Low Tides and Mocha Frappes

 

Yesterday (Saturday) was the perfect morning for another trip to Florence, Oregon. The waves seemed to be calling our names. After taking the pup out for his morning walk, we loaded the truck up. This trip was going to be mostly about family. 

Terry's daughter accepted our invitation to come with us, along with her son. She had never seen the Oregon coast and her son had never witnessed the beauty of an ocean in his 10-years of being alive. It was time we introduced them to Florence. I had invited my family to meet us there too, but my daughters either had plans for the day or were sick. So, we headed out with a group of four. 

I was excited to show his daughter the uniqueness of Florence. Loving the town myself, it's nice to introduce it to others. Sometimes I feel like I'm a walking, talking bulletin board for the Florence Visitor's Bureau. I say that in a humorous tone, yet find myself almost advertising it to people, as I do in this blog, when I learn they have never been there. 

The trip started out with the usual visits to the strip of shops along the walkway. The shops always intrigue me. Even though I go into most of them each time I go, there is always some new experience, product, or puppy I may see. The shops in Florence are dog friendly, leaving patrons the option of taking their fur baby on a shopping spree alongside them. Water bowls are at the entrance of many shops, allowing the pups to quench their thirst on a warmer day. 

Between each shop lies an abundance of artwork, like this fish strung between two trees. Talk about a fish out of water! This stainless-steel fish was added to the art existing in the walkway a few months ago, catching the eyes of those walking through the gazebo area. 

Looking in the opposite direction is the gazebo. The weather-worn white structure has been home to Christmas trees during the season's festivities of tree lighting and music, and of course the appearance of the man in the red suit. It also makes a perfect spot to get photos if the desire is there. Standing in this little offshoot of the main thoroughfare gives one the opportunity to listen to the flowing waters of the Siuslaw River and to view the boats as they roar by. The path here leads around the circle and then down to the remnants of what used to be the old ferry. 

The old ferry landing is a great spot to take in scenic portions of the Siuslaw. A ferry used to travel diagonally, carrying goods from Florence to Glenada and elsewhere. The North and South jetties and the Siuslaw River made Florence a natural hub for industry. Glenada Oregon is an unincorporated community that lies across the Siuslaw from Florence. In 1912, Glenada was incorporated, however in 1922, the town's sawmills burned to the ground, resulting in the breaking up of the incorporation. Standing on the lookout, you can see the remains of what used to be the ferry landing.  

A ferry used to carry goods (and people) up and down the Siuslaw River and diagonally to the community of Glenada. 

After our educational visit to the scene of the ferry, we walked west up the sidewalk to another shop. Most of the shops here are unique in their appearance and in the goods they carry. A small kite shop gives visitors to the coast a chance to fly that perfect kite on the beach. From small kites to larger, fancier kites, the shop aims to please everyone. 

We popped into a variety shop. But this is not just any variety store. This shop carries beautiful clock kits, tiny house kits, and amazing craft ideas and kits, giving you the option of bringing the unique pieces home with you. 

Some of the specialty products are miniature houses. These tiny dwellings are very cool to look at. The small windows, plants, and home decor complete a fantasy home. Not only do they show off small decorative pieces, but common items around the home such as mops and brooms. Each is unique in terms of decoration, architecture and colors. As a collective, they do all offer one thing: the fascinating world of miniatures. I fell madly in love with the tiny homes the first time I saw them. 

One of the miniature structures was of a greenhouse. I love this one!

I adore the miniature features of these homes and shops. They sweep you into what it would be like to live in the tiny world in which they would exist. Add people, dogs, cats and traffic, and voila! Your world is complete. Up next, we headed into the River Roasters for a drink. 

I ordered a hazelnut Italian soda to try something new. Ordering the watermelon Italian soda last time, I thought a change of pace would be nice. 

Terry's daughter and her son ordered a couple of hot chocolates. As with most of River Roaster's drinks and eats, the hot chocolate is champion. 

Terry stuck with his order of last weekend, the mocha frappe. He loves the flavor and couldn't wait to have another one. It met his expectations!

Of course, both drinks were topped with whipped cream! If you're going to do it, do it well, damn the 80 pounds to the hips and rear. 

After ordering our drinks, I went to the back of the cafe to grab us a table. We wanted the prime spot of a table sitting on the back patio as we did last weekend with my granddaughter and her husband, but the tables were full. This shattered the idea of engaging in conversation over a drink while looking at an amazing view of the river. We sat at the table and bar in the back until a spot opened on the back deck. The wait was worth it. Riverfront views are spectacular. Very calming. The day was a bit nippy though with the winds swirling around us to bring the chill to life. With frozen fingers and red noses, we finished our drinks and began the journey west once more.  

Of course, a trip to Old Town in Florence also means stopping by the "psychedelic" seal as Terry calls it. All sorts of photos have been taken by this piece of art and my family is no different. Terry and I have a couple of photos taken here, but now that we had unsuspecting company, it was their turn. They both handled the photo session well.

Drinks finished; we crossed the street to go into one of my favorite stores, Book and Bears. Books and Bears is an old-fashioned bookstore. One of the stores that are hard to find in the modern technological world we live in today. With several aisles of wooden bookshelves, the selection is good. You can find all types of books, from every genre and many years of published works. There are new and used books, including books for children in the mix. 

