The Pacific Ocean!

Betsy and Ann took me to the seashore on Monday, April 27th. We traveled west from Bend and descended from the snowy mountains to lower, greener ground. The view from the car window was spectacular. I saw tall mountains covered with snow and valleys. I saw large bodies of water and towns and farms.

After several hours, we arrived at the seashore. I felt so happy to see the Pacific Ocean and so grateful to Betsy and Ann for taking me there. Betsy and I explored rocky beaches and sandy beaches. The tide was coming in and the water swirled. We saw a sign warning us that the ocean is beautiful, but dangerous. The undercurrents are rapid and people who fall in have been known to drown in just a few minutes. It was also windy and a bit chilly so going swimming in calm water would not have been a plan. Certainly, swimming in churning water was not a plan. I collected a few seashells and stones because I love seashells and stones.
Betsy and Ann, with help from their GPS device, located a motel for us to stay overnight. The motel is in Lincoln City and is called the Historic Anchor Inn. It is not directly on the beach but it is a short walk from the motel to the beach. The Historic Anchor Inn is one of the most unusual, creative motels that I'd ever stayed at. For one thing, the rooms are more like suites than rooms. You get a bedroom, a bathroom, and a sitting room. Every room is decorated in a different theme. My room was called the Africa room. It had pictures of all sorts of places in Africa. There was a large model of an elephant on the floor. I was gleeful about the room. I took pictures everywhere. It was definitely not your typical hotel room. This space had lots of character.

Betsy enjoys the water.

Ginger Bear and Alice, enjoying the power of the swirly sea.

We soon left to go out to dinner. We went to a restaurant where we had a good view of the ocean. The water churned dramatically. The sun was starting to sink to the west where the big ocean lay. A west coast sunset. That would be something to see. We had a delicious fish dinner and dessert, which included marionberry and ice cream.

Exploring the vast ocean.

Interesting and unusual terrain.

Ginger Bear is ready for an outing.

 

After dinner, we returned to the motel and Betsy and I walked to the beach. It was a somewhat rough looking beach, with driftwood and a variety of other objects. There were some people at the beach. No one was in the water because the water churned too quickly to be safe. We walked and took pictures. It soon got dark and, once again, we returned to the motel.

In the morning, we went to the dining room at the motel. The motel is a cross between a motel and a bed and breakfast. Breakfast is included in the cost of the meal. We had our choice between steak and eggs or a "signature strawberry crepe." Ann is not a fan of breakfast so she had a small bowl of fruit. Betsy and I enjoyed the signature strawberry crepe. It looked beautiful on the plate and it tasted even better than it looked.
The next morning, I looked out the window and saw two cats playing a chase game.
We left soon after breakfast, saying goodbye to the motel, the swirling sea, and the quirky charm of Lincoln City. It was a delight to be there...
... and to be in Oregon... It was a glorious week. I am most grateful to Betsy Lamb, Ann Havill, and Philip Randall for showing the sights and for making me feel at home. It was a wonderful week and I had a great time in Oregon.

The Oregon Garden

The Oregon Garden is an 80-acre botanical garden, located in Silverton, an historic town in Marion County. One interesting feature of Silverton, which I did not see during my visit, is the Frank Lloyd Wright house, located next to the Oregon Garden. It is known as the Gordon house. You can find more information about the Gordon house here.
Betsy, Ann, and I did have our lunch, prior to our garden tour. We ate outside at a restaurant in downtown Silverton. It was delightful to eat outside. The view was spectacular. It was, however, a bit chilly. We did not have any desire to go inside, despite the chill. The sun shone brightly, promising a good afternoon for touring the gardens.

The view from our table at lunch.

When we arrived at the gardens, we saw that many plants were blooming, even though it was early in the season. We started our garden exploration with a 25-minute tram tour, narrated by the driver. This gave us a good overview of the gardens.

In the tram, ready for the tour.

On our way, past trees, new and old.

Exploring the habitats at the Oregon Garden.

Already, there is a lush carpet of color.

A way to use stairs, both to get to the garden and for visual appeal.

More stairs. These are made of stone and are visually quite appealing.

I'm not really sure of what this is...

We rode past a variety of habitats, from high desert to wetlands. We saw a sensory garden and a children's garden and a pet-friendly garden and a rose garden. We saw sculptures and benches shaped like butterflies. We saw places for people to eat and a resort for people to enjoy a holiday.

This was one of the cuter and more unusual ways to prune shrubbery. I'm not ready to try this at home, however.

I brought the bear and posed it here, amid the rocks and greenery.

The bark of the Ponderosa pine.

This flower (and many others in the Oregon Garden) attract bees. Sometimes, if you're lucky, the bee will pose for you.

A carpet of color.

The bear relaxes on the large butterfly bench.

This is the weeping sequoia.

After we got off the tram, we wandered around the gardens to take photographs and to explore the bright colors of springtime. We could touch the tall trees, including the ponderosa pine and the weeping sequoia.

A place to relax and socialize over lunch.

Inside the Visitors Center.