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Published: February 27th 2012
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Cure for the Stumptown Blues When I find myself under the unrelenting mist darkening the windows of my Portland apartment or slogging down the damp streets with feet wet to the socks I tend to get a little down, way down, low down in stumptown. We’ve all been there. So I head to the coin star (because like most young Portlanders I am poor) and fill my tank with gas, because there is still one place that my doldrums cannot follow me. Just one leisurely drive and another world away from the realities of day-to-day city life and in my personal case the hopeless search for gainful employment.
So, last Saturday my husband Paul and I took of on the short trip from Portland to Depoe Bay. This time of year most of the little stands on 99W that sell fresh fruit are closed, but hungry meat eating travelers can still stop at Right Way Meats in Dundee for locally made jerky. This was about the time, as is usual for car trips that we started to disagree about the musical genius of the Grateful Dead. I like a jam band as much as the next girl,
but at the end of the day it is just that, a jam band. Luckily, about this time the clouds opened up and we soaked up enough vitamin D to lift our spirits and make us forget any (in my case) the just plain mean things I may have said about Jerry Garcia, may he rest in peace.
Winding through what I have officially dubbed the “giant tree wall corridor” as it the hardest leg, it’s very green and lush but there is almost no visibility beyond the occasional clear cut and the anticipation becomes nearly intolerable to any normal human creature. Then it happens: the smell of salty ocean air starts to drift in through the vents and we are all smiles.
Famished by this time, we stopped at a little restaurant just off the road called Pier 101. A sign outside declares “ No sushi, no yuppie food.” It has a rustic interior with real fishing nets dark wood panel and tables that evoke a sort of belly of the ship vibe without going overboard. Pardon the pun! The coffee was, well café coffee. I’ve had my share of Folgers and so when I’m out and
about I must forget that I like a nice medium roast brewed dark. Otherwise, the service was great and the food was excellent for a couple of very hungry patrons. We started with the steamer claims which were proclaimed to be the very best; and on this particular day I would have to agree. I ordered a shrimp and spinach stuffed fillet of sole smothered in hollandaise sauce. This is brilliant because almost anything smothered in hollandaise is absolutely delicious. The sole was tender and perfectly cooked, also the inclusion of spinach allowed me to believe that I was eating a nice healthy meal. Ok, so there may have only been a nominal amount of spinach.
After lunch we decided to head forth to Depoe Bay and check into our hotel, the Crown Pacifiq. It was a perfectly adequate and clean room with an ocean view, but on the east side of the highway. Depoe Bay for those of you who have not been there is a little stretch of shops on the east side of the highway: café’s, confectioners, galleries and nick knacks stores. The west side of the highway is a gorgeous untamed rocky ocean view walkway
from which often whales can be spotted. On this particular day the ocean was down right uncivilized with waves roaring and crashing up to the walkway above with an admirable vigor. We took our casual stroll along the boulevard visiting gift and gem shops and acquiring a sizable bag of saltwater taffy before wandering through a public park and down a trail getting us nearer to the angry ocean that is our beloved Pacific. Someone had been kind enough to place a rope for easier navigation of the trail that headed straight down to the water’s edge. The place where we set down was covered with perfectly rounded obsidian mixed with the occasional agate or bit of sea glass. My husband Paul, a rock hound, was delighted at this discovery. He dug through the round black rocks as I climbed formations and proceeded to explore with my usual amount of trepidation, waves in the distance forming tall curls, crashing and spraying water in all directions. Trying to communicate was futile as the sound easily subdued our pitiful vocal attempts. Paul in his usual lackadaisical form spent an unusually long time exploring a sea cave. Not to worry, he emerged unscathed.
By this time the evening was approaching and the cold had become too much for me. With some effort I extracted Paul from the beach and we returned to the hotel room for some well-needed rest.
In the morning we had our continental breakfast, toaster waffles, a wafer that can only be called breakfast by the very loosest definition of the word. My suggestion: by all means stay at the Crown Pacifiq it really is a lovely location, just make yourself some breakfast plans elsewhere. Don’t judge me readers, toaster waffles really are awful!
After a nice walk on agate beach we decided to check out devil’s punchbowl for the first time. This little stop on the road between Newport and Depoe Bay is the star of it’s own little show called: Wow! Alternate titles include: Holy Crap! and Are you seeing this? It was the perfect way to cap our little excursion and with heavy hearts begin our journey home.
To those of you sissies who think the coast is only for summer, I challenge you! Go and see for you self all the sublime beauty and adventure our Oregon coast has to offer you winter spring or fall.
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