Quick weekend away
9 Feb 2026 20:15![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nwhikerIt's been a busy few weeks and the next few are going to be hectic, so dh and I decided to do a quick weekend away on the Oregon Coast, despite the bad weather forecast.
It was great. WET OMG WET but great.
We drove down, leaving early on Saturday morning. Quick stop in Tacoma to drop off some stuff for Perry who was at Ergomania NW that day (he left with many medals, LOL).
On the Coast we visited Oceanside Beach, walked south and through the tunnel to Tunnel Beach and walked a bit there. It was so wet and windy, the rain actually hurt. So pretty though! Last time we were there, there was no parking and none of us were willing to wait for a spot so we'd missed it!
Then back to Tillamook for the cheese factory. The line was mostly closed, alas, so I didn't get to see the cheeses being packaged etc, but this time we did notice the salt pipes, I don't know if they weren't there before or if we just didn't see them: two metal pipes filled with salt that will be used for the cheese: it's traveling through the pipes and they are nice and warm. I stood there touching them for an embarrassing amount of time.
Grilled cheese (me) and mac and cheese (dh) for our late lunch.
We visited the Blue Heron Creamery since, again, parking available. Cute little store with several piggy items I'd have loved to buy for Linnea but didn't. They have a wine tasting experience, which we did not do, since neither of us really drink.
Then to the hotel in Lincoln City.
Next morning we got up early for a beachcombing experience, LOL. Free, offered by the city. The gal who runs the program, Laura, owns Rock Your World Gems and said that in 10 years of doing these programs, it was the worse weather she'd ever seen. Anyhow we got an hour talk about the rocks we might find in the area with lots of example to touch and feel, and went on the beach to check stuff out.
I found one cool rock, cool enough that Laura kept it when I said I was doing catch and release this time! I forget what it was but it had a really cool heart inclusion about 5 mm across! Part of me wanted to keep it, but I don't have the ability -at this point- to polish it, or a plan on how we'd figure out what to keep. She did ID all the cool rocks we found (mostly jasper) so I have a better idea of what we're looking at!
My plan is for us to get back down there at some point this spring with my sister and maybe Linnea (if she wants. Fleece beaches, though, not bikini beaches).
We were soaked by the time we were done! My gear was good (shell and pants) but my shoes... had to walk through a creek so.
Drift Creek Falls/Drift Creek (which apparently has cool crystals in the creek!) and its suspension bridge hike is nearby but we were too wet!
Headed back home! It was about 5pm when we drove through Tacoma and there was no traffic on I5. That was a first! Of course the Superbowl was happening and Seattle was winning so.
So photos at Flickr. The photos are private but apparently this link should suffice. Nothing extraordinary there, but.
It was a nice weekend!
It was great. WET OMG WET but great.
We drove down, leaving early on Saturday morning. Quick stop in Tacoma to drop off some stuff for Perry who was at Ergomania NW that day (he left with many medals, LOL).
On the Coast we visited Oceanside Beach, walked south and through the tunnel to Tunnel Beach and walked a bit there. It was so wet and windy, the rain actually hurt. So pretty though! Last time we were there, there was no parking and none of us were willing to wait for a spot so we'd missed it!
Then back to Tillamook for the cheese factory. The line was mostly closed, alas, so I didn't get to see the cheeses being packaged etc, but this time we did notice the salt pipes, I don't know if they weren't there before or if we just didn't see them: two metal pipes filled with salt that will be used for the cheese: it's traveling through the pipes and they are nice and warm. I stood there touching them for an embarrassing amount of time.
Grilled cheese (me) and mac and cheese (dh) for our late lunch.
We visited the Blue Heron Creamery since, again, parking available. Cute little store with several piggy items I'd have loved to buy for Linnea but didn't. They have a wine tasting experience, which we did not do, since neither of us really drink.
Then to the hotel in Lincoln City.
Next morning we got up early for a beachcombing experience, LOL. Free, offered by the city. The gal who runs the program, Laura, owns Rock Your World Gems and said that in 10 years of doing these programs, it was the worse weather she'd ever seen. Anyhow we got an hour talk about the rocks we might find in the area with lots of example to touch and feel, and went on the beach to check stuff out.
I found one cool rock, cool enough that Laura kept it when I said I was doing catch and release this time! I forget what it was but it had a really cool heart inclusion about 5 mm across! Part of me wanted to keep it, but I don't have the ability -at this point- to polish it, or a plan on how we'd figure out what to keep. She did ID all the cool rocks we found (mostly jasper) so I have a better idea of what we're looking at!
My plan is for us to get back down there at some point this spring with my sister and maybe Linnea (if she wants. Fleece beaches, though, not bikini beaches).
We were soaked by the time we were done! My gear was good (shell and pants) but my shoes... had to walk through a creek so.
Drift Creek Falls/Drift Creek (which apparently has cool crystals in the creek!) and its suspension bridge hike is nearby but we were too wet!
Headed back home! It was about 5pm when we drove through Tacoma and there was no traffic on I5. That was a first! Of course the Superbowl was happening and Seattle was winning so.
So photos at Flickr. The photos are private but apparently this link should suffice. Nothing extraordinary there, but.
It was a nice weekend!
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}