Anyone who has followed my adventures on two wheels over the years has seen photos of me looking like a drowned rat who can ride a bike.
When you take up cycling in the Pacific Northwest, and then move to the Oregon Coast, it is inevitable that you will get rained on. I have excellent rain gear, and can handle everything mother nature can throw at me! In the last 15 years, I can remember at least two 100 mile century rides, multiple 60 mile rides, and innumerable bicycle commutes to or from work where the rain made the ride challenging.
Back when I would train for big rides like the one day Seattle to Portland, the RAMROD,
Or some other challenging ride I was training for, I would saddle up for any ride I paid for. I remember a charity ride for the families of the Oso mudslide that rained all the way from my house and back again. There was over an inch of rain that day and I rode over 60 miles…. My rule used to be, “If I paid money for the ride, I was for sure gonna pedal it!’
I tell you all this cuz this morning I woke up in a hotel room in the The Dalles Oregon, all signed up for a 60 mile ride that started a bit south of there. It took me almost 5 hours to get there yesterday dealing with the rush hour traffic through Portland.
Now the weather app had told me rain, big rain up to a half inch was likely.
However, quite often the app will say that, but then when you wake up, the weather has shifted a bit, and you have 12 – 24 hours rain free. Given this, I decided to take a chance and head over anyway. If it was dry, I was going to saddle up! I was not going to let the weather make my decision for me.
Sadly, I woke up and the rain was already falling! Then I checked the iPad and the app said more rain was a comin…. Damn.
The hard core cyclist in me said, “What the hell! Go for it! You’ve done it before!” And I did consider it.
But the rest of me was asking “Why da hell do wanna do this? Long rides in the rain aint fun!”
So as I sat there looking outside, sipping coffee and eating breakfast, there was an internal struggle. What should I do!
Would I be a wuss to not ride? I have no bigger rides planned this year, so why suffer? Will I be mad at myself for not riding? Do I really want to saddle up right now? The conversation internally went on for a while.
In the end, I decided “60 miles on a bike in the rain does NOT sound fun!” So I pulled the plug and decided to go home…. I was seriously worried I’d be mad at myself for doing so, but as I sit here typing, I have no remorse at all!
So I loaded up my gear, checked out and was soon eastbound on I 84 along the Columbiia Gorge in Oregon.
I won’t lie, I am an opportunist when I have the chance! The Columbia Gorge in Oregon is known for its waterfalls! After being stuck in traffic Friday night, I stopped at Multnomah Falls, the most famous waterfall in the gorge area to use the restroom! I also stopped and enjoyed the view as well!
So now I decided to drive home. As you go along I 84, you are given the option of detouring onto SR 30. The historic route that predated the interstates. It’s a bit slower, ok a lot slower, but it is so much more scenic. I’ve never had the opportunity to take this route, well never till today.
I was heading home much earlier than planned, so I took the opportunity to dive off the interstate, it wasn’t long till I came to Horsetail Falls. Right on the side of the road and begging me to stop.
Soon after I went past Multnomah falls again, and ended up stopping at Wahkeenna falls! I need to come back here with hiking boots!
After this I was back on the interstate going home.
Instead of 60 cycling miles, I had zero. However, I found two amazing waterfalls I’ve never seen. before To be completely honest, I am not proud of myself for not riding the ride today, but dammit all, maybe I am finally smart enough to come in out of the rain?
I may not have ridden the miles, but since I made the choice to explore the world, it was NOT a bad day at all! I need to learn more about and spend more time at the Columbia Grorge…
When the weather starts getting hot, it’s cooler at the coast. The kids are out of school. There is a much better chance of being able to walk the beach and not get rained on. All 3 of these plus others are excellent reasons for summer visits.
I am lucky enough to live at the Oregon coast and have now for nigh on 6 years. I get to experience the ocean in all seasons. It wasn’t long after I lived here, that I figured out I am a huge fan of the stormy months here! I may even like Fall and Winter more than summer, at least when it comes to watching the ocean.
However, I will guarantee you there are days you WILL get rained on….
Even though I live here, I was reminded these last few weeks about the power of the ocean, and the results from the wind and waves even surprised me. This behemoth, for example, was uncovered from the sand a couple weeks ago, and the waves keep moving it around.
From Christmas week until now the Pacific Ocean has been flat showing off. We had the King tides (highest tides of the year, they occur in November. December and January each year). As you can see, these tides can move around a LOT of debris.
The tides succeeded in picking up logs like you see here as it came in. Then when the tide went out, combined with high water in the river that feeds this bay from heavy rains, the logs were sucked out to the ocean. The strong winds we were having, along with the waves, helped redistribute the driftwood further north.
People were having a hard time using these stairs at the Inn at Spanish Head, a mile north, after this event. (refer back to this photo later in this post!)
Last week, though, it got even MORE fun….
Not only were we getting an almost king tide on Wednesday, it was combined with Gale force winds and high surf (25-30 ft waves) warning. I was so damn excited!!
First a word of caution… 
The ocean is amazing to behold. In the summer you can walk it at high tide or low, without any real worries (though you should still keep an eye on the waves.). In the winter, with stormy angry seas.
Things are different. It’s best to avoid walking on the beach at high tide, especially during a king tide day. There is just no telling how far up the beach the water will go.
A good plan is to just sit and watch the waves for 10 minutes and see what is going on. Your beach plans may change to this.
Even at low tide be careful! Ocean loves to sucker you in. No lie, the ocean is alive. If you respect it, then all is good. If you don’t, it will make you pay! Early in my coast kid life here I walked many miles with rubber boots full of water cuz I didn’t know what I didn’t know.
At one moment the water will be waaaaaayyyyyy out there
Then, no exaggeration, seconds later it is right there in your face!
Or it seems ok to walk to the behemoth tree shown earlier, and you see this!
I’ve learned it’s best to be up high looking at the beach when the excitement hits! Last week, I was out taking photos when someone took one of me! I found it on the local Facebook page.
That white stuff is sea foam, more in a bit about that!
This was the video I was taking when someone took that photo. Just in case someone thinks I am exaggerating the danger of the waves in the winter.
