Work has been overwhelmingly busy lately, and that tends to make everything else seem a bit more crazy and busy. Last weekend we had a 3-day weekend so I managed to do chore-like things on Friday and then ran away from home on Saturday to find some peace near the ocean.
I found a great place in Lincoln City that was super afforadable, but still right on the beach. Since it's the off-season, rates are far more reasonable.
It was pouring down rain when we arrived on Saturday, so we went out to eat, then took advantage of some of the recreational opportunities available at Ocean Terrace. They have DVDs for rent and they were fairly current ones! There was also a recreation room where there was a ping pong table and pool table. We played pool and put the Duck football game on in the background. There is also a heated, indoor pool which we didn't use, but I will definitely keep in mind for future visits.
There was no rain on Sunday morning and it was actually quite pleasant outside. This is the view from Ocean Terrace looking out at the beach....
...and this is the view of Ocean Terrace from the beach...
We walked on the beach enjoying the sounds of the ocean and looking for any "treasure" that had washed ashore :)
When it was time to check out we asked for a recommendation of a good place to eat and were sent to The Lovin' Spoonfull. It was a cute little place and we enjoyed the food and the view - there was a lot to look at on the walls inside, and from our booth we could still see the ocean too. And really, can you go wrong at a place that offers a "Jessica scramble"?!
After eating we stopped at the outlet mall in Lincoln City for a brief visit, then started working our way down the coast and towards home.
We stopped to watch the waves at Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint - awesome! I thought I would try out the video on my iphone to give you a taste of what we saw there. You can view that by clicking HERE - and here's a still shot of some bigger waves coming in....
...and another shot of the view from the other direction...
It really is gorgeous here and it's easy to just sit and stare at it for long periods of time :)
Here's a shot of Kenny and I at Boiler Bay - it was a bit chilly and windy...
Our next stop was the Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Newport - you may remember that I visited it recently with my Wisconsin family when they were here this summer. I didn't go in that day and stayed with the babies, and Kenny had never been, so we decided to go in. We climbed up about halfway, but then I totally chickened out because I'm a bit afraid of heights and stairs you can see through!! All the while I was laughing that my 4-year-old was able to do something I was not able to do!
We stopped at Georgie's for soup/chowder and a little dessert before heading the rest of the way home.
It was a bit impulsive to run away from home, but looking back at it from this side of a CRAZY and stressful week, I'm so glad that we did it.
