They're Back!

My friend, Gail, manages a coffee shop on the Oregon Coast, so she provided the necessary stimulation to get us going early this morning. She made up a latte called a “sticky bun” and I’m not sure what’s in it, but it’s like drinking candy with a caffeine kick. Kory sticks to his usual non-fat mocha, but I like to experiment a little to keep life exciting.




After a brief visit with Gail (it’s hard to chat when she’s taking orders and making espresso), we headed south along the Oregon Coast. The fog was pretty thick when we started out, but by the time we reached our destination of Lincoln City, the sun was shining and the sky was as blue as it gets.



There is a great outlet mall in Lincoln City that didn’t have a single empty store space, like so many others I’ve been to recently. We bought Kaleb a few pair of jeans and looked around a lot, while waiting for Bjorn and Inger to arrive. They drove up from Coos Bay and had three kids in tow instead of one, and a bit more mileage to cover. By the time they arrived, we were all ready for lunch so we went to Mo’s, right on the beach. No one ordered a big bowl of chowder, the thing that made that restaurant famous along the Oregon Coast, but Bjorn and I had a cup of it and he thought it was pretty good. I always hate getting that errant grain of sand between my teeth, but the flavor was good.



The tide was changing and we were right next to a bay, so we watched dozens of seals playing in the water, obviously enjoying even fresher seafood than we were eating. When we finished, I offered to take the twins and Kaleb down to the beach so Inger, Bjorn and Tobias could do some school clothes shopping at the mall. It worked very well, since the minute the boys hit the beach they just started digging in the sand, and they didn’t stop for over three hours. The twins built a castle that was decorated with all kinds of rocks, shells and feathers. Kaleb dug a hole and then buried himself in it (see photo of the early stages). I’m not sure what psychological difference there are in those two activities, but it was interesting to observe. Kory and I alternated being horizontal on a log and taking naps in the sun. It was a great afternoon.



The fog rolled back in as we headed back north along to coast to our campsite. We stopped in Seaside to have dinner at Norma’s, another famous place for chowder along the Oregon Coast. My friend, Randy, bought the restaurant after Norma died, and he changed the chowder recipe. According to Bjorn, Randy’s chowder is much better than Mo’s. I think many people agree with that one, as he’s written up in all the big time food magazines. We always eat there when we are in the area because he’s my friend, so it’s just a bonus that the food tastes so darn good, too.



We didn’t get back to the campsite until after dark, so everyone soon settled in for the night. The Norwegians are just glad they don’t have to be driving anywhere for the next few days, and I’m just glad they made it back. They were none worse for the wear, but Bjorn did agree, “That trip to San Francisco was no trip for kids.”