traveled slowly and along the coastal route protected by the mountain range east of us.

Westward Ho!

Road Trip!  Day 1, Richland, WA - Portland, OR

This morning (Friday, May 15) we started our first post-retirement road trip!  It took about ten miles before we both realized our roof top carrier wasn't going to work quite the way we expected.  At about mile 100 Bob actually said "I made a mistake."  Most of the time a wife wants to hear her husband basically admit he was wrong but today I found myself saying "it will be okay honey."  My insight into retirement is that some good ideas may turn out to be more frustrating than they are worth.

We are camping on part of this trip and gosh, you have to take a lot of stuff on a camping trip!  Our car is completely full and we decided that the only way it was going to work was to pack a roof top carrier with some of the equipment. 

Carrier on top!

Loaded car!

We didn't realize the carrier would create so much noise that we couldn't carry on a conversation.  The first two hours of the trip were driving across the Columbia River Plateau, straight into the prevailing winds, on I-82/84 going west toward Portland, OR and we knew we couldn't drive for nearly a month like that.  We actually talked about stopping at a rest stop and completely rearranging the car, filling it to the brim, and returning the carrier to REI in Portland.  REI offers an unconditional guarantee so no worries, bugs and all!  But then the wide open spaces of the plateau narrowed as we entered the Columbia River Gorge and began driving the curves protected by the hills and cliffs.  Suddenly the noise level quieted several decibels and we realized everything was going to be okay, at least for the rest of today's drive.

The Columbia River Gorge is considered a National Scenic Area, and is truly one of the most beautiful drives in the Pacific NW.  columbiarivergorge.info   It has snow-capped mountains, basalt cliffs, forests, waterfalls, charming communities, and boardsailing competitions.  Something for everyone!

Multnomah Falls, OR

Mt. Hood, OR

Of course the jewel of the Gorge is the Columbia River itself.  Formed by lava flows and carved by glaciers, home to many Native American tribes, explored by Lewis & Clark, settled by Oregon Trail pioneers, and industrialized by hydroelectric dams, the Columbia remains an impressive site.  It forms the natural border between OR and WA, and reaches a mile wide in many places.  Those of us who live in the Pacific NW simply call it the River, and do so with a great deal of respect. 

Just past the town of The Dalles, OR is the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center.  gorgediscovery.org   Packed with history, photos, interpretative displays, videos, and a nice cafe, the museum is very interesting and well worth a stop for first time visitors to the area.
  
The biggest dam along the Columbia is Bonneville, just upriver from greater Portland, nwp.usace.army.mil.  In addition to providing hydroelectric power, the River is navigable via a series of locks, and the fish ladders allow the salmon to migrate.

Bonneville Dam

                                                                                                                      

Fish Ladder

Can you see the salmon?

Bonneville Dam and Cascade Locks have an impressive visitors center (tours available) and recreation opportunities.  If you find yourself in the Gorge, the dam is definitely worth a stop!

Picnic grounds at Bonneville

Rain in the Gorge

Springtime Rhodies

Today was intentionally a short day's drive.  We wanted to go to Portland to do some shopping, specifically at the Apple store and also REI.  Still debating about returning the rooftop carrier, we decided to go to Apple first and purchase a new mouse.  Again, technology has passed us by and we got a track pad instead of a mouse.  

We then headed over to REI where they are having their annual members' sale.  Should we or shouldn't we return the carrier?  After some debate (really, where will we put all that stuff?) we decide to keep the carrier and hope to get better at packing it, cinching it down, and knowing the next several legs of the trip won't be out in the middle of wide open spaces or against the wind.  Again, REI does have that unconditional, no questions asked, bugs and all return policy!  The trip wasn't without a purchase . . . shoes, of course!  I think Bob is feeling better about "his mistake" and we both know that retail therapy (especially shoes) does help!  Spending the night in a Fairfield Inn on the west side of town . . . we'll start camping tomorrow!

What do you mean we need reservations?

Retirement!  The start of our sunset years and finally, we can forget about being practical and be spontaneous.  Right?  Wrong.  Bob's been retired for a week and in a few days we are leaving on our first post-retirement trip.  I always thought once we were retired and didn't have the constraints of a 5 day work-week or a long weekend we would be able to wake up one morning and say "Honey, let's pack the car and head to Yosemite!"  http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm

Well, so much for my retirement insight because it turns out that going to Yosemite requires a lot of planning, especially because the trip has now evolved into a much larger road trip.  As long as we are driving down we may as well take a scenic route.  And the other kink in the spontaneity is that Bob wants to camp for a good deal of the trip.  Camping requires reservations.  Who knew?  Not me because I don't really care for camping and haven't gone for many years. 

Bob loves camping, and he did a lot of it when he was a boy, a teen, a young man, and right up until he married me!  As a youngster, Bob spent his summers canoeing across the lakes of southern Ontario, Canada as part of a summer camp excursion lasting a couple months at a time.  They portaged the canoes between lakes and rivers and carried all their provisions in wanagans using tump lines.  I shouldn't complain about car and tent camping at all!

