A day late, a dollar short but better late than never!

Last month the 3GenChics headed to the Oregon Coast for full moon appreciation at our favorite beach getaway in Netarts. We made a decision to mark this lunar event each month with some sort of special something and walking on the beach under said full moon sounded good for October. We planned ahead and were able to reserve the best cabin, Sand Castle. This cabin has a fabulous front deck overlooking the beach, two full bedrooms, a roomy, well-stocked kitchen, a big living area and a sheltered fireplace area out back in addition to being the end unit, with private access directly to the beach.

After our usual departure day nonsense of stopping for beverages, filling the gas tank, grabbing some ice and who knows what other errands, we drove west, opting to skip the more scenic route in the interest of getting to our happy place as soon as possible.

Upon arrival we checked in with the proprietor, who always remembers us, and set to unpacking. Speaking of, I had forgotten how well this kitchen was stocked and brought basically my entire kitchen. In my defense I had a seafood feast to prepare! Whether or not we really needed the three crates of kitchen supplies I will leave you to ponder. It’s not all me, though, on the overpacking. Keely, the dog, has her own two bags and Gramma has her suitcase and a couple of other bags. Emma is probably the best on this with one bag, but other stuff required are games, firewood and kindling, hiking backpack, no less than six coats, three different varieties of shoes, gloves and hats since the weather here is completely unpredictable, a wool blanket for sitting outdoors, cooler, beverage bag, aforementioned 3 crates of food stuffs, tarot cards….and a partridge in a pear tree. My goodness, it is a scene and we are not afraid to admit it.

We unpacked and settled in before sitting on the deck to soak up some rays while we waited on our friend, Cathie, to join us. Once she arrived we headed to Oceanside for an early dinner at Rosanna’s. We sat at our usual table overlooking Three Arch Rocks, just in time to watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.

After a delicious dinner, Emma built us a nice fire in the outdoor fireplace. We set up our chairs to enjoy the warmth while sharing some great conversation and storytelling with Cathie. We always have lots to say when we visit with her and are grateful for the time we spend with her. We burned some incense, roasted marshmallows, ate s’mores and enjoyed hot chocolate or perhaps it was rum and coke? We’ll never tell……..

We sat outside, waiting for the moon to come around to the beach to light our path for a full moon stroll. Eventually she came around the bend and Emma, Gramma, Keely and myself bundled up and set off for a hike. Cathie stayed back at the cabin – too cold for her! Lovely, it was an absolutely lovely walk. We had a bit of hilarity as we crossed a small creek, on a log, with flashlights, a dog and not very good balance. It was all I imagined as I planned this trip, smelling the sea air, hearing the sound of the ocean and enjoying the beauty of the Blue Moon while in the company of my favorite girls.

On our second day it was our intention to just stay in and enjoy the place all day, the only exception going out to breakfast. This morning meal must be had at the Blue Agate Café in Oceanside. They offer outdoor seating so we can bring Keely with us instead of leaving her in the car which is always a good thing. We grabbed a table and I ordered my standard Crab Cakes with avocado and the best home fries in Oregon. Afterwards we went back to the cabin where we putzed around the whole day, sitting on the deck, playing Mahjong, walking on the beach, cooking a seafood feast and yakking it up. After our seafood feast, we built another fire outside, this one bigger than the night before and a little shorter as we had evening plans to play Apples to Apples and read tarot cards. After the fire and another round of s’mores, we settled in for the evening. Cathie had not played Apples to Apples before so it was a lot of fun introducing her to that hilarious, silly game. After that I read everybody’s tarot cards and that is always something we really enjoy. Then it was time for some relaxing on the couch, some light talk and Keely love, some Mama & Emma snuggling and an early goodnight.

We woke to the sound of heavy rain on our final day. We enjoy the gray, foggy Oregon days, especially when the sky and the ocean fade into each other with different shades of gray. I was up early, sipping on a pot of hot tea while gazing out the huge windows at the rainy morning. Once the others stirred it was time to get packed up and head over to the Blue Agate for our breakfast. We had a wonderful breakfast, as always, and struck up a nice conversation with the server, who turned out to be the mother of the twin brother owners. She has waited on us many times and it was so nice to connect with her on a personal level.

After breakfast we said goodbye to Cathie, then took a rainy walk on the beach for Keely to get the wiggles out and chose to take the scenic drive home. Another epic 3GenChics trip under our belts!