This video shows:
1. Just how easy the waves toss around HUGE logs. 2. How far the waves can come up (I’ve seen it hit the top of the stairs 3. That there would be nowhere to run.
If you aren’t sure of a safe place, as a local. We are happy to help!
Wanna see some of what these waves did?
Well this huge tree was only on these rocks for a day or so, I have no idea where it went
A year ago, this big ole stump got wedged into these rocks.
It was not moving, and we had some pretty big waves after it got stuck there. Welp, it aint stuck there no more!
Getting on to the beach is more interesting now as well after the storm.
I’m thinking if its still they come spring, some city workers and their trusty chain saws will be working on it.
My favorite new piece of drift word is this huge stump, which ends up a little further down the beach each time I show up. I am really not sure why this one goes south when most of the other logs seem to be northbound.
OH!!! Remember the hotel with the blocked stairs? One week after the photo above was taken, it now looks like this.
But this time I know where all the wood went! It blocking the beach about 100 yards north. I had to climb the rocks yesterday for my beach walk.
And again you see the sea foam. This happens with huge waves churn the water and froth up any organic material, like plankton and plant bits frothing it up. It was truly a sight this week!
I heard reports of it blowing across the road on Hwy 101 at places! I get a kick out of watching it when I am walking. Others are NOT fans.
So in short, the winter months can be cold, wet and windy. You do need the right clothes to be able to enjoy it (most days I still wear shorts though). However, if you hear on the news of a big storm coming, and you get get to the coast, do it! I recommend spending extra for a hotel right at the beach so you can watch from your room.
Bring your favorite snacks, coffee, tea, beer or wine (or all of the above) and treat yourself to one helluva great show! You won’t regret it!
Ok, first off for those who know the calendar, I know TECHNICALLY it aint winter yet. We still have a few weeks. I use the Tony Calendar, though. When March 1st hits, spring has sprung! Memorial Day tis summer. Labor Day starts Autumn, and, unless it snows before hand, December 1 starts winter!
I know many people who love the great outdoors when it’s warm and sunny, but come winter time, it’s time start a fire, get a warm blankie and enjoy the great indoors. Won’t lie, there are many days I do the same!
However, I still like getting outside. When I was a hiker/wannabe mountain climber, I used to LOVE winter hiking. Fewer people, no bugs, quite often I’d get high enough to get into the snow. Many times I’d have the whole trail to myself and never see another soul. Being the winter though, I needed the right gear, extra emergency gear in the back pack, and an eye on the weather to make sure I wasn’t being stupid!
When I moved to cycling, and bike commuting I still rode in the winter. Shorter days meant I needed good tail lights and head lights to be able to see and be seen. Clothing again was important (luckily some of the hiking gear worked great for bikes!)
Again I had to watch the weather! Rain was a given, you can’t be a Seattle winter bike commuter if you were afraid of rain! Ice or snow though…. That was a deal killer. I hit one patch of black ice in the years I bike commuted, and that was an enough! If the over night temps were 30 or below, I drove!
Moving down to the coast, it’s a bit different. Winter brings big waves
So when determining the outside activities it’s a matter of looking at the weather app, tide table, and quite frankly, looking out the window to see what the world is doing!
This weekend called for HEAVY rain, potential flooding and gale force winds at times. However, after 10 AM yesterday, there was a window of calm and dry weather! Plus it was Saturday and I had the day off! Saddle up!
I took the Fat tire bike down to Depoe Bay and back. I thought about a beach walk, but it was coming up on to high tide and the waves were pounding. There was even a beach hazard warning issued. A 20 mile ride on roads and trails was a MUCH better option! When I got to Depoe Bay and looked across at the sea wall, I knew I chose right!
I got in 21 miles, it was the perfect winter day for a ride, and someone found and posted a packet of agates I left at an overlook. (I think it fun to fined a treasure when you are at the beach!)
Sunday dawned differently. Wind was a blowing and the rain was steady. Rained all night. The weather app kept saying it was going to stop for a few hours, but the stopping time was pushed back time and again. Currently it’s 750 PM and it sure hasn’t stopped yet!
Back to my hiking years. Most people as I said, hike in the summer. They will go to a waterfall and enjoy it, but in the summer, after the snow has melted and the rains have stopped, it’s still pretty, but it’s not at its most wondrous! Case in point, this summer I was riding a route that takes me up in the hills, and past the Trail Head for Drift Creek falls.
I stopped there to have a snack at the picnic table and utilize the facilities. A lady had just finished the hike and she was waiting for someone to catch up. She mentioned, “It was a pretty hike, but wow the falls were boring, not much to see at all.”
I just smiled a might, and explained that this was August and we hadn’t seen much rain at all since May or June. This was the time of year Drift Creek was just a trickle. So the falls really wouldn’t be much to speak of. I told her, “Come back in November or December and bring rain gear THEN talk to me!” And with that I pedaled on down the road.
Well I thought of that this weekend when the flood warnings. I knew it would be putting on a show, and I sure has hell have good raingear!
And I still have my water proof, fully broken in hiking boots!
So after the morning chores, I gave Michelle a kiss (she is smart enough NOT to go out in the rain) and headed off.
In the summer time you can not find a parking spot there, today there were only 3 cars. As I hiked along though, I could see the water was running high, fast and brown…
I was getting excited to see the falls, but not so much I missed the hike around me.
Finally though I got to the suspension bridge over the falls!
In my humble opinion they did NOT disappoint! But you tell me.
It was a very wet hike and I enjoyed every minute of it! Try this yourself. If you have a favorite waterfall go in the middle of summer and then during a heavy rain event… Let me know what you think!
The moral here, enjoy life no matter what time of year, you just never know what you will see!
One last safety feature. This applies anytime but I think even more so in the winter. Make sure someone knows where you are going and when you plan to get back. The more remote the location, the more important this is. I let Michelle know I thought I’d be back by 4. When I got to the car, I was pretty sure I had been overly optimistic.
She knows me well enough that that she wouldn’t panic at all if I was a little late, but I didn’t want even a bit of worry to hit. From the bike rides I knew the one place on the route there was cell service. So I stopped there and texted to let her know I was safe, heading home and might be late. (I was by about 15 minutes).
