Travel Log: The Oregon Coast
My 1 year anniversary with the Pacific Northwest just happened to coincide with a 3 day weekend made possible by the courtesy of my boss. Despite a weather forecast of rain, rain and more rain- Jared and I decided to trek to the Oregon Coast for a long weekend getaway. In most travel logs, I like to mention places to eat and drink, trails to hike or general entertainment tips. I have to admit this trip became one of pure relaxation and the weather helped aid the carefree attitude. Luckily, we got 1 day of sunshine which prompted us to spend it at Canon Beach walking around Haystack Rock and taking an extensive amount of photos. 
Sure it's not like being on a beach in Hawaii, but being near the ocean, whether I'm in the water or not, is always a therapeutic experience. We took the sunshine opportunity to spend most of the day dipping our toes in the freezing water and getting a little sandy. We retreated to check into our Inn but made a quick trip back to the beach just in time to catch a glorious Oregon sunset.
As I mentioned this trip played out differently than most. I can't recount the amazing places to wine and dine because we ordered in pizza one night and had leftovers the other. :) I can't write about trail runs or mountain views because it was grey almost all weekend so we relished staying indoors. We did manage to get a run on the beach and a hike up the sand dunes in Pacific City- both of which left us completely drenched. We stopped by Pacific City's local brew house, The Pelican Pub & Brewery to dry off and sample a flight from their tap room and that I can recommend. For the beer yes, but also for their delicious "ahi sando" (sandwich). It had been too long since having fresh medium-rare ahi and it made me miss Hawaii oh so much.
I can also speak highly of where we stayed, Arch Cape Inn, located just a few miles south of Canon Beach. Not only were we one of the only people staying in the mini castle for the weekend, the cheerful inn keeper acted as a part time chef who delighted us with 3 course breakfast meals every morning. Baked fruit, french toast, fresh crab eggs benedict..... she pulled out all the stops after asking about your food preferences, allergies etc. Every afternoon she brings out wine and hors d'oeuvres for a "social hour" to get to know you and other people staying there. When we missed it the first night, she sent us to our rooms with our own bottle to enjoy. Our room came equipped with a fireplace, living room and most importantly a jacuzzi tub.
While this trip didn't follow the normal agenda of recent excursions, the changing seasons brought a welcome change to our routine wayfaring.