Our trip began on a not-so-hurried interstate--not what we expected. This section of highway is probably the most miserable in the state as it's usually bumper-to-bumper. After making it through, we took a detour on Hwy. 6 to Tillamook. The drive was actually quite nice, and fairly quiet.

Once we hit Tillamook, our destination of Manzanita was only about 25 miles away on US 101. There's no doubt that highway 101 is probably one of the most beautiful drives of all time, and stretches all the way down through California. After passing through Bay City, we stopped in Garibaldi at the local Dairy Queen for two of the largest DQ cones ever. My passion is cherry dipped cones, and Terry's is soft chocolate.

From there it was on to Rockaway Beach. The picture of the old restaurant taken from down in the dunes, really gave me a nice retro feeling. I felt free and young, very difficult to explain, but everything was like a carnival, just like the days of going to the beach with my family.

One of my favorite scenic wonders in Rockaway are the side-by-side monoliths known as "Twin Rocks". On this day, the weather was just blue. No other words can describe it better. It was warm, sunny, and everything was a series of blues; light, dark, medium, but all blue. Only the sand and buildings seemed to have other colors. It was really a great day, and a fantastic feeling to be around and immersed in so much blue.

After arriving in Manzanita we soon hit the beach. The weather was perfect; sunny, not too hot, and the smell of salt water was everywhere. There was also a sort of "coming of fall" haze that further perpetuated the light, making the ambience of the coast even more dazzling than normal. It wasn't like summer; it was like fall when the cornfields are in full bloom. Only this time, it was the stark whitecaps and the brine-sweeping seagulls that painted this particular portrait.

Another great aspect of Manzanita is that it's also a "pet friendly" town. Dogs are everywhere! I've never seen any cats, but there are dogs galore.

We stopped in and browsed most of the shops, but my favorite by far was a scrapbooking store called "Salt and Paper". They have the best salt water taffy ever! Included is a flavor called "red licorice" that tastes exactly like the real article.

Also, for being such a small beach town shop, they had a great assortment of art and scrapbooking supplies. I was very releived to find that they carry sketch pads and my favorite pen (Micron) for doing my ink drawings.

There were also lots of sand dunes topped with grasses and cat tails. I'm a real sand dune lover which is why Manzanita is another attraction to me.

The next day saw gray clouds and some rain. Still, on the coast, gray just makes it more beautiful. The gray brings out a mood; a certain flavor that just has to be felt rather than seen. Click on any of these thumbnails below for a full view of beautiful gray! I like the photo of the wind sock, second from the right.

The Food...

By far the best Italian food I've ever eaten would have to be at Guido's Ristorante in Wheeler. The neighboring towns of Nehalem and Wheeler are only a few miles away. The portions at Guido's are very generous, and the culinary mastery is self-evident with every bite. The prices are average, and not too far out the roof.

However, one of my favorite things of all is seafood. Therefore, I'd have to recommend the "Manzanita Seafood & Chowderhouse". The food is great, the prices comparable (expensive Seafood Platter, but there ya go, yer at the beach), and the atmosphere is very friendly. It's a very friendly combination: a storefront where walk-ins can buy seafood right out of the freezer, and a tiny restaurant seating area.

I mentioned the Seafood Platter because it was very good! It was fried, and I'd never had fried oysters before. I generally love sauteed seafood, but the fried oysters were the best. Try this place out if you're ever in Manzanita.

Our Room...

Our room was nice and looked out over the ocean. However, the best part of all was our "hungry visitor", a lady seagull who had the audacity to enter our room seeking popcorn. Of course, I was tossing it all over the floor, so I guess an invitation is an invitation, and she accepted graciously.

I mention that it was a lady seagull only due to the markings; she was darker in color, with lots of browns and tans, perfect nesting camoflage for dunes etc.

Check out our "hungry visitor" video here.

Jeff's Sketches

These are a couple of the sketches I did on the beach in between bits of drizzle on Friday.
You can click on them to see the art in a larger view.

Our Thoughts...

Terry's Thoughts. Day One.

"Walked thru a few art galleries but nothing worth mentioning. The "Salt & Paper" store had everything one could want: candles, art supplies, salt water taffy!
Had lasagna at Guidos. Was a huge, huge serving. Even Jeff couldn't finish it.
Started with a movie, but kept dozing off; so very relaxed."

Jeff's Thoughts. On the Beach.

"In the sketch of the dunes and grass, I began concentrating on just how many footprints there were in the sand. Then I began thinking about how I love the sculptures in the sand, and the fun of building sandcastles. I suppose that thought came to me after seeing this sandcastle on the beach at Rockaway. However, the gray days provide a calm, and driftwood feels like temporary shelter on a lonely beach.

Terry's Thoughts. Day Two.

"It's gray and misty, but the kids are already in the pool. Hope the waffle place is still open. So many places have closed. Need to go the "Salt & Paper" store for another candle and more taffy. Found some great dictionaries for a dollar each at a garage sale. They'll be perfect for collage, and can't beat the price.

Worked on the skylines and skyscrapers swap. There's something about doing art at the beach. It's totally freeing, not having to think of everything that needs to be done as I would be thinking about if we were at home. With the fireplace and the sound of the waves, it was heaven.

We talked about how fun it would be to own an art gallery at the beach, and live at the same address. Jeff could teach ESL and we could sell art. What fun that would be.