cheese, sand and surf

on sunday morning, we packed the cooler with sandwiches and headed for the coast. portland is only about 60 miles from the pacific so we know we'll be taking full advantage of that short trek. (by the way, bri, i (lucky) would love to learn to surf but the water here is very chilly - 55 degrees, actually. so i'm gonna hold out on learning until we vacation in hawaii.)

our first stop was the tillamook cheese factory so my girlie could get her fill of cheese curds. we were saddened to find no production going on, but we livened up after sampling cheese and fighting the crowds for some ice cream. it wasn't as good as marble slab creamery, in our opinion, but it hit the spot.

afterwards, we set out to explore the pacific coast by traveling from bay city to lincoln city. along the way we stopped at sand lake which is exactly what the name implies: a lake of sand. while there, we witnessed several four-wheelers and a jeep out tearing up the sand and having a blast. we marvelled at the sand's softness and at seeing pine trees alongside native grasses growing out of the sand.

we stopped frequently along the way to photograph the immense beauty of the mountains and sea colliding - it's next to impossible to capture this spectacle, but we gave it our best shot. minnesota was quite the ansel adams, as she always is.

we stumbled upon chinook winds casino which was funny/lucky/odd because earlier we'd heard the wheel of fortune would be there recruiting future contestants. after venturing inside the casino to assess the situation, we decided there were too many crinkled smokers and gambling fanatics for us to hang around. plus we were looking forward to sitting on the sand and listening to the ocean. mn took my picture in front of the wheel rv so i could say i was "this close to being on the wheel." (for anyone who doesn't already know, i love the wheel.)

after searching, we found our perfect beach spot, sat on a log and lost ourselves in the trance of the ocean. it's such an energizing place to spend time. the constancy of the waves balanced with the sheer power of the water was very spiritual.

re-energized, we headed for home, ready to start another week of job-hunting.

below are some pictures for you to enjoy. and, as always, thanks for your love and support, the girlz.

CHEESE!


breathtaking




sand lake, or




wheel...of...FORTUNE!


mmm, crab leg


pure bliss