A Trip To The Oregon Coast

There’s no better way to spend the weekend for a Seattlite than a road trip down the Oregon Coast with a friend. That’s exactly what my friend and I decided to embark on one warm weekend at the end of March. We have carefully planned out a hefty supply of food and took an ample amount of blankets and pillows along, fully intending to sleep in the car and not spend any money eating out. With an adventurous mindset, and a load of promises from me that it will be the most spectacular scenic drive in ages, we got into my beat up Corolla and drove off into the sunlight.

The sunlight lasted for about an hour and a half. Just enough time for us to get off the freeway and onto one of the smaller roads leading to the coast. The rest of the day was covered by grey clouds with some sort of light beaming through, but nothing that would qualify as sunlight or beautiful. By the time we got to the coast it began to rain. After driving for a couple hours to a lighthouse I’ve wanted to check out for a while, we have finally arrived at the desired viewpoint by Cannon Beach. By then it was windy and hailing. To the point that up on top of the viewpoint both of us leaned on the wind at a 45 degree angle without falling down! The ocean roared as waves crashed against the rocks with freaky magnitude. Cool, yes, but not so much considering we were expecting glorious sunsets and warm beaches accompanied by a gentle splashing of waves on the sand.

After taking a few attempts at photographing the madness, we got cold and went down to Cannon Beach – a small coastal town filled primarily with retired rich people and young families with children and dogs. For a little while we wandered around, trying to figure out if there is a place we could park for the night. Soon feeling like complete bums, we looked at each other and instantly decided that we will end up getting a motel room for the night after all. Settling on a safe-looking , not too pricey place, we unloaded the blankets and the food in our trunk… And went out to eat in a local sea-food restaurant. The dinner was spectacular, as was our walk on the beach afterwards. With the shops closed and the town emptying out completely by 9p.m., there was nothing left to do but go to sleep, which we gladly did.

We were awoken at 3a.m. by tapping on the window. And by tapping I mean something along the lines of a jackhammer breaking into the roof. My friend sat up in horror and asked what the heck I think it is. “Seagulls.” I don’t even know how I knew that while being half asleep and half panicked from the noise myself. The tapping continued throughout the night, accompanied by rain, hail, and the roaring of the ocean. The morning revealed a beautiful painting of seagulls hanging above the bed that neither of us paid much attention to the night before. Either the irony of life was incredible or someone decorating that place had a very good sense of humor.

You’d hope that my story ends by saying that the next day was beautiful and we got to see the sun and the scenic views after all. Prepare to be disappointed! No such thing happened. In fact, at one point we passed what seemed like it should’ve been an incredible viewpoint. There were three large entrances, and it was located on a cliff. “I guess this is supposed to be beautiful,” my friend mumbled. The road was covered in fog from top to bottom. We couldn’t even see the water, much less separate it from the sky! We drove down for another hour and a half, visited another rainy, windy lighthouse, and went home. I highly recommend that everyone visit the Oregon Coast at least once in their lifetime! The scenery is beautiful and the sunsets are unmatched. Just don’t do it in March :)

The "Beautiful Sunset"

"Scenic Views"

Favorite Place on Earth

Traveling Light -- Tips and Tricks

I feel like I have more right than anyone else to write about this. After all, I'm known for taking one carry-on bag literally anywhere I go -- no matter for how long. My record was a small Nike sports bag -- one of those that can be passed for a purse with some ladies -- for a weekend of snowboarding in L.A.. Things I brought included gear (I rent boots and board though) and a couple unnecessary items that I never even used on the trip (don't we all wish that never happened....). Needless to say, I've extracted surpsised faces many-a-time upon arrival and proclamation that I have no baggage to claim. It's not even that people are surprised that it's possible to travel with just one luggage item. It's just that for some reason noone ever imagines that it's ME who can manage to do that. But then again... people also don't realize I own very little clothes, cook, and bake.

But once again I diverge... Why would I inflict such pain upon myself? Here are a few reasons to travel light:

1. This eliminates any chance that your luggage will get lost. This has never happened to me (for obvious reasons...), but I've heard way too many horror stories of people being stuck on their honeymoon with only what they had on during the trip.

2. Now that airlines started charging for extra luggage, you save money. And everyone likes saving money!

3. There is no waiting time at the end of the trip. Sometimes luggage can take up to an hour and a half to arrive after you have landed. Having none saves the time for both you and whoever is picking you up.

