Everywhere. The clucking makes for an interesting contrast while at
the beach.

I left my camera at home while in Portland, hence the iPhone shots.

Fortunately, Tommy (pictured) is a better photographer and came prepared. Behold!

Plump, meaty, buttery goodness

and more

As near as I could get, this is the route my friend Arlene and I drove. Definitely a great way to spend the holidays! I posted plenty of pictures, please check them out…

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Through wet muddy roads, hail, and snow we arrived in Seattle! The sloughs of the Washington coast had a strange history that mysteriously doesn’t date back more than a few hundred years; at least according to the roadside signs.

Apparently nothing existed before Lewis and Clark…?

Ignoring any social commentary, our final destination concluded a wonderful journey up the western coast. With the new year approaching it is a perfect transition to the next journey.

We made it to the northern coast of Oregon and are staying in Astoria — home of the Goonies!

Cold icy rain swept through in all directions, adding a harshness to the simple beauty of the northern Oregon coast.

There is no destination in mind, just a general direction. The goal is less about any specific outcome but about the process and the discovery. Life teaches to maintain an awareness of the present and to be flexible in where to go next.

One night in a small roadside motel, the next with a riverfront view from the in-room jacuzzi. The quality of life is not in the amenities but in the flexibility and freedom of the journey.

North through Coos Bay we settled for the night in Winchester Bay, Oregon. The Pacific Northwest fog and rain greeted us in the small coastal town.

Raining on the coast but apparently snowing on the I-5, says Patrick, the owner and friendly face behind Fishpatrick's Crabby Cafe.

Strange who you meet in the brief encounters while traveling. Patrick ran a warm, friendly restaurant with welcome hospitality to everyone. He made two weary travelers feel at home, and I noticed it was the same courtesy he extended to the Winchester Bay locals. In this moment he represented an ideal gentleman; a comforting demeanor that left a lasting impression…

As soon as it started to look familiar everything changed. At first far off storm clouds began to threaten the serene blue sky. Water sprinkled lightly on the road during the later hours of daylight.

The sun set as we drove through the coastal redwoods of northern California. Rain poured seemingly intermittent from the canopy of the giant evergreens.

I watched as the temperature dropped and remarked: "a couple more degrees and this type of rain would turn to snow."

Within seconds the familiar sound of rain drops ceased. Large clumps of white on the road. Snow.  Snow along the windy road by the oceans cliff. Perilous death seems just a foot away as the narrow road curves sharply in any direction. The trees lit up with white and the car sloshed through the ice and cold. A spectacular view teased my eyes like a Sirens call that I imagine might lead me to crash onto the rocky shoreline. It was amazing!

I suspect we shape our lives and world to fit our beliefs and our perceptions of reality.  Apparently a snowy windy road by the ocean surrounded by redwoods is my reality. :)

I feel like Jell-o. After a couple of days of driving through small
coastal towns we finally hit San Francisco. The sprawling hipster
metropolis seemed almost out of place juxtaposed with the quiet and
sparsly populated western coast.

The world seems abuzz amidst my tranquility. A blur of activity that
is as fascinating as any other naturally occuring phenomena. The same
ocean where elephant seals were milling lazily is now teeming with
people and lights.

We're staying in Sausalito and may wake early for sunset and the
photographic magic hour…