Seaside

     

            The family and I went on a trip to Seaside, Oregon. Many little things happened on this trip, but overall it was enjoyable.

            Driving past Northern Utah and into Idaho reminded us of how bad Utah’s roads are. Idaho and Oregon have very fine roads. Idaho seems to have half of their lanes devoted to semi-trucks, a problem that Oregon and Utah don’t seem to share. Idaho and Oregon drivers seem to know how to get over to the slower lane if someone is wanting to pass. I wish Utah drivers shared this intuition. Idaho and Utah both have 80 mph speed limits, but Oregon does not.

            We stopped in Ontario, Oregon, which is a crappy city. Our Hotel was the Best Western Inn & Suites. We ordered a Jacuzzi, only to find a modified bathtub. We also prearranged a pack ‘n play for our baby only to have them tell us they were fresh out. When we called the front desk and asked for an extra sheet, they told us they didn’t know how to accommodate our request. The closest place to eat was Denny’s, and we waited for 25+ minutes along with another lady before deciding to bail on that idea. The other lady had been waiting much longer.

            The next morning, we filled up our tank, rather – we had someone fill up our tank because in Oregon there is this stupid law that says you can’t fill up your own gas tank. I also found out much later that it is customary to tip the person filling up your tank. Oregon has some twists and turns but is largely miles of nothingness. We saw a ton of homeless people in Portland, and traffic around Portland was abysmal. Through a ton of forests, we finally approached Seaside.

            Seaside is the best part of Oregon (that we noticed). We stayed in a boat house that fit our small family. We were a stone's throw from the ocean, and right along the gorgeous promenade. We went to Haystack Rock (from Goonies) and I got hit by the tide. We then went to the Goonies House, which was not worth it. My favorite thing to do was walk the promenade and listen to the ocean and get hit by the gentle wind. I also enjoyed fires in the fireplace and playing games with my oldest kid.

            One night, on low tide, we walked to the beach with a few flashlights to look for seashells. We could hear the roaring of the ocean but could not see it. It was in some ways very creepy and in other ways very exhilarating. There were hundreds of others out on the beach doing the same thing, but because of the wide expanse of the area – they were far away. We could just make out their flashlights. The soothing but loud noise of the ocean meant that we could not hear anyone.

            A few nights before our final night, my oldest got food poisoning by eating a burger at Tom’s Fish and Chips. We don’t recommend this place. Our favorite places to eat in Seaside were Pig N’ Pancake where I had the best buttermilk pancakes, and Ruby’s Roadside Grill where I had the best fish and chips.

       The trip back was much better until we were leaving Idaho. It snowed, and we saw a few wrecks in Northern Utah. I miss Seaside. Sitting on the beach and watching and listening to the waves really lowered my stress levels. It also made us really want a cabin of our own.

If I had to do it again, I probably would, but I’d change a few things:

·      Rent a van and do the driving in 1 swoop. Trade drivers every two hours and have the other rest

·      Rest stops are better than gas stations

·      Buy all food and drink up front

·      Minimize Oregon gas station visits

·      Bring a lot of firewood

·      Don’t pack nearly as much stuff

·      Walk to restaurants nearest the promenade to get lunch and dinner. Don’t drive