Canon Beach, OR

A day in Seaside was enough for us.  Staff suggested we drive just 7 miles further to Canon Beach, which had a much better reputation as far as "cool" beaches.  Well, he was right.  Once again the scenery was spectacular, and without meaning to sound snobbish, the town was nicer.  When the sun was out Canon Beach was paradise. I even told Staff I would consider staying there the rest of our vacation.  Finny absolutely loved running up and down the endless shoreline, and then wrestling with Yuki.  Cloud, too, seemed to forget his arthritis and trotted along the shore.

Soggy Finny

The surf at Canon Beach

Sammies on the northwest coast

Finny and Yuki on the beach

Ecstatic Finny at Canon Beach

Canon Beach

The ocean was very chilly-nothing like the Pacific that I remember in Japan. Apparently this has to do with the way water currents flow around the globe. Staff can explain it to you more or you can google it.  The tide was out so you could walk out pretty far before the water went above your knees.  Something about the ocean is both intimidating and calming. It makes me feel very small in the world. 

Staff was able to kitesurf in the ocean and did very well in the waves. He said he loves the endorphins he gets from kiting.  He also loves to be in the water, especially the ocean. I think he is part fish.  I can't recall if it was here or in Seaside that Staff kindly gave me my first kite surfing lesson.  It was hard! The kite is super powerful, and without the harness, it would have flown out of my arms.  Had I held on, it would have torn my arms from their sockets.  Staff was very patient.  I look forward to more lessons with the actual training kite.

The problem with Canon Beach was that it tended to rain often and then the temperature would drop into the 50s.  I can handle being sandy myself and having a film of sand everywhere in the trailer (we do sweep, but to no avail); however, when it's damp, cold and sandy, that's a recipe for Seasonal Affective Disorder. I was very SAD and needed to get out of there the very next day.  The forecast was for 4 more days of rain. No thank you.

Yes, I did play with the photo coloring option

A shepherd and his sheep

Momma Bear and Baby Bear

Finny beating up on his sister, Yuki

Canon Beach

Haystack Rock at Canon Beach

The city of Canon Beach

The RV camp we stayed at was the priciest yet.  It was kind of a luxury town, so I get it.  The guy in the office was very unfriendly.  Perhaps he suffered from SAD.  I would if I lived there. It's supposed to be summer, for goodness sake!

The very next morning we headed back to Hood River. This time we drove through Portland.  It was the first truly large city we had been to in our travels thus far. And might I add, it's beautiful, at least from the highway.  Lots of rose bushes and lush greenery were everywhere.  Apparently there is a cable car that takes you up to some peak right in the city.  Again, google for more info.  All I know is I took a picture of it from the highway.

Driving into Portland

Driving back to Hood River, OR

As we drove east to the other side of the mountains, I could feel SAD leaving me.  We were greeted with intense sunshine and hot arid weather once again. I'm glad we had the opportunity to see that part of the country, but I don't think I could ever live in a place like Canon Beach.  I love sunshine too much. When the sun does show its face, Cannon Beach is spectacular.

The estuary that runs into the Pacific at Canon Beach