Ocean Spiders and Holding Hands

 

The other day I had a few moments free after work and chose to spend that time doing something as useless as I could muster, so I chose Facebook. It is always at the top of the list for wasting time. 

Thumbing through several posts that appeared on my timeline, I giggled at some, scoffed at others, but stopped in my tracks when I saw my granddaughter inviting others to head to the beach with them Saturday. 

I jumped on that invite, told her Terry and I would love to head to the coast and that we had been thinking about taking the trip soon anyway. As we do many times when we go on an outing, we invited the entire family. Turns out, Jess and Brandon, my granddaughter and her husband were the only ones able to make it today. 

Terry and I set up food for the pup and the kitties. We also made sure to lay down the rules as any good parent does. I looked at all three fur babies as we walked out, especially focusing on the two boys, and gave them the typical parental rules and guidance to ensure we had a home to come back to. My lecture is the same each time, "Boys, there will be no fighting. There will be no intimidating each other or your sister. There will be no parties and definitely no loud music allowed. Make no mistake, you will all be in deep doo-doo if we return and find there have been women in this house. Any women besides your sister in this house will mean grounding, no treats for the week, and your blankies will be taken away." Parental duties accomplished; we head out the door. 

The drive was absolutely stunning, as Oregon travel typically is. I love Oregon, for sure, but as other native Oregonians do, I tend to take the scenery for granted. That is until I get on the road and do recall how beautiful this state is. 

Even with some of the trees still in their winter slumber, nature's artwork is breathtaking. We started out with blue skies and the sun felt so good against our skin. I had goosebumps all over my body as the rays soaked into every bare piece of skin. It was absolute heaven to feel the warmth as I waited for Terry to open the door to the car. But then that cold winter wind that wants to hang on until the last second of the season smacks you in the face, waking you right up. You instantly remember that winter is brutally vibrant and is here for the remainder of the season. The heavenly warmth has dissipated and now I'm shivering and impatiently waiting for the heater in the car to come on. Such is Oregon's winters. 

The drive is filled with all the green that is Oregon. Indigenous fir trees blowing in the wind, shading large portions of the highway, creating artwork that is difficult to describe, but breathtaking to those experiencing the piece. No matter the season, Oregon's beauty remains in the branches of the Douglas firs, the long needles of the spruce and the cedars that shoot into the sky in almost every corner of this state. The fresh scent of pine, cedar and spruce trees swirl through the moving air as your vehicle travels along the road. This is what I fell in love with when we moved here in 1962 from Tennessee. As I have grown older, I realize I want to live nowhere else but Oregon because of that scent, that beauty. Terry has come from California, which is beautiful in its own right, but he is taken by the scenery of Oregon as well. 

Even with the trees not yet awakened by spring, the green from the firs remain in the background, keeping the drive interesting with the mixture of the elements. 

Racing by scenery in the car, I made an attempt to capture as much of the ride as possible. This is a lake we passed by during the drive. I'm uncertain of the name though. 

I told Terry I did need to stop somewhere to use the bathroom if we could. We began the search along the way. He informed me that he had to go as well. So off we went to find an outhouse, a bathroom built inside a building, or even the nearest lake. Something had to be out there, and we were getting desperate. We finally located a compromise. There was a campground that had a lake and the wonderful sight of a Buck in a brick building. Hey, I'll take it. I'm not picky. It was either that or the lake. 

This was the lake at the campground we stopped at along the way. Once relieved, we hit the road again for the rest of the drive. It was not long before we saw a familiar bridge; the bridge leading into Florence, Oregon.

After two hours of travel time and one Steely Dan CD later, we came upon the bridge that indicates we are formally entering the little town of Florence, Oregon. Jess sent me a text to meet them in Old Town, a little strip of unique shops and restaurants along the downtown thoroughfare. Old Town is a spot all of us as a family stroll through each time we visit the Florence beaches. The visit to Old Town is a must for anyone, whether new to the area or a seaworthy advocate of the magical downtown ambiance.

Upon our visit, it's first things first. We hit the bathrooms. Hey, it's important. A bathroom break and hand scrubbing later, we head on out to visit our favorite stores. The little town of Florence is home to many eclectic shops, with merchandise from books to kitchen and pantry items to crystals and saltwater taffy. Each store tells its own tale. Some are mystical in nature, with palo santo and incense smells filling the air, inviting those passing by into the world of modern spirituality. Others carry pots, pans, and rolling pins and shelf upon shelf of homemade jams and jellies. Aprons, baking sheets, roasters, and oven timers fill more space, offering the home cook anything he or she could desire. 