So in the middle of winter, gale warnings, flood warnings, possible armageddon even, I had two great days outside!
Hi ya’ll, I know it’s been a while. 2023 has been an interesting year. All day long at work I am on a computer and typing my fingers to the bone, so it’s rare I want to type more after work. True fact, if you don’t wanna type, it’s hard to do a blog post. Tonight though, I got the urge!
Anyone who has followed this blog for any length of time knows I love being outside. Hiking, beach walking and most of all, cycling. breathing the fresh air and experiencing nature keeps me alive.
No matter where I am though, I LOVE taking photos. Before I go farther though, a disclaimers. Folks, even though people tell me I am (and I laugh) I am NOT a photographer. Photographers understand F-stops, exposures, and have multiple lenses and filters. They have light meters and tripods. they know their stuff.
I am just a bike riding, beach walking, nature loving guy with a phone and his trusty point and shoot camera in his pocket.
When I head outside I want to make sure I have binoculars, my phone and this camera with me, you just never know what you will see!
I will freely admit folks, I am lucky. Living on the Oregon Coast it is HARD to take a bad photo. In the last few weeks I’ve taken these
One of these was from my office, some from a bike ride or two, and some from a beach walk. All of them reflect what you can see here at the coast.
Like I said before, I am not a photographer, and I giggle whenever someone calls me one. Given that, I do have some tips I adhere to when I take photos.
The first is easy. If you think it’s cool, snap a photo! If you like it, chances are others will to! Even if they aren’t partial to the subject matter, like mushrooms
They might still appreciate the photo.
Number 2, share that sucker! If you like the photo, put it out there. Old schoolers like me still use Facebook. There is also Instagram. I have heard legend of this thing call Tik Tok, but that is greek to me! Whatever you use, throw your favorites out there. You will be amazed how many people like the stuff you take.
Third, STOP!!! Walking, running, driving or cycling. If you see something that is worth a photo, for the luva gawd stop and take it!
Whatever it is you see, there is no guarantee you will see it again.
Think about it, how long does it take to stop and take a photo or two? You may get home and look at it and say, “MEH!” and delete it. OR you could look at it and “Holy cow!”
Either way, it took 30 seconds of your life to stop the bike, pause your walk or even pull over the car and bust out the camera! More often than not, it well worth it!
Fourth, just look around! You never know what you will see! There could be a cool tree, a reflection, or hell a squirrel in the back yard.
If you stop and look, there is no telling what photos you might take.
Finally, and this seems counter intuitive, but it’s a fact. Do not be an afraid to NOT take a photo! I have seen whales, seals, harbor porpoises, sun sets, crashing waves and amazing views that I did not even try to capture with the phone or camera. I just looked, enjoyed, and thought to myself, “DAMN, I am so lucky to see this!” It is perfectly ok to enjoy life in general without busting out a camera or phone.
Sometimes the memory of what you saw is better than any photo you can take.
So in short, enjoy life. Take and share photos if you want, who cares if you aint a photographer. Enjoy life, look around, just stop and snap away. You will never be sorry if you take the photo, but you might regret not doing so!
And honestly, the more I take, the petter I have done. I’ve taken a few lately where I was truly surprised at how well I did.
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you will keep taking and sharing the photos you take of the world around you! If no one else will look at em, let me know! I will be happy to do so!
Doesn’t it seem like anytime you look at the news, not politics, not the economy, not international affairs (all of which are enough to make me NOT watch the news.) I mean the news about the weather and the environment. Reading about most of the world, it’s dismal at best.
In Florida they talk about hot tub temps in the ocean and the die off of sea creatures because of it. Temperatures are soaring and people are, or will soon, run out of water world wide. Whole forests have turned brown cuz of drought, insects, heat or all three. And shoot, Canada is essentially on fire. This year the east coast was covered in smoke. Then there are freak floods, too much water in the wrong place and all at once!
It is truly enough to make a person worry.
Somehow, though, I have ended up in a spot that, though not immune to the quickly changing climate, seems to have a way to not show the effects as much.
I don’t know if its the cold ocean, the prevailing winds, or hell, just coast kid magic, but these last weeks have shown me how lucky I am to be in our little corner of the world here at the Oregon Coast.
First off, it’s the clean air!
The steady wind helps keep the air clear and easy to breathe. The skies are blue and the air healthy. Two weeks ago we went to Bend Oregon for a concert. The smoke was so bad, we had to hide in the hotel room with the A/C on. I felt like I could chew and swallow what I was breathing. Some people get this all summer. Lucky for us, smokey air is a rarity.
Then there are the forests. Just today I was riding up in the trees of the coast range.
Green and healthy. I could smell the trees as I pedaled along. I won’t lie, we of course have some dead trees, but not whole swaths of forests. The trees here help take in the carbon dioxide and breathe out pure oxygen. On the hills I pedaled today, I needed the extra oxygen for sure!
Then there is the life in our waters!
Whales
Birds
Starfish
Shoot, just the tide pools in general
And insects
Biggest bee I’ve EVER seen!
Shoot, for the first time ever, even a lizard!
Sitting in my back yard there are squirrels, chipmunks, deer, a myriad of birds from humming birds to osprey, and bats. Not to mention Pete the possum and one annoying raccoon family. A few weeks ago two coyotes walked up the road. Our biodiversity is astounding to me.
I am not trying to brag. I really am not. I was just sitting here this evening and looking at some photos from the last few months, and it got me thinking.
Is the Oregon Coast one of the last healthy places to live?
We aint perfect, there is one smelly dead sea lion on the beach nearby, a number of birds washing up on the shore after dying, and we are in a bit of a drought ourselves. Shoot, 3 years ago, this was my neighborhood just a few hours before we had to bug out due to a fire!
I guess the message I am trying to impart is that I am realizing just how lucky we and my neighbors are. I have always loved living here, rain or shine, as you can tell.
But seeing what the rest of the world is dealing with, and how much worse it seems to be getting every year, I am realizing that somehow the magic of the Oregon coast is keeping the ugliness at bay, at least for now.
