Oregon Coast

Tomorrow is the day.  We're tossing our suitcases in the Kia Soul and headed to Lincoln City, Oregon, for a few days.  We live one and one-half hours from the cold Pacific Ocean but haven't been over there in several years.  I've said it many times, and I'll say it again....we live in one of the world's most amazingly perfect corners of the universe.  Cold Pacific Ocean winds, wild rain and wind, tall 100-year-old trees, lots of moss and green, whales, rocky cliffs, coffee shops, art galleries, and and and.  The list goes on and on.  It will be Mason's first trip ever to the ocean.  Portland sits at the north end of the Willamette Valley.  From the valley we go westward up and over Oregon's Coast Range and back down the other side to sea level. 100 miles from our house. 

It's no secret that we love our road trips.  For us, it's a time of decompression.  Away from airports, uniforms, and schedules.  We live and breathe most of our lives by a clock.  And in spite of the fact that we are both wildly organized and typically energized for going places and doing things, we always appreciate not having a schedule.  Coffee shops are our thing.  We don't need Macy's or a mall.  Or even a laptop or iPad.  What we do need is each other -- and Mason.  It's almost someone's birthday so it will give us a leg-up on celebrating it.  Plus it's nearly the would-be birthday of his late mother who passed away just last November.  I imagine that will be a difficult day.

All of that to say that we're escaping for a bit of time.  Nothing complicated, or planned, or fancy.  We're not really fancy people.  But we're going to be Oregon Coast people....even for just a few days.