For artists and those decorating a home, there are galleries filled with artwork depicting sea life. Between paintings, prints, fabrics and even mobiles and chimes, everyone has a great chance to locate their favorite thing they cannot live without. Handcrafted and mass-produced items galore, all to entice the many visitors to Old Town. 

One stop is a must and that is River Roasters. This little tea and coffee shop offers Italian sodas, teas of all types, and is a coffee lover's haven. Cookies, muffins and various sweets call your name from their place in the glass viewing cases. Once your drink is ready, you can head to the back patio that sits on the Siuslaw River. 

I ordered a sugar free watermelon Italian soda with heavy cream swirl and topped off with a cloud of whipped cream. Terry snagged a good tasting mocha frappe with whipped cream. Jess and Brandon each ordered varying flavors of the Italian soda family. We carried all of our drinks out to the back patio to sit and enjoy the view. 

Yummy watermelon Italian soda with heavy cream and topped with whipped cream. Excellent drink and about 80 pounds of extra weight added to my butt. Awesome. 

Terry had the mocha frappe with whipped cream. Somehow men can avoid all the calories in drinks, so he won't gain an ounce from his delightful mixture, I'm sure. 

Could not resist taking a photo of everyone sitting on the back patio along the Siuslaw River. Baby Zyrah, her dad Brandon, Jessee my granddaughter and Terry, my fiancé. The sun was great, but the breeze was still nippy. Overall, we could not have chosen a better day to drive to the coast. Not in the winter anyway. 

Our next stop was across the street from River Roasters. A delightful bookstore called Books and Bears. The store is home to hundreds of books. From children's favorites to cookbooks and fiction. Highly recommend a visit to this store if you're ever in Old Town, Florence, Oregon. 

Zyrah loved her book that Jess purchased for her. She sat down in front of the counter, opened the book, and proceeded to check out the pictures. 

Our little group decided it was time to stop and eat. Old Town has many restaurants, and the choice was left as to what we were hungry for. The Bay Street Grille is a welcoming eatery, with nice staff and cute decor. The menu covers a wide selection of food and drinks. We figured everyone could get what they want with this option. 

I jumped on the chance to get the chicken strip basket, with hand battered chicken strips. The chicken dish comes with a choice of fries or coleslaw. I snagged some great tasting garlic fries. Jess ordered the same, but with sweet potato fries. Brandon wanted a burger with fries, and my man ... Well, he went for the calamari sandwich plate. This dish is better known to me as "ocean spiders." I have nothing against spiders at all. No fear of them. But, with a squid front and center as your meal, smelling like it was drug from the bottom of the ocean, including some of the bottom of the ocean from the odor, it's not good. I have tried the dish before, but just cannot get past the smell. Anyway, we all had what we wanted, and life was good. Little Z got a cheeseburger for children, complimented with fries. She was happy too. 

Cute decor in preparation of Valentine's Day.

While we were waiting on our food, Terry played with Zyrah. Zyrah is typically all smiles and laughter as she was with her playtime with Terry. 

Our plates cleared; we walked out into the sunshine once again. Next stop was the shop of spiritual items, including some gorgeous "Whispers of the Ocean" cards Terry bought for me. He purchased an intricately designed carved box, a suncatcher and a book for himself. It was a shop that carried all sorts of books, sage, tapestries, and many other items. 

I am loving these cards! They are a nice deck with beautiful artwork. 

We stopped off at one more place before leaving Old Town. Years ago, Terry had visited Florence and saw some artwork in the town square. He wrote a poem about it as well and referred to it as "the psychedelic seal." We had to stop by and take a few pictures of us with the seal. 

I was standing partially on a concrete foundation for the art piece and had one foot down on the deck. I look like I'm ready to tackle someone in a football game. 

After Jess grabbed some ice cream, we jumped into our cars to drive to the beach. We were going to go to Heceta Beach, known for the beautiful sights, photo ops and of course the hike to Heceta Head Lighthouse. 

This concludes Part One of Ocean Spiders and Holding Hands. Join us for Part Two, the ocean scenes and photo ops.