6.29.2004
Leffie does Google mail
I have created another email address. Yeah, I know ... isn't like 10 enough? Nah ... had to try the new system. Google totally changes the way that you read mail since all the mail you recieve is viewed by conversation. This is fansastic for those of us that subscribe to listserv's. We'll see how it's recieved. Check out GMAIL.
6.23.2004
Can you take this standing up?
Well gents, it seems that this product might allow the Ladies to be one step closer to reaching nirvana.
6.15.2004
Central Oregon Coast - and a fun visit
We took off on a Friday afternoon for what is referred to as the Central Coast of Oregon, and more specifically, Newport. We got into Lincoln City (about 20 miles north of Newport) and had dinner at a wonderful little place off the beaten path called the Dory Cove Cafe which is located in Roads End, and oddly enough is almost at the end of the road (leading onto a beach!). This unassuming little restuarant located on the coast had good service, excellent seafood (Salmon and Halibut), and an excellent homemade berry cobbler dessert. After that fine meal, it was off to Newport to find our hotel and settle down for the night.
The next morning it was quite foggy during breakfast. We ate at a resturant called the Apple Peddler and had an average breakfast, certainly nothing to write home about. From there is was off to the beach, and the first one that we stopped at was called BEACH. The tide was out that particular morning ... and it was WAY out. As we walked along the beach we came across a magnificent set of tide pools where we saw tiny crabs and starfish making themselves at home. Of course, with all these cool things to see, Chloe just wanted to spend all her time in the water (which is FREEZING!) or digging in the sand. After the beach we drove over to the Oregon Coast Aquarium which was a treat. There was no crowd to speak of and, best of all, we just happened to arrive as all of the animals were being fed so we saw them on their "best behavior". We had fantastic weather while we were at the aquarium, but it is Oregon, so we knew that was subject to change at any time. From the aquarium we started to drive to find lunch, and Chloe passed out from the morning's activities. We got sandwiches from the local gorcery and drove down to historic Nye Beach where we sat in the car watching the birds and the waves come and go. Being that we are in Oregon, the rain is never far away. Our next stop was to see the historic Yaquina Head Lighthouse just north of Newport. The rain actually let up just enough for us to get out and walk around, snap a few pictures, and get back in the car to escape as the rain picked up. Later that evening, I set out to get a sweet treat and found myself on the Historic Bay Front and a candy shoppe run by two very friendly older gals that would have talked to me for the rest of the night. They were very generous as well since I probably could have tasted everything in the store without a purchase (making me sick in the mean time).
The next day we made plans to meet with Heidi's cousin in Depoe Bay (on their anniversary!). The trip was initially supposed to be a whale watching adventure, but the weather was not being cooperative. We met for a late breakfast at a wonderful little place called the Whale Watch Cafe. HUGE reasonabley priced meals! Following that we decided to head inland and visit the home of Oregon State University, Corvallis - which is where Heidi's cousin's Jackson, Kyle, and Lucas live. We cruised around the town, looking at the downtown area, then spent some time catching up at their lovely house. We're hoping to be able to make a trip back to see the remodel once it's completed. Dinner was a fun affair at a very eclectic pizza joint, and then we were off to drive back home.
The next morning it was quite foggy during breakfast. We ate at a resturant called the Apple Peddler and had an average breakfast, certainly nothing to write home about. From there is was off to the beach, and the first one that we stopped at was called BEACH. The tide was out that particular morning ... and it was WAY out. As we walked along the beach we came across a magnificent set of tide pools where we saw tiny crabs and starfish making themselves at home. Of course, with all these cool things to see, Chloe just wanted to spend all her time in the water (which is FREEZING!) or digging in the sand. After the beach we drove over to the Oregon Coast Aquarium which was a treat. There was no crowd to speak of and, best of all, we just happened to arrive as all of the animals were being fed so we saw them on their "best behavior". We had fantastic weather while we were at the aquarium, but it is Oregon, so we knew that was subject to change at any time. From the aquarium we started to drive to find lunch, and Chloe passed out from the morning's activities. We got sandwiches from the local gorcery and drove down to historic Nye Beach where we sat in the car watching the birds and the waves come and go. Being that we are in Oregon, the rain is never far away. Our next stop was to see the historic Yaquina Head Lighthouse just north of Newport. The rain actually let up just enough for us to get out and walk around, snap a few pictures, and get back in the car to escape as the rain picked up. Later that evening, I set out to get a sweet treat and found myself on the Historic Bay Front and a candy shoppe run by two very friendly older gals that would have talked to me for the rest of the night. They were very generous as well since I probably could have tasted everything in the store without a purchase (making me sick in the mean time).
