Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Seaside Shenanigans!

Electric pink wild roses bloom ecstatically along the Oregon Coast.

What began on a whim last Thanksgiving is happily turning into an annual Big Life Adventure.

Hydrangea withers to a pretty plum as autumn leaves begin to turn.

Our new tradition is to gather with family and friends for a Thanksgiving feast. And, then...

Hop a plane to Oregon the following morning to burn what we gobbled!


Cape Mears Lighthouse is also home to the famous Octopus Tree ~ which I'd love to show you, were it not for the fact that I forgot to take a picture of it.

If you've never been to the Oregon coast may I suggest that you abandon this blog right here and now and go book yourself a flight?

Because my photos can't do justice to the breathtaking scenery and ocean side horsey back rides in this very special place.

Wild roses flourish, protected by driftwood. How they grow so well in beach sand is beyond me...

We shared the sunsets with plentiful pelicans ~ whom we hoped weren't carnivorous. (Let's blame that irrational fear on Alfred Hitchcock.)

Base camp is the historic ~ and hopefully haunted ~ Happy Camp Hideaway Homestead, built in 1906 on Netarts Bay, Oregon. (They've fixed it up a bit since this photo was taken.)

We can thank our own personal vacation planner, M, for this great getaway.

"It takes a long time to grow an old friend."
~ John Leonard


M and her paint pony, Royal.

The Gang
(That's me in the green hat.)

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Kate~~

Looks and sounds like you had a fun time. The Oregon coast really is a magical place. The weather can be iffy--wind! But even the 50 mile drive from my home feels like another world. Love the horses, pelicans and flowers.

joey said...

I can see why 'Seaside' Shenanigans' might become an annual event ... why not ... it looks 'as good as it gets' :)

Granny J said...

Oh, envy, envy, envy!

Anonymous said...

Hi Kate - Beautiful pictures and this trip looks wonderful -Gloria

Shady Gardener said...

What a wonderful place!! We've been to one part of Oregon's coast - a number of years ago. We weren't able to spend a lot of time there, but what we saw was beautiful. You provide a great advertisement! :-)

jan said...

I looks very pretty! Hope you have a wonderful time!

Rose said...

I was surprised to see those blooms at the beginning--the last time I visited here you were covered with snow. Ah, now I understand! What a wonderful Thanksgiving tradition, and one I would have gladly joined in on! My youngest Daughter now lives in Portland and was the only member of the family who didn't get to come home for Thanksgiving. I would have loved to have jumped on a plane to visit her! I've already told her that when I do come to visit, I want to go to the ocean. These photos look so inviting--I'm ready to leave now!

Chloe m said...

Kate,
That is a great idea! I have been hankering to see the ocean again.
It does look beautiful...such a nice tradition.
Rosey

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Grace -- I think I mentioned over on your blog how I'm in love with Oregon. It's a magical place. I get a little weary of my dry, desert surroundings. It drives people crazy when I arrive and wish for rain. Most Oregonians are wishing for it to stop raining! :))

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Joey!
It's a lot of fun and a good weekend to disappear with a few old friends. Last year we had 2. This year, 4. If it continues to grow exponentially Wendy might have to buy more horses. :D

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Granny and Jan!
You're in the same boat as me... no rain forests where we're from. A nice break from our surroundings. I'm sure Granny would be able to capture some fab lighthouse photos.

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Shady;
Funny you say I'm a good advertisement.' Tis true. I'm always raving about the horse rental place (owned by one woman, we've become friends) and the ocean cabins (owned by a sweet couple, we've also become friends.) So, I rave about these places. Then I call to make a reservation and they say "Nope, sorry, booked up!"

Huh? So, I'm not doing myself any favors!

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Gloria!
Thanks for stopping by. The last time I visited the OR shore I dragged along a dear friend from Wasta, SD. We may have to drag you along on the next one! Can never have too many SD gals....

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Rose;
Portland, how nice, you're daughter picked a great city to live in and fun for you, too, since it's so close to the ocean from there!

I'm not much of a shopper and it turns out some of my friends aren't either. So, it's nice to find a new thing to do over the long holiday weekend.

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Rosey;
Your kids would have soooo much fun at Happy Camp. Kite flying on the beach is a big deal for the kiddies because (as Grace mentioned) it can be very windy! I was so relieved to find this place because it is cute AND affordable - kind of a rarity these days.

Anonymous said...

I admit I am 'jealous' of your holiday get-away! It looked to be glorious in every way :) I love the pictures you post...they're like a breath of fresh air to me as I sit here and look outside at all the snow and feel the chill of single digit temps seeping through the window!! My favorite pic is of the rain misted rose--oh my gaw it's beautiful! Lucky you!!

Carol said...

What a great tradition! I am so jealous of the horse back riding on the beach!!! What fun. Your photos of the roses and landscape are beautiful. Carol

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Bookworm!
Yup, loads of fun but don't feel too terribly jealous of the weather. See that we're wearing our ski hats? It was darn chilly on the Bay Ocean beach. :)

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Thanks, Carol! I feel very fortunate to have a few gal pals who are up for a big adventure, now and then. :D

Shady Gardener said...

Kate, You're too funny! That was cute, though. And I suspect it might be true. :-)