Which gives me just one more reason to get out and experience it as much as I can. Summer is ending, and it you can feel fall in the air. But I am going to get outside, see all I can, and share it with the world.
I do worry about the world we will be leaving to my grandkidlet and grandniece. So hopefully they will get to see the photos of the magical place we lived in and how beautiful it was…
I have a wife who not only loves me, but can put up with the goof ball I am (she has been called a saint by many of my friends and co-workers).
I am also lucky to be healthy enough at (gasp!) 58 years old to walk and cycle damn near anywhere I want to go. I know there are many, even younger than I am, who can’t do this, so I never take it for granted.
Finally, I am lucky that I live at the Oregon Coast.
We were fortunate enough to move here in 2018, and I’ve never regretted it for second. This last week is a classic example as to why!
Last Saturday, the skies and waters were as blue as blue could be! I saddled up the road bike and started pedaling south along 101. Over the last 5.5 years, I have logged thousands (no exaggeration) of bike miles between Lincoln City and Newport Oregon. I am never bored, and never tire of seeing the same things. I have learned no two rides are ever the same.
This day, I rode to Devils Punchbowl. It’s an excellent bicycle destination, or in my case the turn around point. How many people have a huge collapsed sea cave in their ‘back yard?’
Sunday was a rare weekend day. During the work week I am up and at my desk between 545 and 6 AM. I HATE working late, but I have no issues working early. However, on the weekends, I like to sleep until I wake up. But on this last Sunday, there was a negative tide at 8 AM. I LOVE LOW TIDES!! I set an alarm and was up at 6 AM! I heading to my favorite tide pool spots by 7 AM. It did not disappoint.
Even more fun, I found some cool tidepools conducive to GoPro videos and stills! The stars aligned. 1) I was able to get to the tide pools, 2) the waters weren’t to murky, 3) I remembered to BRING the GoPro, and, most importantly, 4) I remembered to charge the sucker!
One thing you learn when you live here, no matter what you are doing, beach walking, cycling, agate hunting, tide pooling or even just driving, no matter what, always make sure to look up from time to time!
This osprey was above me looking for lunch as I was checking out the starfish!
Later that day, Michelle and I ran some errands and treated ourselves to lunch and beer at Rogue Ales in Newport. HIGHLY recommend it!
It was honestly a rough work week, but the after hours made up for it. There were beach walks, we had dinner with two of our favorite neighbors, and I found out someone found one of the package of polished agates I like to leave on the beach.
I truly enjoy finding them, and then tumbling them to shiny treasures. However, I have so many, it makes no sense to keep them all. Others aren’t as lucky as I am to live here or have had the chance to develop the ‘Agate Eye’ when they visit. So I leave these on drift wood logs or ask parents if I can give them to kids who are looking for treasure.
Last week, during the low tide, I ran into a family with a mom and her adult kids. She had driven all the wa up from California for the low tide, hoping to get to this part of the beach.
Some years in the summer there is an easy sand path to get there. This year there was not. I am able to get there by walking across a ledge of rocks, but she wasn’t able to navigate it. I heard her saying how bummed she was (some of the kids made it over) and that she had been looking forward to agate hunting there.
Welp, I walked up to them and explained that the tides decide how much sand there is, and this year there wasn’t a path. I am not sure her kids believed there ever really was one until I confirmed it has happened. Its just a rarity as opposed to the norm. She had been lucky last year to be hear when the path developed.
However, I had a few of the agate packets with me. After hearing she was hoping to hunt for them, I told her, “Well, you couldn’t get to the hidden beach, but there is a consolation prize for trying!” and I handed her a packet. She almost cried! I just smiled and and told them all to enjoy the coast, as I moseyed on my way! I figure everyone deserves a bit of beach magic!
Yesterday, Saturday, was a beautiful day once more! It was time to saddle up, this time heading for the Yaquina Head Lighthouse! 44 mile round trip.
The seals were loving the sun as well.
Sadly, sometime during my ride south, the winds out of the north picked up! It was a 22 mile slog, sometimes going 8 – 9 miles an hour to get home… TOTALLY worth it!!
I am lucky because everything I talked about above is in my ‘back yard’, all within a short drive, walk or bike ride from my back door.
However, I have an incredible back yard at my house.
I have a back deck that backs up to a green belt forest. This week the nature that has visited has just kept me fascinated. The video above is a hairy woodpecker (we also get downy woodpeckers, smaller, but just as amazing).
Here is junior hairy trying to figure out how to bang his head on a tree.
We also have a northern flicker who is devouring my suet! (but who can resist him?) I just ordered a case of suet from Amazon so I won’t run out.
There have also been stellar blue jays, our favorite chipmunk, chickadees who are raising a family in our birdhouse, juncos (with babies in tow), starlings (an invasive species I shoot my slingshot at (and miss), raccoons, and this son of gun that keeps eating my birdseed!
In short, I like to think of our back yard as a nature sanctuary, all (but starlings) are welcome. After a long day at work, there is nothing more relaxing than an evening reading a book with a glass of wine and the propane fire pit on the deck. (though as you can see by my photo above, even in June, a down coat, warm shoes and a stocking cap may be required)
I am a lucky man, and I know it. Weeks like this are amazing, and for me here at the Oregon coast, they happen quite often! I will always appreciate them!
Sooner or later all trips, good or bad, come to an end. This was one of, if not the best vacations ever, and I was sad to to it end.
I’ve got no idea what it is, but this is the last photo I took the evening before we left.
What we didn’t know was the adventure was not over yet.
First off, the Parisians who were kind enough not to riot (sorry protest) while we were there, had plans to restart the demonstrations the day we left. Luckily, we had a 7 AM flight out of Paris, which meant we were being picked up at 430 AM. In general I have found folks who tend to do mischief don’t like to wake up early.
(We learned later that Kaye’s driver couldn’t get through to her, she had to get a uber and JUST made it to her flight. She had a later departure than we did.)
