Category Archives: Travel

Back-posting on this one, since I didn’t get around to posting it right when we returned.

We just got back from Lincoln City for the “weekend”. Went on Sunday, and got back today (Tuesday). We stayed in Devil’s Lake park, which is basically right in town. They have a fair amount of yurts and camping spaces there, and we were in a yurt with my father. It was a lot of fun.

Sunday was mainly sitting in town, and going out to dinner. On the way to Lincoln City, Tara and I hit the Outlet malls, and spent a bit of money at the Columbia Sportswear outlet. We got two pairs of boots for $50 (buy one, get one for $.01). So Tara and I both got some nice hiking boots that are both “worth” $100. I guess Columbia bought some other company, and is dumping the stock from that company. They’re both Gore-tex. They remind me a lot of some old Nike hiking boots I had in High School. Also purchased a nice Titanium vest. Before that I managed to hit Garland Nursery on Hwy 20 between Albany and Corvallis and pick up a new Sarracenia. It wasn’t labeled, but I’m about 95% sure it’s a leucophylla. Sunday was pretty wet in Lincoln City, and the rain all night kept Tara and I from sleeping very well since a yurt isn’t exactly sound insulated.

Monday we all decided to head south on the coast since my dad hadn’t been down much past Waldport in many years. So we headed down to Reedsport stopping at all the lighthouses along the way. So, Yaquina head in Lincoln City, Heceta Head between Yachats and Florence, and Umpqua River Lighthouse, just south of Reedsport. We toured the inside of Yaquina, but the other two we had missed the tours. It could have been cool to make it all the way to Coos Bay, but it would have been dark by the time we got back to Lincoln City, so we turned around. Here’s all the lighthouses on the Oregon Coast. On the way back, we hit Inn at Spanish Head, which is a pretty cool Hotel in Lincoln City that you enter on the 9th floor, and go down the cliff face to the 1st floor that’s on the beach level. We had a drink on the 10th floor, in the bar. Great view, and the drinks are quite good. Stayed until just before Sunset, when we headed back down to the Surfrider Motel, which has a decent Restaurant, and has beach access down to Fogarty beach. Unfortunately, the light they’ve always had shining down on the beach has been overgrown by plants. Ironically, the light is still on. So, they’re wasting power, and not getting anything out of it.

That night we had a fire and stayed up pretty late chatting. Sleeping that night was much easier since it wasn’t raining.

Tuesday we pretty much got up, hung around the camp, got some coffee at Starbucks in town, and headed south to Ona beach. It’s a very nice beach, with a river, and nice park area. Really could have a day there. First we hit Tara’s and my (and a lot of other people’s) favorite Japanese Restaurant in Oregon, Yuzen (Urbanspoon page). Service is “okay”, but the food is wonderful. They do occasionally have an “evil” Itamae (Sushi Chef) who likes to stash a rather large blob of wasabi in the Nigiri. But, still, highly worth it.

Then we hit Ona beach. The wind on the beach made it kinda hard to walk around much, but…

From there, Tara and I headed back, and I again hit Garland Nursery. Picked up a poorly labeled Drosera “binata”, but it’s definitely not a binata. Those only fork once, this one forks at least 8 times. So, it’s either a dichotoma, or a multifida. Hopefully once it ages a bit, I’ll be able to figure it out. After that, we pretty much headed back home. And, here we are.

More to post about home and work soon.