4. As awesome as muscles are... back sprains aren't a favorite of mine. On my last trip I brought a small bag packed with gifts (mostly books) and checked-in both my carry-on and that bag with full assurance from my departing point agent that I will receive the bags upon arrival back home. Surprise: they lied. Chicago is merciless when it comes to customs. There, I was told to take my luggage and bring it with me to the next check-in point. Dragging even a small bag filled with books for two hours through a huge line of customs and crowds of people isn't exactly a pleasant experience. I'm determined to avoid it at all costs in the future.

So how DO I manage to pack into a small carry-on? Below are a few tips to get you started.

1. Travel in the summer. Or when it's summer at your destination. O.K., so I admit that this tip is a little redundant, but seriously... Summer clothes are much lighter than winter ones, so you can fit more of them into a smaller space.

2. Get a good carry-on size suitcase. There's no point to have just a carry on, no matter how small, if you still have to lug it around on your shoulder or in your hand. A small suitcase that fits in the overhead compartment and has wheels is what you need to find. It needs to have an expandable hanger compartment coming out of its top -- that way you can bring suits/dresses without wrinkling them. Extra pockets on the outside are definitely a bonus -- mine has two in the front.

3. Plan ahead. I've been thinking about my trip ever since I came back two years ago. I've been buying clothes for a year with consideration for the trip. I've been brainstorming on SMALL presents for a couple months as well. (Small doesn't mean cheap by the way. i-Pods are small. So are diamond bracelets.) I'be been analyzing the settings I'll be in and figuring out if any of my clothes can be used in more than one. If you're not thinking the stuff through, you're bound to end up with a pile of stuff on your bed the night before, and bring crap you'll never use on the trip while not having half the stuff you need.

4. Shop ahead. This year I started a week early, and BOY am I happy I did that! I spent my first two days just walking around every store in Seattle and looking at prices and merchandise available. This gave me some pretty good ideas for presents. It also saved me money. I know that if I shopped last minute I would've grabbed the first thing available, and not necessarily the best deal. This also gave me an opportunity to figure out what I need. I'm about to return $300 worth of merchandise I realized I can perfectly do without, after owning it for a couple days. (NEVER throw away receipts or take tags off until you are actually putting an item on to wear!) Laying out all the presents ahead of time also allowed me to realize that some kids are getting way too much crap while others are getting too little, and that I have more shopping and returning to do.

5. Pack ahead. Take some time to sample-pack everything you are taking a few days early. Doing that made me aware of the fact that some presents are simply not the right shape for the suitcase and should be exchanged. And that all the new stuff I bought for myself doesn't fit so I have to return it all (Sigh... of relief for my credit card ;). It took a couple hours, but now I can sleep without worrying that something won't fit.

6. Use every nick and cranny available! My suitcase has its two handle rails showing on the bottom. Instead of just putting big items on there, I first stuff the space between the rails with small t-shirts, socks, and underwear. I also stuff shoes. Yes, it's tempting to put it all in one big bag. But much more efficient to stuff it here and there (just make sure nobody's watching while you're unpacking).

7. Wear heavy things on yourself. On my snowboarding trip I was able to bring a pair of boots with the fur because I wore them on the plane. This time I'm able to take two pairs of jeans instead of just one because I'll be wearing one of them. Coat rides on my shoulders as well. As do sneakers (on my feet).

8. If you absolutely need toiletries, bring sample sizes. You are only allowed one clear plastic bag of them anyways, so seriously pick and choose what you need and what you don't. Most likely your favorite aunt DOES own shampoo.

9. Trust your instincts. If the inner voice is telling you to take something out or put something in... Do it! You'll sleep better, and most likely you'll need or not need exactly that thing that you thought about.

10. Don't kid yourself. You will NOT be reading your extra-large size family bible with illustrations on the plane. If you're a christian, chances are people you're going to visit own enough bibles for you to read on location. You will also NOT finish work on your vacation. So don't bother bringing the laptop. Even if it's for showing pictures. Chances are the people you're visiting have a computer, so bring a flash drive instead. But seriously, I've learned that a small album with carefully selected photos that you can leave for your grandma after your departure works much better. More personal, and takes less time/space. Because trust me, even people you haven't seen for a while don't want to see 500 images from your recent trip to a small village in Idaho. And any work you do end up doing... well the amount is likely not enough to justify lugging a laptop around.

11. Be aware of current rules and regulations. Chances are security won't let you bring an expensive bottle of champagne/shampoo with you in the carry on. Think ahead. This way you'll make the line move faster both for yourself and for the people behind you.

HAPPY PACKING!!!!