However, what we didn’t figure on was the the local police would want to block roads early on in preparation for these ne’er do wells. Sure as heck, our driver had to do some creative bobbing and weaving to get out of town, but soon we were on the way. I had done some Googling the night before, and I was confident we needed to be in Terminal E2.
Folks, I know SEA-TAC airport and the Spokane airport like the back of my hand. I can get you anywhere, and in SEA-TAC I know all the short cuts. Charles de Gaulle Airport, I am useless!
In the back of my mind was a story when I last flew International. This was back in college and I was visiting my folks in England. I was in Heathrow ready to fly home, and I saw my flight on the board. I’d never really flown on my own before. So I kept and eye on the TV figuring it would say something like, “Tony time to get on the plane.”
Suddenly my flight disappeared from the board….
I went up to the PAN-AM desk and asked about my flight disappearing. She looked at me like “You stupid Yank?” but said, “You are on that flight and you are HERE????” She pointed and said “RUN!!!”
I was off like a shot, and much younger and faster than now! I am pretty sure she called ahead, and there was no real TSA then. I was the last one on the 747…
Whenever I fly, I think about that, so I am never really relaxed until I am on the plane. We also get to airports VERY early just in case.
So there we were at E2 plenty early, and we get checked in at the Kiosk, and go to the Delta line. It wasn’t opened yet, but we were expecting that. This was 5 AM and they weren’t open. 530, same. 545, nope there was movement but not open, 6 AM and still not open, Michelle and I were both fit to be tied.
Michelle finally got some one’s attention who walked over and looked at our stuff and said, “You are in wrong place you need F2.” (Her tone was more on the lines of “You American pig-dogs, go away!”) She was the only rude person we ran into the whole time in Europe. She then vaguely waved in a direction.
Please note all times are guesses from here on…
We started off but there was not one stinking sign that said Terminal F (6:04). We turned back with a plan in my head to grab her by the ear and make her show us, when I found a security guard. We told him we were lost and needed F2.
Turns out F2 is across the highway… Suck ass I was picturing bus or train and we were screwed.
Nope, there was a paved path under the freeway. We were off! (6:06)
On the rough sidewalk Michelle in her Doc Martins was faster than I was rolling the two bags, she led us across, and up to the F2 terminal. I found the first person I could, who told me “You need number 5!” and pointed We were at #1. Michelle said “GO!”
Friends, that 20 something from Heathrow was back! On the smooth terminal I was the wind with the bags and was able to keep up with her! We made it to 5, and there as no line! Bags were on the belt and we headed for security! (6:10)
NO LINE!!!
She got through no problem. I, on the other hand….
At TSA, you can keep lap tops in the bag, NOT so in Europe. I had to take them out and send them back through. Then there was the cough syrup. I had it out for them to check. It had to wait for the iPads to come back through (tick tick tick).
OK iPads fine, “Now we have to test the syrup…” “You can just toss it!” I said. “No now it needs to be tested sir!” First they did the explosive test. Clear. Then it had to go into a machine (tick tick tick) Then they had to discuss….
They handed it to me and said “Have a good flight.” I looked at the watch, it was 620… HELL YEAH we made it. We had just enough time to get a bottle of water before we boarded. I was planning to get coffee on the plane (we had not had breakfast or coffee yet…)
We got on and ready to leave. Then, “This is your captain, I am sorry ladies and gentleman, but the boiler is out on this plane. Instead of delaying you, we decided to take off without it. I am sorry to inform you that this means there will be no coffee….” Luckily it was only an hour flight Amsterdam, where we made the connection to Portland.
We land, and I get coffee and some food, and life is better. Going through the Passport check was easy as pie, and we soon getting ready to board. Michelle shows her boarding pass and goes right through. I show mine and, “Sir will you kindly step over here please….”
I was pulled aside and checked over for explosives. Hands, waist, feet… Was it that I looked shifty?
Or did that security guard from Italy put me on a watch list???
Well, as you must of guessed since I made it home, I passed the test. I was able to board and get to our seats!
The travel gods took pity on us after all that, we ended up with exit row seats! Leg room to spare! I could stretch as far as I could and not touch the seat ahead of me!
From there all went well. We landed ahead of schedule. no issues with immigration and traffic getting home was easy. After a VERY long day we were home.
This will be a trip I will always remember. Michelle and Kaye made it possible. I just hope I do get invited on the next adventure!
I am going to putting the 4 days of Paris into one post. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, quite the contrary, but there was just less to write about. Maybe because I caught my first cold since before covid (more later on that), or we were just a bit worn from the Roman adventures. Regardless, it was something I would not have missed!
The morning started in Rome and I had to navigate a mobbed hotel lobby to get to my morning coffee. The lobby was filled with people I had never seen during the week we were there, all wanting to check out NOW!
In fact, I had to help a lady carry her luggage down the stairs just to get to the lobby. The single elevator was over worked and she was trying to carry 3 suitcases at the same time down the narrow stairwell. I grabbed two, smiled, and said “LETS GO!”
She thought I was being helpful! I just wanted coffee.
Our driver was on time to get us to the airport, and soon we were in line to check in for the flight. This was the only stressful moment for me. For some reason I was convinced we were in the wrong line. I was sure we would get to the front, and be told to go to the LONG line next to us and we’d miss the plane. Luckily, we were fine, and soon we were having a snack and coffee in the terminal waiting for the flight.
Funny thing, this was Easter Sunday. I have never been in an airport where they announced over and over, “Mass will be held in the chapel in 15 minutes…” I am sure there were many travelers who appreciated the offer though.
One worry all three of us had, though, was what conditions were going to be like in Paris. For weeks the Parisians had been rioting (oops sorry protesting) the retirement age being raised up to 64. The garbage hadn’t been picked up in weeks and groups roamed the streets.
However, it was Easter Sunday in Paris as well.
I am not sure if it was Easter, or the fact we were visiting, or both, but the garbage had all been picked up and they took a break from rioting (damn, I mean protesting!) for the 4 days we were there. I thought that was darn considerate of them.
We landed and the driver was there to get us to the hotel. I am still not sure why, but instead of driving around the block to take the one-way road to the front door, he simply backed down the road, going the wrong way, to get us there. Oh well, we were there.
