OREGON COAST

Cool, damp, cloudy and wet. That was our welcome to Oregon, landing in Portland and driving out to Oceanside to a large, 5-bedroom house with spectacular ocean views. Joining us on this summer retreat are Doug and Jen celebrating twenty years of marriage, Michael celebrating graduation from college, David keeping track of iTunes and the newly weds (about two years), Jane and Paul. This is the first time Paul has joined our family get to gathers and is proving to be adept at find crab fishing sites.

Doug's mastery of soup making was exercised on night one with split pea soup and again night two for the thickest, richest Cioppino stew replete with crab, shrimp, clams and a thick aromatic broth. Total Yum. Night three was time for Ahi tuna on skewers with pineapple slices grilled on the outdoor gas grill. Think of Hawaii, only thirty degrees cooler!

Packing for this trip was impossible. N.W. Missouri was 90 degrees and total humidity, while Oregon is far cooler. The upside is that I now have a new waterproof windbreaker with an Oregon Coast insignia. Found the jacket at the Tillamook Cheese Factory gift shop after a self-guided tour overlooking their production line. Just like Chaplin's "Modern Times," the line of cheese blocks just keep coming and coming as slicing, weighing and packing take place. Getting a taste of Tillamook Cheese Curds was a newfound experience.

Just what I needed each morning to warm up and stretch was my twenty minute slimnastic routine, getting Jane to join me in the workout was a bonus. Where are my warmer yoga pants when I need them?

Wednesday we found another production line, the Pacific Oyster Company of Bay City, Oregon where a dozen shuckers were busy filling two-gallon buckets in preparation for canning. At the storefront counter we tasted creamy New England chowder while Jane and Paul got a bucket of steamer clams. Needless to say we are in seafood heaven.

Chowder lunch followed a vigorous morning on the Tillamook Bay peninsula walking about two miles through sand dunes to inspect driftwood. This morning after making oatmeal and kitchen duties, we will head north to Seaside to allow Dave some playtime and then to Cannon Beach where lunch will be anywhere that has crab salads or something steamed.

Tomorrow is our big celebration day - getting the Jimmy Buffet-style shirts ready for all of us to get "wild & crazy." This as if the family needs anymore 'crazy' to enjoy the coast. What we wish now is to spend as much time with Jane, Paul, Michael and Dave before they leave Sunday evening to return to Eugene, while Ed and I spend another two days with Doug and Jen. Then it will be time to return to North Carolina.

Off to the coastal drive....stay tuned. bbf