Catch of the day!

Wanagan - 1950s cooler!

A young Bob in the woods.

 











I did go camping for a few years because I felt the "kids" needed to be exposed to the wilderness and I had confidence that Bob would teach them well.  He did and they love camping so all of them go every summer.

Mike enjoying a beer!

Amy enjoying camping!

Shane popping the wine!

But, I'm a good sport (most of the time) and realize that Bob deserves to enjoy his first post-retirement trip the way he wants to.  So camping we will go, for part of the trip.  It will save some money, or so one would think.  Bob decided we needed a bigger tent; our son-in-law suggested cots; and then there's the odd thing or two like bear bells and whistles.  It all adds up so I'm not sure there's much cost savings but Bob is excited.

The state and national parks require reservations for camping in advance . . . way in advance!  The national parks open their reservation system 5 months in advance and often sell out within minutes.  http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/camping.htmThe first three campgrounds we tried at Yosemite were already sold out when we booked.   We will be camping along the OR  and CA coasts and those spots reserve as far as out as nine months. http://www.reserveamerica.com/

Although I'm grumbling about having to make reservations to camp I will say there are some advantages to the systems.  First, the websites provide a lot of information about the campground facilities including maps of the campgrounds and we were able to choose the sites we wanted to reserve (near the bathrooms of course!)  The other day we got reminder notices about our reservations and were able to print out our vehicle tags and advance registrations. 

As mentioned our trip to Yosemite has morphed into a scenic road trip . . . we'll be traveling down the OR coast, entering CA at the Redwoods, exploring Napa Valley and the SF Bay area, and then crossing the state to visit Yosemite.  After several days in Yosemite we will drive north to South Lake Tahoe, over Donner Pass to Mt. Shasta, up to Crater Lake National Park, and Bend, OR before returning home.  The entire trip is nearly a month long and I think there is only one night without reservations.   Not all of it is camping; we also will be staying in a couple motels, have rented a houseboat for the Bay area, http://www.vrbo.com/  staying in the national park lodge at Crater Lake http://www.nps.gov/crla/planyourvisit/lodging.htmand are using a timeshare week for Lake Tahoe.  http://www.rci.com/

Come along on our journey!  It won't be spontaneous but we'll enjoy the ride!

Finding the New Normal

As of  last Thursday Bob is retired!  Now it's not only in sight, it's here and now we have to find our new normal.  I think it's going to take some adjustments.  I'm used to my space . . . the house . . . and now I need to share it Monday thru Friday.  I'm used to my routine . . . alone . . . and now we need to consider each other.  Bob's used to going to work . . . and now he has time on his hands.  We've got a lot to adjust to . . . and it's going to take some time.

Retirement kicked off with a very pleasant gathering of work colleagues and friends.  It was the perfect "party" for Bob; he's a quiet, laid back guy.  I loved hearing the accolades but I know he was slightly embarrassed by the attention. 

Retirement party 04/30/15

Our first few days of retirement have been not at all what we expected, or what I expected anyway!  My romantic image of retirement would have us lolly gagging around the house with quality conversation over coffee and planning what we were going to do and where we would go for the rest of our life.  But the practical side of life won out and there were errands and chores to do!

One of the biggest concerns about retirement is finances, and part of that is Medicare and medical insurance.  We had been advised by Medicare that our premiums would be adjusted by about + 60% because of our pre-retirement income.  The SSA told us to come by with an employer separation letter showing our income would actually be going down (hello, no paychecks!) and we might qualify for the standard Medicare premiums.  That was our first errand of day one of retirement, followed by stopping by our medical clinics to leave copies of our Medicare benefits cards and our supplemental health insurance.

Also, I had received a letter from SSA stating I was inelgible for SSI benefits . . . I never applied for SSI benefits so that needed straightened out.  The officer told me "oh, just trash that letter . . . everyone gets that letter and it's just routine."  Then, maybe it shouldn't be issued at all unless someone actually applies for SSI?

Now, let the fun begin!  Our family gave Bob fly fishing gear for retirement.  Naturally there was more to buy so we made a trip over to Yakima for lunch and a Cabela's shopping trip.  I think he's ready for his new hobby! 

My backyard fisherman!

Bob enjoys many activities so I imagine he will soon fill his time with golf, watercolors, gardening, hiking and fly fishing!  He's already signed up for community ed classes on composting, photography, and building houses.  Now he has the time to participate in his favorite hobbies and not just wonder what it will be like when he retires.  He is retired!


As for my adjustment to Bob being retired . . . it's something I've wanted and encouraged for a long time.  But it's going to take some time to adjust to the new normal.  Errands and chores still need to be completed.  But this morning we found time for a walk in the park followed by sharing coffee and conversation at one of my favorite espresso shops.   

Bob's recent blog post mentioned our upcoming road trip.  It's required a lot of planning and it's nearly time to hit the road.  Stay tuned for further insight into our retirement as we try to find the new normal.