Manzanita and Picture of the Weekend
It’s really been proof lately that picture of the day just isn’t working. Instead I’m staying with picture of the week. I knew this would happen and it’s good to find out and simply admit it. Now on with the pictures.
Megan and I spent a weekend in Manzanita (4/14-4/16) checking out a house that’s for sale by some friends of ours. We’re considering the purchase as both an investment and a place to enjoy away from Seattle. Let me just say this; I’ve never slept so well in my entire life save once, at a cabin on Orcas Island’s West Beach Resort. There’s something rejuvinating about sleeping near Mother ocean that I just cannot explain. There’s the biggest selling point.
The drive down is long, almost 5 hours but typically 4:30 if you time it right. That means relaxing 3 day weekends are a must. How sad. We arrived to a dry and calm night but awoke to what would become four seasons in a day. The sun got us up around 8:30AM. We made breakfast and read until 11:30 when we decided to take a walk down to the beach before meeting with our realtor. As we arrived at the beach the sun was starting to dim and the wind picked up. 5 minutes later it was hailing and pouring rain. We made it home but not before soaking up gallons of water. We actually had to change our clothes, tossing the wet ones in the laundry, before we could meet the realtor. The rain passed while we were at the realty office only to great us again at lunch. We ate burritos and enchiladas at a great downtown Mexican restaurant that serves some very healthy fair.
We decided to check out Canon Beach to the north which is only 20 minutes by car. The drive is gorgeous and the town could not be more different. Manzanita is a quiet town for city DINKS and retirees. Canon Beach is for tourists and rich city people who want million dollar homes on the water. It’s a very nice town but not nearly low key enough. I have a few pics from the beach of Haystack rock and the scenery. It’s incredible of course.
Back in Manzanita we drove down the length of Nehalem State Park to see what there was to offer. Being devoid of people I loved it. We drove to the end and parked on the other side of the beach dunes. We donned our parkas and walked over the dunes. It was the most peaceful walk up the sandy path, through fields of dune grass, just until we reached the top. Both of us were blinded by the gail of wind that carried with it a constant stream of sand and grit into our faces. It was just incredible how powerful the wind was. We screamed and ran into it down the dune towards the beach. As we neared the bottom of the dunes the rain started. I had to turn my back to the ocean and peer sideways to get a glimpse of the scene. It was as if I’d stepped on a foreign planet where I wasn’t welcome but yet I had to snap mental picture of it all. You must experience this yourself. Megan was already running away screaming. All I did was open my arms out to catch the wind and let it push me back over the dune. Awesome!
Back at home we rinsed off the parkas and settled in for a fire, long dinner movies, wine and one more beach walk near sundown where the elements subsided just long enough for us to enjoy the sands. Ok, we’re sold.
I’ve uploaded my Manzanita pics to Flickr for your enjoyment.