#goldbeach – The Boring Old Man

Road Trip! Oregon Coast

Just got back from a whirlwind trip up to Oregon for some much needed battery recharging. What a delightful trip! I only wish we were able to stay longer, like say 20 years or so…

Getting out of town (SF Bay Area) was a disaster. Traffic was so bad it was unbelievable. And that was BEFORE we hit the hour delay at the Richmond Bridge, where some super-genius motorist tried playing tag with a motorcycle. Yeah, not a great plan. Mechanical carnage but no meat-wagon, so I can only assume the rider was OK, but geez… How you can cause an accident that bad while slowing down to go through the toll booth is beyond me. Some people’s stupidity knows no bounds, I suppose.

The drive up took us a tad over 11 hours (with a couple pit stops) which is way too much driving for a weekend trip, but once we arrived, it somehow all seemed worth it.

Our home-base for the weekend was in Gold Beach – the TuTu’Tun Lodge – which is simply phenomenal. This was our 3rd stay with them, and it most certainly won’t be our last.

We spent a lot of time cruising around, exploring the general area between Brookings and Bandon, and had a really nice relaxing time.

Bandon was a place I’ve wanted to visit for years, but this was the first time we made it that far north. And we LOVED it. Seriously, I’d move there tomorrow if given the chance. Beautiful place, friendly people, just a great, laid back atmosphere.

Another exceptional find was the “Semi-Aquatic Gallery” in Brookings. We found about 30 pieces of art we would have been thrilled to leave with, but whittled it down to two prints – one for home and one for the Mrs.’ Classroom. And a couple postcards and a very cool t-shirt to boot. Gotta support the Arts, people!!

The trip came to an end much too soon, and we were back on the road about 10:45am Sunday. The ride was mellow and easy going for the first 7 hours, but once we hit Santa Rosa there was no question we were back in the muck of the Bay Area. By the time we hit the Richmond Bridge, it was a traffic nightmare once again and I found myself asking the Mrs. “what on earth are we doing coming back here?” It seemed like a horrible mistake. We finally rolled into home about 9:30pm., unpacked and hit the sheets due to an early wake-up for work today.

All in all, it was a great weekend, traffic aside. Very relaxing and somewhat “intoxicating” – I am completely, unabashedly in love with the Oregon Coast. It has literally everything I love – ocean beaches, rivers, dense forests and farmlands. I cannot imagine a better combination!

The trick now is figuring out how to make the place “home” rather than a getaway!

Thank you Oregon and all you fantastic Oregonians we met along the way! We had a blast and can’t wait to get back!

Thanks for stopping by!

Playing catch up!

To say the last month has been a whirlwind would be an understatement!

It seems as though things have been firing on all cylinders lately and half the time I don’t know if I’m coming or going!

Work has been busy – the end of the fiscal year, plus the start of a new one brings all kinds of mind-numbing nonsense, but overall things are going well on that front.

The Mrs. had a bit of a health issue that got us into the Urgent Care facility a couple weeks ago, but thankfully that’s all resolving nicely and she’s getting back to full function without any further intervention.

My gym routine has been pretty solid. It took a minute to get back in the swing of things, but I’m feeling confident again and getting stronger by the week. I haven’t got to the point where I’m enjoying it again, but I don’t dread it every morning either, so I consider that progress!

My musical stuff has been going slower than I’d hoped, but again I’m still progressing. My playing continues to improve and I’m slowly but surely getting acquainted with some new gear that will help me continue my pursuits.

We just recently returned from another trip up to Oregon, which was fantastic! It was our daughter’s birthday recently, so she and her BF headed up to Gold Beach and we joined them up there for a couple days, just relaxing and enjoying the quiet.

Our view from the patio soaking tub…Not too shabby!

And most recently, just a couple nights ago in fact, we got to see our favorite live band – Magic City Hippies – at one of our favorite venues – the Fillmore, which was absolutely amazing! This was the 6th or 7th time seeing them and they continue to get better every single time.

So yeah, it’s been a bit of a blur, but in a good way.

More to come, thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip! Gold Beach, OR.

Today we ventured further north to Gold Beach, Oregon. The town is small and not unlike many other sea-side towns, but we’ve been enjoying it very much.

After checking in to our spot for the night, we actually took to the road again, driving up as far as Port Orford, OR, just for the heck of it, to see what’s what.

Today is out actual anniversary – 31 years ago today, we tied the knot – so today is the day we spoil ourselves. Very swanky accommodations, unbelievable high end dinner (so good, words fail me) and just cruisin’ around enjoying each other. There are much worse ways to spend the day, let me tell you!

Tomorrow we’ll goof off a bit, then we’ve got a long haul ahead of us to get home. Sadly, both of us have to work in the morning (and I, this weekend also).

Oregon has been delightful, it most certainly won’t be another 40 years before we return!

Thanks for stopping by!