Funny thing, in Rome we joked that the bathroom was so small you had to sit sideways on the toilet. Here at the Hoxton the bathroom was as big as our whole room in Rome!
We were hungry so we stopped at a corner place. They had a burger that looked yummy on the menu, and I hadn’t had one in quite a while, neither had Kaye, so we each ordered one.
People hear me now and hear me well: DO NOT ORDER A BURGER IN PARIS!
They asked us how we wanted it cooked. Kaye said well done, I said medium well. When they came, these suckers were RAW. I swear the cow was still alive tried to bite me back when I bit into it. Kaye sent her’s back, and a new one came, just as raw…. This was the only bad meal of the whole trip!
The food later MORE than made up for it!
After that, we went for a walk to get out bearings. I went from knowing my way around pretty well in Rome, to being completely lost in Paris. I never did get that town figured out. Good thing we had Siri!
We walked down to the River Seine, and I saw some very cool river boats they used for the boat tours, they are pretty darn big!
There had to be at least 75 of them that I saw either cruising or tied up on the docks while we were there.
There were also some local swimmers.
We walked onto the grounds of the Louvre (This building is HUGE it covers at least 2 city blocks lock and one block wide) and I saw the pyramid.
We didn’t have plans to go inside, I am kind of glad actually. As big as it is, you’d need a week, to do it justice.
We were going to an art gallery the next day though, the L’Orangerie for a Matisse exhibit. So we did a recon run to find it.
We located it, and I got my first view of the Eiffel Tower!
As well as the Arc de Triomphe.
And we found out Paris has an obelisk as well! However, unlike the Romans who stole their’s after conquering Egypt, Paris received this one as a gift.
After finding it, it was time to head back to the hotel, grab dinner and head for bed. I was feeling a bit ‘off ‘ but I thought it was just the flight and being tired. I was wrong….
7.25 miles today, 74.83 total walked.
Day 2
I woke up with a sore throat and not feeling 100%. I was worried I might have caught the plague that Nina (our Rome guide) ended up with. But we had only a few days here, and there was stuff to see!
We tried to hit Starbucks for coffee, but they weren’t open, we did find a very nice bakery with coffee down the road, probably a better place anyway!
Once again, Kudos to Kaye. She had us pre-purchase these tickets as well. We were in the much shorter line! At the L’Orangerie was a Matisse exhibit of his Water Lillies.
Being a nature lover I liked it. I learned it is one of Michelle’s favorite works of art. I was impressed with the way the gallery had it set up and asked everyone for quiet while looking at it. People were very respectful about it. I walked around 3 or 4 times looking at it.
Without our guides explaining things, even though we had handheld devices to help with the tour, it was not as much fun as the gallery in Rome.
I did like this photo though
I firmly believe this is the very first wife who got mad at her husband for taking an unflattering picture of her!
This one reminded me of out server who gave us the bad burgers!
It was a memorable visit. Art galleries will never be my go to first choice, but I am glad we went.
It was lunch time! We headed for a place Kaye wanted to try. It had the buckwheat crepe with the egg above. By the time we got there Michelle was dragging some and I was beat. The place wasn’t open yet, so the ladies went inside Starbucks to sit and rest. I stayed outside as it just felt too warm in there and I wasn’t feeling great at all! I did find a yummy chocolate chip cookie though!
Lunch was excellent and revitalized us to walk around some. Later on, we realized that at lunch, we were only a 1/4 mile from the hotel. We coulda gone back to rest a bit, NOPE we did not, we were off again, and made it to Notre Dame! It is still being repaired from the fires. if you look closely you can see the crane behind the building.
I also got to see gargoyles for the first time! I’ve always been fascinated by these. I knew they were there to scare off evil spirits, but I also read they served another purpose. When it rained, they help deflect the run off water farther away from the building, thereby protecting it from water damage!
It was then time to head back to the room to rest up for dinner. The cold was starting to take hold and I was beat.
We’d also walked 11.77 miles that day! 86.6 miles total! No wonder I was tired!
Day 3
We were bummed when we went to bed the night before. We knew today was Eiffel Tower day, but the weather called for rain. We were very pleasantly surprised to wake up and find out the forecast had changed! No rain until tomorrow!
We were hoping to find a spot we saw the first day in Paris for breakfast. As I said, though, I seemed to have left all my navigation skills in Rome. We were unsuccessful in out attempt! However, we did find a place with that amazing croquet Madame (the sammich above with the fried egg). Honestly, one of the best breakfasts of the whole trip!
It was time to head for the tower. We had tickets for high noon to get to the top and sip champagne! Michelle and I had both worked hard to snag these a month before our trip. We were logging on to the site just after 3 PM at home, (midnight in Paris) to get 3 tickets before they sold out! We finally scored and had them in hand.
The miles were starting to take their toll on us and we were all tired! So the walk to the Eiffel Tower was a slow mosey. We had plenty of time, and we were darn well going to take it!
We were all surprised, though, to stumble upon the location Princess Di died while being chased by the paparazzi.
It was a somber place, and you could tell people from all over the world still adored her. In full disclosure, I am not sure I coulda told you the crash occurred in Paris, so I was very surprised to see this.
As we got closer to the tower, the world seems to just get busier. Everywhere you looked were street vendors selling light up towers. There was even a guy doing the shell game. He had 3 red plastic cups and a Ping Pong Ball. He would put the ball under one and shuffle them around. People would bet money time and again trying to pick the correct cup. By the wad of cash in the man’s hand, very few people guessed correctly.
I had seen this in old movies, but never in real life. I won’t lie, I was tempted to try. However, after watching for a bit, and having people select the cup I woulda chosen, only to find nothing underneath it, I chose to keep my cash!
Soon we were at the Eiffel Tower!
There was some work being done on part of it.
This was a common theme wherever we went. The summer Olympics are in Paris in 2024. All over town crews are working to refurbish, clean up and repair almost everything. Kinda took away from some of the Parisian beauty.
As you can see though, we were happy to be there!
For the last there days, I’d noticed there was a thing people did in Paris. Men and women both were taking these pouty lipped selfies. “Well shoot,” thought I, “This must be a requirement!” So here is my attempt!
