An ode to pursuing adventure

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 best friend Billy. Of course, because we were stupid and 22, we would meet at Denny's when I got off my shift at KIRO radio, at about 2 a.m. We would "study" (and mostly talk) until the wee small hours.  Once I was talking to Billy about what we both feared most about our lives ahead. I said, "getting conventional".  Billy burst out laughing and said, "The day that you get conventional, all hope is lost."  That always stuck with me.

So this is what we struggle with as we age. How to find adventure. How to be sort of crazy. How to be unconventional.

With all this in mind, I am enjoying my adventure. I am enjoying seizing the day and exploring things on my own. I have only been gone a day or so and it feels much longer.

I walked A LOT today (about 12 miles total), mostly on sand (Hello, calf muscles!).  I saw the infamous Haystack Rock (above) and fabulous SeaStars!  (also above)

The rock formations here are wild.  A couple of great photos below.

And.. I visited Hug Point and Ecola Park. Hug Point is where they filmed part of "The Goonies" and it was fun to check out the caves. The rest of the day was exploring Seaside, walking the Promenade and preparing for the tsuanmi.  :-)

One of my favorite movies has always been "The World According to Garp".  At one point, Jenny stands at the shore with her son Garp and says, "You know, Garp. Life can really be an adventure."  That stuck with me. How do you live a life like that?

So here's to adventure and hitting the road.  I have many pictures, hikes and adventures ahead of me and will be posting here.

In the meantime, here's to a tsunami late tonight that (I hope) never quite lives up to its PR.

Tomorrow- Newport!

Oregon - the land of Lewis & Clark, public beaches and big bridges

 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 sentimentality for that young married couple of 30 years ago or so, their puppy Otis and their baby, Emma.  So much began for us here. Oregon is a beautiful state, everywhere from Hell's Canyon to Crater Lake, Mt. Hood to the beautiful beaches of Seaside. And there is such a sense of history -- in the buildings and in the natural surroundings. It just sort of feels Lewis and Clark-y to me.

Today, my first day of my roadtrip, I drove through Raymond and South Bend in SW Washington, before finding my way to the Astoria Bridge.  I had an amazing lunch at Bridgewater Bistro near the bridge, checked out the spectactular Astoria Column, with its 360-degree view, and meandered to Seaside in Oregon.  I took a walk among all the tourists, enjoyed the famous promenade and strolled on the beach.  I feel like I have already been here forever, and I left Vashon this morning!

Tomorrow I explore Cannon Beach, including Ecola State Park and its fabulous caves, and spend another night in Seaside.

The weather here is stunning. Oregon, I have missed you.

One bittersweet note: Washington has that weird law that requires every person to show their ID when buying alcohol, regardless of age.  I was buying a bottle of white wine and whipped out my ID at the store tonight. The confused clerk said, "Err, that's ok. I was not going to card you." Ouch.

Oh well.  I will go and walk off my embarrassment with a long stroll on the beach. After all, it belongs to me!

Next stop: Cannon Beach!

 Astoria!

Lewis and Clark have statues everywhere. Next time you visit Seaside, check out their Salt Works.  https://www.nps.gov/places/the-salt-works.htm 

Yep. This was the sky. And NO WIND. Ocean Shores, Washington, eat your heart out!

The Astoria Column, where you can look in all directions from the top.

Bye-bye, Washington!  See you at trip's end!

The gift of travel

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 volunteering. So traveling never really happened very much in those years. But I wouldn't trade them. Wow, how they flew.   Things started changing in 2018  The kids were older.  A long-buried part of my starting waking up. I wanted to travel.  First stop? Paris.  

In 2018, Lilly and I went to Paris together. We were able to see our old exchange student, visit the Louvre and Notre Dame. It was amazing. I wanted more.

In 2019, I went alone to Italy, visitinging Rome, Florence and Venice.  Each one was special. But Rome? Ahhhh.

 In 2023, Bob and I took Lilly to Portugal and Spain.  The shot above is me in Lisbon. And the shot below is me in the Czech Republic, when I visited Prague, as well as Austria and Germany, with the girls last summer.  Of course, travel doesn't have to be going abroad. One of my favorite cities in the world is New York City, where I try to go each year. I was there last month with Emma, seeing Broadway shows, reconnecting with an old friend and experiencing this magical city.  And when I am not visiting cities, I have discovered a new love for adventure around Washington State, mostly hiking and exploring weekend trips to places like my beloved Mt. Rainier (below.

  

So here's what it comes down to.  I love traveling. I love adventure. And one of my favorite parts of adventure is capturing it in photos (a few of my favorite hiking photos below. I am going to share some of the best photos here as I hit the road tomorrow.

Here's my pitch: if you haven't traveled, do it.  We have such a lovely, short, and fleeting time on the planet.  My own journey has been full of challenges, wonderful memories, beautiful experiences, generous friends -- and now... lots of travel.

In the next 2.5 weeks, I will be going down the Coast of Oregon and through the Redwoods. I will be checking in here with photos and observations. See you on the road!

 

Life is an adventure!

 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!