Heading North: Day 2

Big Cedar

We pulled out of Ocean Shores, smiling as it receded in the rear view mirror, and headed to Seabrook, Washington.  Seabrook is a Sunset Magazine Idea Town and it felt like we were inside the pages of a Sunset Magazine.  It was the perfect Sunset Magazine coastal community.  All the front porches were welcoming with beach vignettes and clever house names.  Crushed oysters covered the pathways and I wanted to move in, immediately.  We hope to rent a dog friendly cabin there next summer.

As we were driving along Highway 101, we saw a simple brown sign with Big Cedar written in white letters.  I was curious so, we turned off to see the Big Cedar.  We drove a short ways (.3 miles) to a parking lot and walked a few hundred feet into a scene out of James Cameron movie.

I took pictures of a dad video taping his kids climbing the Big Cedar while the mom stood back biting her lower lip in worry. 

"Hey Dad, look at this!"
"Don't worry, son, I'm video taping you," said the Dad.
"Don't interrupt him while he's climbing!" the Mom squealed.

Then we continued on our way, laughing at how the windows of our truck cab fogged over whenever we closed the windows.  It was a beautiful wet day.

We stopped at Ruby Beach and went agate hunting:  one of my favorite pleasure.  I collected a few interesting rocks.  Then we sat down on the truck's tailgate and enjoyed some more of our picnic.

Ruby Beach

We headed to the Olympic Game Farm in Sequim, Washington.  I was totally humoring My Pirate.

For forty minutes, we drove through the farm.  Animals would stand beside the road with their mouths open waiting to be fed.

Feed me!

Here's some whole wheat bread for you!

Nom nom!

I enjoyed watching the kids interact with the animals.

Hey kid, hand me some more bread.

My Pirate woke up every bear that was happily sleeping in the mud by throwing bread near them.  Such an infuriating pirate.

And then there were the buffalo...they were the stars of the show.  We rolled down our windows and two buffalo stuck their heads completely in the cab of our truck.  And My Pirate dropped the bread!  The buffalo opened their mouths and stuck out their long tongues hoping to be fed.   Their breath smelled like fermented grass and stinky feet.  Charlie gently pulled the truck forward, the buffalo pulled back, and we both laughed until we cried.  I realized that I was covered in buffalo slobber and I suddenly missed Barnaby acutely.  I missed my little slobber monster and was ready to go home,  but we weren't finished with our road trip yet.

Road Trip to Ocean Shores

Our road trip up and around the Washington State Peninsula was a last minute adventure filled with fog, scenic rain forest views, expansive beaches, great seafood and time with My Pirate.  It was just what I needed.  And the very best part was the twinge of missing our dogs, garden, and home.

On our way up to Ocean Shores, we drove past Goose Point Oysters on Willapa Bay and made a quick U-turn to pick up some fresh oysters.  We bought a dozen oysters that were pre-shucked using High Hydrostatic Pressure.  I buy their oysters regularly at New Seasons and it was fun to poke around the place and take pictures.  

We stopped for the night at Ocean Shores and I never plan on returning.  Cars, mopeds, and horses were all over the fog encapsulated beach and the town was aimed at family fun.  I was looking forward to a quiet romantic walk on the beach that simply didn't happen there.  We dodged traffic, horse shit, and the 'natural' green bubbling slime in the water.  We laughed, rinsed off in the razor clam area, and went upstairs to enjoy a picnic and a movie in our room.  

We feasted and then I fell into a deep sleep and didn't wake up until morning; the first time since we adopted Barnaby.  So, I started the next morning with a kick in my step and a deep desire to leave Ocean Shores in our dust.  

In The Moment

Gardenia radicans 'Frostproof' glowing in the streetlight 

As the streetlights were flickering on tonight, I walked up my driveway munching on Sungold tomatoes out of My Victory Garden and the fragrance of a single gardenia blossom filled my senses and stopped me in my tracks.  I was no longer thinking about chopping back the cardoon or worrying about how Barnaby keeps dry humping the furniture.  I was suddenly centered in the moment, savoring the spicy sweet fragrance of a gardenia in my dry crispy August garden.  Moments like these are why I grow a garden. Why do you grow your garden?

A Picnic Dinner

Here's the link to my latest Victory Garden Menus' post at The Columbian.

Heading North

After two years of staycations, we finally hit the road yesterday.  We headed up North into new territory.  A road trip adventure for two!

And My Pirate enjoyed the cold ocean and the gritty sand between his toes at Ocean Shores, Washington.

I savored the ocean breeze in my hair as we drove along the winding roads.

Never mind that there was green slime washing up around us and that we almost stepped in horse manure and got hit by a Moped, right along the beach.  Or that we were surrounded in a dense moist bank of fog.  That’s simply part of the adventure.

Today we’re heading North up around the Washington State Peninsula, a road trip I’ve dreamt about for a long time.