The next day we made plans to meet with Heidi's cousin in Depoe Bay (on their anniversary!). The trip was initially supposed to be a whale watching adventure, but the weather was not being cooperative. We met for a late breakfast at a wonderful little place called the Whale Watch Cafe. HUGE reasonabley priced meals! Following that we decided to head inland and visit the home of Oregon State University, Corvallis - which is where Heidi's cousin's Jackson, Kyle, and Lucas live. We cruised around the town, looking at the downtown area, then spent some time catching up at their lovely house. We're hoping to be able to make a trip back to see the remodel once it's completed. Dinner was a fun affair at a very eclectic pizza joint, and then we were off to drive back home.
6.02.2004
Memorial Day travels
The NW travels continue ... over the past few weekends we have ventured out to explore some really fantasic areas of the northwest.
Pre-Memorial Day warm up trip:
On May 23, we took off on a day trip up the Oregon coast to Astoria and the general area. We decided to pass Astoria on the way up and continue on to Washington and an area called Long Beach. This was a really ... long ... beach?! We spent some time playing in the sand, and then driving on the beach. Yes, this beach allowed you to drive once you passed a certain point - and we enjoyed the opportunity to see the beach in fast forward. This also gave us the opportunity to let our little CRV kick in the 4-wheel drive. (Scared Heidi though - he he)
Memorial Day Weekend trips:
We kicked off the big 3-day weekend with a 1/2 day trip to one of Oregon's natural wonders, the Silver Falls State Park. On May 29th, we started our mini-hike at Winter Falls (#7 on the linked map) and continued along the path where we passed 4 more falls in total. The hike was just over 2 miles in and out and we found it to be some of the most beautiful naturescape that we had ever seen. It was raining for most of the time we were hiking which made for a bit of a soggy time. However, it also made the falls run just a bit stonger and more beautiful. Chloe stayed in her backpack for the enire hike, what a trooper! She kept telling us stories and making up little songs while we walked and took in the sights and sounds.
For the next trip, we couldn't decide whether to hit the coast again, or try something new. In typical fashion, it all worked out in the end for us as we chose to experience the southern portion of Mount St. Helens. As I was searching the web site for St. Helens, I saw a blurb about Ape Cave and I was intrigued ... so much so that this is where we decided to visit on our first trip to the mountain. On May 30th, we started to drive up to the cave and within minutes of reaching the location, the rain became to come down, and Chloe fell asleep. Instead of stopping at the cave straight away, we passed it on the way up to Lava Canyon and Ape Canyon trail heads. While it was far too wet to get out and walk around, it definately looked like a gorgeous hike with some very intersting natural features to pass. On to the actual cave ... it was dark ... and wet ... and actually pretty cool. We were woefully unprepared as the weather was raining buckets, we were just waking Chloe up, and when we got into the cave, we realized that one flashlight was not going to cut the mustard. I climbed the stairs out, went back to the car to get the backpack (which I should have brought ... ugh), rented a lantern, then returned to the cave. It was a very surreal experience trudging through this old lava tube all the while thinking ... is this the time that St. Helens decides to re-erupt? After the 1.5 mile hike down the tube and back, we journeyed back home, stopping at the most recently added Chipotle restaurant in Beaverton, OR. Yummy, yummy.
