Escape

Ken and I got back from vacation on Sunday and had a wonderfully relaxing time. We drove to Portland on Saturday (2/19) and stayed in some cheap hotel by the airport. I had heard about this place from my boss who heard about it from her friend's kid so we decided to check it out. Very cool spot and we definitely plan to stay in one of their rooms on a future Oregon trip. Several bars, a couple restaurants, a movie theater AND a hotel all in one... I highly recommend checking it out if you are ever in the area.

Sunday we drove to Lincoln City where we rented a beach cottage/guest house for a few nights. It wasn't exactly what we were expecting because the website we found it listed on showed pictures of the main house and the guest house together so our views, the cottage and the hot tub were different and we didn't find the vrbo listing until later. Even though it wasn't what we expected, the disappointment was short-lived and it really grew on us. We spent a few fantastic days walking the beach, taking a tour of the Tillamook Cheese Factory, checking out the Cape Meares lighthouse, relaxing in the hot tub and we even made it to the "secret beach" despite high winds, rain and even hail.

Wednesday, we traded the beach cottage for a cabin in the woods about 20 miles east of Coos Bay. We traded beach-combing for hikes; sea shells for pine cones; a hot tub for a sauna; ocean views for river views and waves for waterfalls. There was no internet access or cell service out there so that only added to the peace and relaxation. This "Below the Falls Lodge" was absolutely amazing! It was raining when we got there and it rained hard all night and into mid-morning. It finally let up and the clouds parted long enough for us to head up to Golden & Silver Falls State park and hike all the trails to both water falls. What beauty! I'll have to post pictures later. It started pouring rain as soon as we got back to the cabin and that soon turned to snow and it snowed and snowed and snowed. Lying in the hanging bed, watching the snow through the bay windows and sky lights was like being in a snow globe. Friday the snow and rain stopped and the sun came out so we took the opportunity to go for a little road trip down the rest of the southern Oregon coast and into California. We got to Crescent City, CA in time to see a beautiful sunset at Battery Point lighthouse and eat dinner before driving the 3 hours back in the dark. We spent Saturday inside, reveling in the beauty and peace and quiet. I'm so sad that this wonderful place is on the market. What I wouldn't give to be able to afford to buy it. I'd love to live there full time or even just keep it as a vacation rental and use it whenever I wanted. If you get the chance to stay there before it sells (apparently it's been on the market for a couple years already), DO IT!!! I'd love to go with a group of friends sometime.

All in all, this was a much-needed, much-appreciated escape. I've been so overwhelmed and feel like I've been teetering on my breaking point for a while, like everything is boiling just under the surface and any minute, I'm going to explode! I haven't been happy and everyone around me can sense that. It's all I can do to keep myself from snapping or even yelling at my employees, coworkers, boss, boyfriend, family members and even the strangers I see in public. I felt relaxed for the first time in a very long time and wish I could harness that feeling. But alas! It's back to the grind. Back to the pressures and stresses and drama that is my life.