This beautiful piece was found in the following store. The Tyrannosaurus Rex head sat on the highest shelf in a shop filled with gorgeous knickknacks. Terry fell in love with the hand-crafted dino and others, including a large cobra on the shelf next to this one. 

All of these pieces were designed by an artist located in England. 

The shop had so many unique and interesting offerings that it took us quite a while to examine them all. Jewelry, more of the statues, blown glass figurines and even leather hand bound journals filled shelf after shelf. 

About an hour later, we headed eastward to see what other stores might hold our attention. We passed several small restaurants along the way. The food smelled great. Tables line Bay Street to give patrons the perfect spot to see all the town offers. There was the bustle of a town, sounds of traffic, dogs stopping to say "hi" to those who wanted to pet them. I love the small town feel and look of Old Town. 

The spiritual bookstore is always a must while in Old Town. Even though we were there last weekend, we wanted to stop again. Terry spotted several books he was interested in and so the shopping adventure was complete. Now it was time to choose a place to eat. 

Next to Mo's Restaurant, a famous seafood restaurant on the waterfront, sits an eatery that is typically friendly, and the food is pretty good. The place is called ICM (International C-Food Market). 

Wooden picnic style tables are seated outside by the docks along the Siuslaw River, or you can pick a table inside the restaurant to stay out of the sun or cold. It was nippy yesterday, especially by the waterfront. We moved indoors. 

Our waitress came over and took our order. Terry, once again, did the unthinkable and ordered a calamari sandwich. Ugh. His daughter reminded him that ordering that food means he is not allowed to kiss me the rest of the day. I threw in that was true. But I did give the option of going to a bathroom, washing his face in hot water, brushing his teeth and rinsing the entire nasty ordeal off with a bottle of Lysol. I wasn't picky about the scent. I was being fair.

After eating, we left to get into the car and head to the main event of the beach. We turned right on Pacific Highway 101 to go to Heceta beach, one of my favorite places to go. On our 15-minute drive I noticed the light misting on the windshield. Here we go. Rain. 

Before leaving the house, we had checked the weather forecast. There was a 10% chance of rain, but we ignored the warning, believing that 10% was nothing. When the forecast calls for rain, even a tiny bit, it usually means the weather overall will be cloudy, cold, and that Oregon coast breeze will whip on you like a schoolyard bully. 

It turned out okay. The light drizzle stopped as we arrived. The parking lot was filled with people from all around the country. Ohio, Florida, and even Washington state license plates were spotted. Beach visitors were running toward the ocean waves, only to rush back to avoid getting wet. Dogs were running back and forth from their owners to the driftwood the waves pushed onto the sand. 

The tide had flowed outward, leaving a graveyard of stones, shells, and barnacles on the rocks. Heceta beach has a few "caves" crafted by years of water pounding against the rock. Typically, the caves remain unseen by beach goers due to the high-water levels. But today, the cave entrances were visible. I ran to the large rock formation to capture pictures of the indentations. 

Low tide meant the exploration of wave creations in the rocks.

For visitors to the Heceta beach area, the exploration of these caves becomes a game of sorts. When the tide is out, you can navigate over rocks, standing water and sand to reach the cave fronts. This allows a window of time to get photographs and check out the small pools for any small creatures that may be waiting for the return of the ocean waters. 

Barnacles cover portions of the rock. Seaweed lies limp, motionless along the sand in areas. The underwater life becomes real to those who walk along the rock to see what they may find. I spotted something in the sand at one point. Looking like a large mussel, I put the toe of my shoe under it to flip the shell from the dip it was lying in. To my surprise, it was a live crab. 

Seeing the crab was alive, I made an attempt to flip it into the hole it had dug. Instead, it flipped upside down. 

I did not want to leave it in this vulnerable position, so Terry and I began to flip it again.

We wished the crab good luck and moved on to another area. It was time to actually enjoy the beach!

 

And enjoy it we did! The waves were crashing against the rocks once more, the tide moving inward. It was another wonderful photo opportunity. The Oregon coast never disappoints in that area. Wind was blowing in and the drizzle was on the move toward us again. Time had passed so quickly, but it was definitely time to head home again. All of us had shoes and socks that were soaked, giving that squishy feeling as we headed back to the car. 

Someone had crafted "drip" towers in the wet sand. Scooping water and sand into a bottle, container, or even your hand to drip it onto the beach will provide an artsy way to craft towers, sandcastles, and even "trees".  The sand artist topped their tower off with a shell. Either that or their mind drifted to Christmas trees, topping it off with a shell instead of the traditional star. No matter the intention, seeing the outcome was fun. 

Driving toward home, the memories of the day rested peacefully in our minds. Terry's daughter and her son enjoyed their trip and so did Terry and me. I'm always glad we make the choice to venture out to the coast and especially Florence. Making memories and loving the outings!

The sun dropped lower in the sky. It was inevitable we would not be home before it turned dark. Terry asked me to drive on the way back, which I did. Once we drove for a while, I pulled over at the sight of these beautiful creatures. 

The elk lookout along the highway is worth halting your trip. I have only seen the elk herd a couple of times in my lifetime. They are always amazing to see when they are out though. 

Seeing the elk herd graze in the light of day was special. Truly ended the trip with a nice adventure. I was happy as I believe everyone on the trip was too. It was a beautiful day, spent with family. Nothing can beat that.