For our final journey of the weekend, we took our chances with the weather and drove out to the coast. We returned to one of our favorite spots, Cannon Beach. This time we drove a little further south and parked at Tolovana Beach. This was a beautiful entry to Cannon Beach where we spent the next 4-5 hours enjoying the rain-free day. I forgot to put sun block on and only discovered later what we all know, that a hazy day will burn you as easily as a sunny one. We played in the sand and walked in the surf as we made our way north along the beach towards Haystack Rock. After a few choice photo ops, it was back to the car, change of clothes for Chloe, and on to lunch. We decided to give the "famous" Mo's a try. It was average at best, what I would call a toursit trap type place. I had a bowl of chowder with a dinner salad covered in timy shrimp. Heidi had a burger, and Chloe had chicken tenders and fries. Nothing stood out as particularly excellent, but it filled our stomachs for the afternoon. After that, it was back to reality and the drive back home.
Pre-Memorial Day warm up trip:
On May 23, we took off on a day trip up the Oregon coast to Astoria and the general area. We decided to pass Astoria on the way up and continue on to Washington and an area called Long Beach. This was a really ... long ... beach?! We spent some time playing in the sand, and then driving on the beach. Yes, this beach allowed you to drive once you passed a certain point - and we enjoyed the opportunity to see the beach in fast forward. This also gave us the opportunity to let our little CRV kick in the 4-wheel drive. (Scared Heidi though - he he)
Memorial Day Weekend trips:
We kicked off the big 3-day weekend with a 1/2 day trip to one of Oregon's natural wonders, the Silver Falls State Park. On May 29th, we started our mini-hike at Winter Falls (#7 on the linked map) and continued along the path where we passed 4 more falls in total. The hike was just over 2 miles in and out and we found it to be some of the most beautiful naturescape that we had ever seen. It was raining for most of the time we were hiking which made for a bit of a soggy time. However, it also made the falls run just a bit stonger and more beautiful. Chloe stayed in her backpack for the enire hike, what a trooper! She kept telling us stories and making up little songs while we walked and took in the sights and sounds.
For the next trip, we couldn't decide whether to hit the coast again, or try something new. In typical fashion, it all worked out in the end for us as we chose to experience the southern portion of Mount St. Helens. As I was searching the web site for St. Helens, I saw a blurb about Ape Cave and I was intrigued ... so much so that this is where we decided to visit on our first trip to the mountain. On May 30th, we started to drive up to the cave and within minutes of reaching the location, the rain became to come down, and Chloe fell asleep. Instead of stopping at the cave straight away, we passed it on the way up to Lava Canyon and Ape Canyon trail heads. While it was far too wet to get out and walk around, it definately looked like a gorgeous hike with some very intersting natural features to pass. On to the actual cave ... it was dark ... and wet ... and actually pretty cool. We were woefully unprepared as the weather was raining buckets, we were just waking Chloe up, and when we got into the cave, we realized that one flashlight was not going to cut the mustard. I climbed the stairs out, went back to the car to get the backpack (which I should have brought ... ugh), rented a lantern, then returned to the cave. It was a very surreal experience trudging through this old lava tube all the while thinking ... is this the time that St. Helens decides to re-erupt? After the 1.5 mile hike down the tube and back, we journeyed back home, stopping at the most recently added Chipotle restaurant in Beaverton, OR. Yummy, yummy.
For our final journey of the weekend, we took our chances with the weather and drove out to the coast. We returned to one of our favorite spots, Cannon Beach. This time we drove a little further south and parked at Tolovana Beach. This was a beautiful entry to Cannon Beach where we spent the next 4-5 hours enjoying the rain-free day. I forgot to put sun block on and only discovered later what we all know, that a hazy day will burn you as easily as a sunny one. We played in the sand and walked in the surf as we made our way north along the beach towards Haystack Rock. After a few choice photo ops, it was back to the car, change of clothes for Chloe, and on to lunch. We decided to give the "famous" Mo's a try. It was average at best, what I would call a toursit trap type place. I had a bowl of chowder with a dinner salad covered in timy shrimp. Heidi had a burger, and Chloe had chicken tenders and fries. Nothing stood out as particularly excellent, but it filled our stomachs for the afternoon. After that, it was back to reality and the drive back home.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
