Weekend on the Coast

Conclusion of those little projects known as Vista and IE7 at work meant a short weekend vacation for Aimee and myself. We’re spending the weekend on the Oregon coast in Seaside.
This little city is quickly becoming one of my favorite “get away” spots. It is about four hours drive from Seattle and has much of what I like in a place to relax. The city is very pedestrian friendly and the ocean access and beach off the Promenade are excellent.
Access to much of the Oregon coast involves getting through some rugged and rocky terrain. I enjoy a healthy hike as much as anyone but it is nice here in Seaside to be able to walk along a smooth sandy beach that’s nothing more than a step off the 2 mile sidewalk known as the Promenade.
That’s not to say the more rugged beaches are far away. We went out hiking yesterday along a winding trail that lead to the beach. It was amazing to see how much ground the recent batch of rain here in the northwest dug up. Most trails along the coast are covered with accumulated debris from the surrounding forest. But in hiking yesterday it was easy to experience all the places where water had exposed tree roots, rocks and in general dug up the forest floor.
We capped the evening off with dinner at Lil’ Bayou. This is a must visit restaurant for anyone visiting Seaside. Great food at reasonable prices and excellent service.
Retirement, something not in the near future, would be pretty nice in a place like this. Like that’s any secret though as a quick browse of any coastal home price listing shows.