Maybe not so great…
Funny thing, just past the tower was a smaller replica!
This is the Eiffela tower which is 10% of the size of the main one. It was erected as a joke for April 1 (April Fools Day) this year! Its a good thing we saw its when we did, cuz by the time we left….
For the next 3 hours it was all about lines. There was a line to get in. While in that line, we were worried. There was a sign that said “Top of tower closed for capacity” I was ready to throw down on someone when it hit me. That meant “Top of Tower tickets sold out!”
Then there was the line to get into the elevator for the first level. There were stairs, but knees and energy levels from out heroes made the elevators the correct choice! We got out of the elevator to end up in another sloooowwww. moving line to get to the next elevator.
Now I should mention, by day 3 I realized I was the only adult male in Paris who wore shorts. Turns out that’s all I packed… I was quite comfy until I got to the tower. That wind was COLD! Even I was feeling it. But we coast kids are tuff, so I persevered!
Funny thing, as the line moved, every now and then someone would walk back from the front of the line, either looking mad or sheepish. Turns out people stood in line for an hour just find out they needed a special ticket to get to the top. They didn’t have one…
Finally it was our turn! To the top we went and it was worth it! I love hight places!
And you better believe we got our champagne!
We did a couple laps to check out the views, but by then we were tired of crowds, cold and ready to leave. We made it down off the tower and it was time to head for lunch! I don’t think I will stand in line ever again to go the top of the that sucker, but I am glad I did. Any time I see a photo or a movie with it, I will remember being up there!
There was also this strangely tall woman who was painting the Louis Vuitton building.
By the end of the lane, it was time to head back to the hotel. Michelle and I were tired and Kaye’s knee was killing her. We made it back to the hotel just as the rain that was forecasted hit! Perfect timing. This was a long day.
Miles walked that day 12.46! Overall Miles 99.02!
Day 4 Last day in Paris!
This was the last day, and on the agenda was Christian Dior exhibit. Dresses, hats and handbags throughout the decades. My two traveling companions allowed me to investigate and check out every place I wanted to in Rome, it was the least I could do to come along with them to this.
Once again, prior planning worked, We had prepaid tickets and were the first in line and got ahead of the crowds. The ladies had entire rooms full of exhibits with no one else around. I spent as much time watching their faces as I did he exhibits. They truly loved it!
We had to check our bags, and I forgot to grab a camera or phone, so I didn’t get a photo, but I snagged this one from Michelle. Some of this was truly beautiful, others just had me shaking my head. Overall though, it was a memorable exhibit.
It had rained the whole way to Christian Dior. When we left though, once again the clouds parted, and we had nice weather. However, we finally cried “UNCLE” and took an Uber to our next destination. A church on top of a hill (I just realized I never asked what it was!)
From there, it was a slow down hill mosey to the hotel. Michelle finally found a place to get the macarons she wanted, and Kaye found a hole in the wall shop with jewelry she loved.
Michelle and I had selected this day to celebrate Kaye’s birthday (which was soon after we got back to the states) so we told her we were taking her out to dinner that night. She was excited!
Sadly, that cold I was fighting hit me hard. I stopped at a pharmacy to get something for the stuffy nose and cough and I was given a syrup. “Take a tiny spoonful up to 15 times a day” So once an hour I took a tiny swig. Damned it if didn’t help!
We went back to the hotel to rest for a bit before dinner.
Dinner was fun! We hit up a nearby Italian place, had some wine, and gave her presents we had bought when she wasn’t looking in Rome. It was a great last evening.
I did find it humorous when we were talking to the server and he learned we had just been in Rome. He said, “I like Rome, but I found it very dirty!” We all kept out mouths shut, cuz we had thought the same thing about Paris as compared to Rome!
For me at least, I didn’t wanna leave Rome. However now, maybe it was the cold I was fighting, or I was just tired, but I was ok leaving Paris. I kept remembering a friend of mine, Bridgett who told me before we left.
“Italy is your Nonna who feeds you too much no matter how much you protest. Paris is a beautifully dressed, elegantly bejeweled woman.” Clearly I am much more in tuned with Nonna and food!
It was the adventure I’d hoped it would be. I loved the whole thing. I am so glad I went and Michelle and Kaye were so much fun to travel with. I joked with a coworker and said I was “one of girls” this trip. She informed me that I only become one of the girls, IF and only IF the girls invite you back! I hope they do!
Miles walked that day 8.66 Overall, wait for it, in Rome and Paris we walked a total of 107.68 miles! We earned the food!
Now to be perfectly honest, I have been on vacations over the years where I was ready to leave and go home. I had seen all there was to see, and I missed my own bed.
Rome was NOT one of these times! Given the option I might still be there!
So after the night before we were tired. Hell, Michelle and I didn’t get to bed till after midnight. Last nights meal and the jungle rules battle for the cab kept us up till WAY past our bed time! We were tired in the morning, but we were awake.
Sadly, the weather didn’t seem to be in our favor, Rain was in the forecast, and rain there was when we woke up!
Luckily for us, the rain stopped and we could explore! We first went to the Basilica de San Clemente.
This is a 12th century church, built above a 5th century church, built above a 1st century temple! 1200 years of history!Word of advice, book ahead for tickets. It is well worth the entry fee! Remember, when in ancient Rome, wherever you are walking, you should wonder, “I wonder what is below me?” Cuz I will guarantee you are walking atop history!
I read later that to drain what was essentially a lake on the lowest level, they had to tunnel about a mile to the underground aqueducts under the Colosseum. This allowed us to see the pagan temple and to cross the street to a first century residence.
Once again photos were not allowed, but I snuck one…. This is a wall of the 5th century church.
Afterwards we had no firm plans. However, when we left San Clemente, the weather gods smiled and the rains stopped. We decided to explore a new area of the city. There was an old church within a block of us. The Basilica e Monastero Agostiniano Santi Quattro Coronati.
Sadly when we got there it was closed. All we could see was the courtyard.
I got in trouble with the ladies for peaking into a mail slot on a door. I figured it was a church! Who would mind… (Yeah this is one of the many reasons they don’t take me out in public.
