On the Road with Lauri

As I write this, the Oregon Coast is under a tsunami warning, linked to an earthquake in Russia.  And - get this - my hotel is as far out on the dunes as any hotel in Seaside, Oregon.  And I am on the first floor.  Facing west. Families are packing up and leaving, as folks are pretty rattled by the warning. I started to spiral a bit before the updated tsunami alert said we were talking waves about a foot over average. It is supposed to hit around midnight. Still, as I called Bob and we started crafting my emergency plan (pack up before bed and drive somewhere away from water to wait it out a bit), I cannot deny what I was feeling: It was adrenaline. I mean, as we age, we avoid risk. We avoid too much excitement or craziness. And sometimes, it means we don't have adventures anymore.   Haystack Rock this morning - a Cannon Beach treasure This part of the aging journey has always petrified me. I remember sitting in a Denny's when I was 21. I was studying with my be...

 Okay, if you are a Vashon Island neighbor (particularly if you live on the water), plug your ears I hate how the beaches are not public in Washington. It's sort of crazy. On Vashon, it is almost armed warfare sometimes, with property owners getting VERY angry if you walk on the beach.  There is a whole complicated formula you can quote them about when you walk on the beach, but every time I get crosswise with one of these people, I think of this: I miss Oregon. Bob and I started our young married lives in Portland.  We met dear friends we still know today. We lived in an adorable house that cost about six cents. We explored Oregon history with weekend road trips. And, when those weekends brought us to the ocean, we enjoyed it to our heart's desire. Because Oregon, well, decided the beaches are for everyone. And they have belonged to everyone since 1967. And doesn't that sort of make sense? There are other things I miss about Oregon sometimes.  I feel a lot of sentim...

Travel Eve The night before you leave on a trip brings up a lot of  feelings. Anticipation.  Excitement. Anal-retentive thoughts about whether I have packed everything, what I might have forgotten, whether I have all of the necessities.But layered on top of everything is an overwhelming feeling of gratitude.  I always intended to travel.  When I was a kid, I used to tell people I wanted to grow up to be a foreign news correspondent (my dream was to be based in Russia). I anticipated a life of professional accomplishment, of countless trips and adventures. And I was going to see a lot of the world.  But life happened and things went in a different direction. We ended up raising three fantastic kids on a little island in the Puget Sound.  For ten of the years the kids were growing up, I basically put my career on hold and ran a home-based PR business.  Money was not flowing freely in those days.  I was also busy, with three kids and tons of voluntee...

 I love traveling. And one of the best things about traveling is taking photos.   One of my friends told me I should start collecting some of my photos from all of my travels. So betwen wanting to share my photos with you and knowing I will have plenty of thoughts to share during my travels, my blog is born! My first trip I will be blogging about is a trip down the Oregon and California Coasts, including lots of time in the majestic Redwoods! Stay tuned for more photos and reports.  In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite photos of the past! (these are from Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier, Utah and Leavenworth, Washington). See you on the road!