Sons on a Beach

I'm sorry. There I said it. I'm sorry that I have made this blog into a Travel Guide to the greater Portland area. I'm sorry that I have made some of you feel bad about the places you live where there is no Trader Joe's, no My Favorite Muffin, no Powell's, etc., etc., and so forth. It was never my intention to have you go to bed at night regretting your choices that have caused you to live in Utah, or western Colorado, or Chicago (I think those are the three places my blog readers live!) Really - I am sorry.

So no more guilt. No more "Here are all the reason's to hate where you live." Just me and some pictures and some witty wordplay.

We felt like it was time for a real trip to the beach. We went once for an afternoon to Seaside but I had a work trip coming up in Lincoln City and Amy and the boys thought they should tag along. Then they could hang out at the beach, while I worked. This may sound like I got the raw end of the deal. But I just chatted with my employees, did some coaching, interviewed someone and went to lunch and had soft-shelled crabs, sushi and Soba noodles in a lovely broth. Amy had to schlep 250 items up and down several flights of steps, watch two little boys, schlep them back up when the had to potty, and schelp all of the stuff up at the end of the day. So think again about who had a more relaxing day. Plus, I still got to walk up and down the beach in the evening when I was done with work.
They thought getting in the water was pretty funny because it was COLD. This is Oregon, folks, not Santa Monica. We spent lots of time wandering up and down the beach looking for "she shells" and for glass floats. Evidently in Lincoln City there used to be a lot of hollow glass balls that would wash up on the beach from Japanese fishing boats (the balls were the floats that would hold the nets up.) Now that fishing boats have started using cheaper plastic floats there is a group of artists that makes 2000 floats every year and hides them on the beach for tourists to find. (If you are nerdy like me and enjoy costal trivia, click here!) We didn't find any floats, but we found lots of "she shells." Here is us looking and what happens when you tell my kids to pose for a picture:

Playing in the waves:

The water may be cold, but come on, this is a beautiful beach with some goofy children in the foreground:
Before we called it a night, we had dinner at Pig N' Pancake, which is the northwestern coast's answer to Denny's. They had free balloons, so my kids were happy. After a long day in the sun and sand, they were pretty tuckered.




OK. I can't resist. Don't you want to see this beach!? Don't you want to find a glass float?! You should come here!? (Or move here.) Ok, ok, ok. I am done.