What I Did On My Summer Vacation (Part II)

The house was simply lovely. It looked more like a beach cottage someone owns and frequents rather than rents out. The decor was beachy and homey with a beautiful hand-stitched quilt on the wall, fine furnishings, and a full kitchen. After a moment of unpacking and kid-proofing the house, Alan and I walked out to the beach, leaving Lucy to play with her cousins. The water was a mere thirty second walk from the back door (props to Desiree and Tamiko for getting a house right on the sand).

The sand was soft, there was drift wood as far as the eye could see. I didn't realize how pretty drift wood could be, all polished by the waves and bleached by the sun. The water was freezing but I didn't care. I'd never been in a place where the ocean is before you and at your back are mountains so high their peaks are hidden in the mist.


That night we ate tacos. (Note: I married into an eating family. Alan's family know what good food is and eat plenty of it. This, for me, is a key part of any vacation and I thank them all for putting a few pounds on me while out West). We spent a good hour or two in the hot tub that faced the water, watched Flight of the Concords, snacked on wasabi peas and fruit, and fell asleep that night lulled by the sound of the waves.

The next day was more of the same-- eating, walking on the beach, soaking in the hot tub, playing with the kids. That morning both my brothers-in-law, Bubba and Bryan, went jogging with me-- well, it turned out I was tagging along with them the whole time. The guys played pool and cooked a barbecue feast for us that evening. My father-in-law, Howie, roasted marshmallows over the grill for s'mores which was a much welcomed dessert.

Our final day we packed up and cleaned the house. We headed up to Canon Beach to see the sand castle festival and Haystack Rock. It was cold! But we still shopped and perused the castle competition. We warmed up with some clam chowder and seafood at Moe's before hitting the road. We wanted to be home at a reasonable hour so we drove home the quick way which involved a hair raising amount of hairpin turns (I was driving, Howie and Alan gripping the sides of the car with every cliff we passed).

As I said in the beginning, it was pleasant. I can't complain about a trip that afforded us new family memories, a chance to see the ocean, salt water taffy, plenty of pictures, and some time to relax.

"I'm still living with your ghost
Lonely and dreaming of the West Coast
We could live beside the ocean
Leave the fire behind." - Everclear

"We spotted the ocean at the head of the trail
Where are we going, so far away
And somebody told me that this is the place
Where everything's better, everything's safe
Walk on the ocean
Step on the stones
Flesh becomes water
Wood becomes bone

Now were back at the homestead
Where the air makes you choke
We don't even have pictures
Just memories to hold" - Toad the Wet Sprocket