Trading Places

Hi, folks. It's me, Connie. Dave has been encouraging me for some time to do a post of my own, but I have thus far resisted the urge because I have heard it can become addictive. When he decided he didn't want to do a blog about our adventures on Sunday, I decided to step up.

We have been wanting to go the the Oregon coast for quite a while, so Saturday I suggested to him that since the pass seemed to be clear, we should go. Road Trip! (Dave's two favorite words in the world, besides "Feeling frisky?") He agreed immediately. After all, it had been a good two weeks since his last road trip.

We set out Sunday morning about 9:30, early for us. In order to get to the coast from Bend, you must first traverse the Santiam Pass. I love the pass. When we crossed it last summer, it was like a trip through the Enchanted Forest. In the winter, it resembles a Currier & Ives Christmas card. The statuesque pine trees that line the road are heavy with snow. As you get down into the lower elevations, you pass furry, moss covered trees, and the ice clinging to the rocks look like frozen water falls. It's really lovely. It takes a couple of hours all told, but it passes quickly since the scenery is so pretty.



After a quick pit stop in the town of Lebanon, it was off to Corvallis for lunch at Ruby Tuesday. (Ribs for him, crab cakes for me. Yum.) Our destination, the town of Newport, was about an hour from Corvallis. When we got there, we were greeted by Newport's welcoming committee - a group of fat, mustachioed sea lions. Their job was to bark a greeting to us. One side of the street was lined with traps designed to catch crab. It smelled like a cat's paradise.

The other side of the street was lined with shops with a nautical theme. We stopped at most of them and did a little shopping and wine tasting (me, not Dave, who doesn't imbibe). I got a couple of bottles of a very lovely German Riesling. The bottles are frosted, with a clear area that lets you view the scenic image on the back of the bottle, magnified by the clear wine. It's clever, and pretty too!

One shop was called "The Cat House" and featured lots of things having to do with cats. We bought some peacock feathers for the cat and a t-shirt for me that said, "Dogs have masters, cats have staff." After we killed a couple of hours shopping, we headed back.

The trip back was, in my opinion, not as pleasant. Although Dave would disagree with me, I think the road was dicey. (Was not! -dkg) In my humble opinion, driving on a twisty, icy road in the fog at night is scary. (Is not! -dkg) The road conditions did not phase Dave in the least. He merrily drove along, singing along with the MP3's we had brought along - an eclectic collection of songs ranging from Elvis Presley to Elvis Costello (Accidents will happen!) I was having hot flashes the whole trip home. (I'm 50 now, I'm allowed to have those.) Road conditions not withstanding, we made it home safely. By the time we arrived, the fog had cleared and we were able to see the Milky Way in the crystal clear skies.

Hopefully, you have enjoyed this woman's perspective of a man's blog. Let me know if you would like me to keep contributing, because now I'm well and truly hooked.


Posted by Connie    Blog Tag: Chatter