Undaunted though, we continued on! I am still amazed at the buildings we saw. This one just seemed like it was part of the Roman wall atop an apartment building.
Wanting to see everything, almost got me in trouble though…
As we walked I saw these ruins
They looked cool from the outside, so of course I wanted to see the inside. Now, I will fully admit I saw the manned guard station there. It sure seemed like even though I knew I shouldn’t go through the guarded gate, there appeared to be a free path around the gate to the inside of the ruins. So I went. I was right, they were cool!
The ladies were waiting for me to come back from the photo shoot. As I moseyed back past the guard station, this time the guard saw me and he was PISSED!! He didn’t speak much English, but I go the gist that 1) He was mad, 2) I was not supposed to be where I was and 3) I might be in trouble….
I put on my best innocent Tony look and pointed at the walls and said, “I just went there for a photo, that’s it…” Then just sorta nonchalantly walked away. He glowered and followed us for a bit, then let us be. Personally, I think he was actually mad that he did not see me enter, and was worried HE was in trouble cuz he didn’t see me.
We soon figured out that essentially I snuck into the grounds of the Cardinal of Rome’s house…. Sorta like sneaking onto the grounds of a governors mansion here in the states… OOPS!
Before we knew this though, we stumbled onto another obelisk, this time at the Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano. This is the tallest of all the Roman obelisks.
What I didn’t know then but do now, is we were walking a very historical (Even for Rome) route. Popes of old (and maybe current day but this I am not sure of) would, after being selected to be Pope, walk from here to St Peters while throngs of people would cheer. I honestly have never been anywhere that made me feel the weight of history like Rome did.
After we discovered I had snuck into the Cardinal of Rome’s compound, we decided to go inside and see the building. This dude seemed like was still mad at me!
Afterwards we started back to the hotel, the rains looked like they were going to come back, but as we went by we saw that church was open. So in we went. It was a darker, bit creepier one, but with Easter being the next day, people were hard at work cleaning.
It was time for lunch by then. We knew our last dinner would be at our favorite place, Na Macchia
So instead we stopped at this place that for some reason had pictures of Einstein with his tongue sticking out all over!
The photos might have been strange but the food was good!
We were a couple blocks from the hotel and the rains held off until we got there. It was time to go up and pack to get ready to leave the next morning.
That night we had dinner, dessert, wine and Limoncello. We still had a Paris adventure ahead of us, but I think we were all a little sad we had to tell Rome
We walked 5.83 miles that day, so the Roman total was 67.58 miles.
I am going to say something you rarely hear someone say here at the Oregon Coast:
It was a hot and sunny day!
No lie, we were well into the 80s today, with blue sky and sunshine
I am currently sitting on the back deck enjoying our back yard, which I love dearly.
I have been watching stellar blue jays breaking off sticks for nesting material, and I’ve been flicking these giant ants off my deck chair.
Yep, here on the coast, the first really warm day of the year, the male and queen ants fly into the air to mate. After doing so, the males crash and burn, and females go looking for a place to build the next. They are NOT welcome on our deck!
Sitting here got me thinking though, my back yard is not limited to the deck and trees outside the screen door. Truly, and I am so lucky to say this, my back yard is the central Oregon Coast.
I know how lucky I am to live here, and lord knows I do my best to get outside to enjoy it as often as I can.
Roscoe here, my fat tire bike, has taken me places, and shown me things that are so much fun this week.
There was the seal family I could see from the overlook I rode to,
The squadron of pelicans who buzzed me as I stopped to look for whales.
Ant the boiler at Boiler Bay that was high and dry from a serious low tide today!
Plusnthe green of the local wetland.
What I didn’t get a photo of was the first whale spout of the year. I was stopped, talking with Nicky, a coast thru cyclist. She was lamenting not having seen a whale on her trip yet. I was able to point out the spout for her, hopefully she has seen some closer since then.
My attention was taken away from the whale, though, by something I had only seen once before.
Right before our eyes, a bald eagle swooped down on a rookery and snagged a seabird, I believe it was a common murre, for dinner! I didn’t even think to grab the camera! I just watched at nature in action. Nature aint always pretty, not by a long shot. But if you make the effort to experience it, sit back and truly watch it, it will amaze you!
The beach walks have been memorable as well this week. Crashing Waves:
Some very cool sea glass
And one very old bottle that washed ashore! There was no note inside, and I debated taking it home with me.
In the end though, I left it. It looks like it has traveled for years. I am really hoping the tide came in and took it back out to sea to travel more. It just seemed wrong to put this on a shelf and never to be free again.
This is also the time of year for Velella velella – or By-the-Wind-Sailors, to wash ashore. These are jellyfish like creatures that float on the surface of the ocean, and the wind propels them to new feeding grounds.
This time of year the winds blow straight out of the west, causing them to come ashore and perish.
The thing about my back yard, is that nature comes to me as well. This week we had our first goldfinch visit the office.
Once again, more jaw dropping, though no real photo evidence, happened in the skies over our neighborhood. This bald eagle
Went head to head with our resident golden eagle
I was at my desk and saw these big birds in the air and I grabbed the big binoculars and ran outside (sorry customers I promise to call you back!)
These two we swooping and dive bombing, flipping upside down, and were duking it out for 15 minutes of so! I just sat there and watched in amazement as they battled.
In the end, the golden eagle chased off the bald and then took over the tree you see above.
In addition to the eagles and goldfinch, during the last week I’ve had visits from:
Pete the Possum a Douglas Squirrel a tiny chipmunk evening Grosbeak Flickers townsend warblers assorted chickadees and a osprey flying overhead with branches for the nest
I love our back yard! But I love it more because I take the time to get out and enjoy it.
Whether the bike, the beach walk, or the back deck, I just get outside and do my best to open all my senses to nature. Sometimes I hear it first, or catch a glimpse, sometimes there is a smell, and others its just a feeling something is there! Let nature come to you and be open to experience it!
So get outside, and I to your back yard, I bet it is bigger, and more amazing, than you think!
Oregon Coast Cyclist 