Double-Stacked Bookshelves

Join me for the month of April as I participate in the A-Z Blogging Challenge and share some (I couldn't share all) of my favorite noshing joints in western Oregon.  Hopefully you'll leave the blog a little hungrier than when you arrived...or at least with a new culinary destination on your travel list!   Chowder Bowl at Nye Beach Mmmm...I love a good bowl of chowder.  Or any seafood, really.  But there is something so satisfying about soup and the Chowder Bowl's chowder is pretty stellar.  I mean, they named the restaurant after it!  Of course they offer other fares, but you should go for the chowder and the garlic onion cheese toast.  Drool! Located at Historic Nye Beach in Newport, Oregon, the Chowder Bowl is an institution.  They've been open and operating from the same location since 1980 and there is always a wait to get a table.  While you're waiting, feel free to wander 100 yards down the street to the beach or explo...

This week's topic for Beyond the Books is:  Beach or Pool .  This is always a heavily debated topic.  Some people are so stuck in there ways...and I'm probably one of them!  Here's what I think: I love...the BEACH!  Well, let's get a little more specific.  I don't like hot weather.  I don't like crowds (I could easily be a hermit).  So, you might be asking yourself "how can she like the beach if she doesn't like hot weather or people?"  I'm very specific in my beach preferences.  I like the Oregon Beach...because it's often windy, rainy, and not crowded.  However, there are times when the Oregon Beach is filled with people, often during the Summer months, and warmer than average.  For instance, this past weekend it was 81; that's incredibly warm for the Oregon Coast.  The water is very cold (numbingly cold) and tide-pools are a common sight along the coastline.  Now, there is a definite climate difference as yo...

This week's prompt for the Writer's Workshop is:  10 Things That Make Me Happy...   A Strong Cup of Coffee.  I like to taste my coffee and have it kick me gently in the face.  Mmmm. Rain.  The sound.  The smell.  The feel.  The atmosphere.  The...taste, I guess.  Being from the PNW allows me to experience the beauty of rain a lot.  However, we've had an unusually dry Winter/Spring...and going in to Summer, so I haven't been able to enjoy my delightful rain as much as I would love to. Hoppy Beer.  I am also thankful that I live in a region that produces seriously outstanding beers (You go, Oregon!).  As my preferences have changed over the years, I have become increasingly drawn to IPAs and the like.  The hoppier, the better in my opinion! A Plethora of Books.  I feel completely lost without a book on my person at all times.  What if I have to wait somewhere?  What if I get sto...

Well, fellow A-Zers, we've done it.  We've reached the end of the month long A-Z Blogging Challenge.  It's been fun; I had more fun utilizing a theme this year as opposed to last year when I had a free-for-all method.  I think I'll do this again next year!  Today's Oregon destination is, again, my creative fix. Zis is Zee End:  Fort Clatsop Located near the mouth of the Columbia River on the Oregon Coast, Fort Clatsop was the encampment from the Lewis and Clark Expedition from the Winter of 1805-06. Taking just three weeks to build, the fort is now protected under the Lewis and Clark National and State Historical parks and is also known as the Fort Clatsop National Memorial.  Heavily damaged and decaying due to the weather in the area, in 1955 a reconstruction of the original fort, using sketches from William Clark's journal, was built to celebrate the sesquicentennial; this fort lasted for another 55 years before it was destroyed by fire in...

It's a beautifully sunny day here in Oregon...the perfect day to not be at work.  Alas.  I'm a little later than usual in my posting for today, but I have a good excuse :)  I spent most of my day stuffing envelopes at work (not a good excuse) and then giving away free books to promote literacy for World Book Night (a GREAT excuse).  I love this organization!  Check it out . Moving on to today's T inspired Oregon landmark... Tillamook Cheese Factory Oh, cheese.  Glorious cheese!  The Tillamook Cheese Factory is, fittingly, located in Tillamook, Oregon along the Oregon Coast and Highway 101.  Founded a little over 100 years ago, the Tillamook Cheese Factory is the 44th largest dairy in the US and is sold from coast to coast, though more so in the West.  Making everything from their signature cheese products to butter, ice cream, yogurt, and sour cream, the brand won the gold medal at the World Cheese Championship Cheese Competit...

Hello, dear readers, welcome to Wednesday!  Today's letter could have easily gone to everything in Oregon, but I'm sticking with a main attraction along the beach.  Let's visit... The Oregon Sea Lion Caves Located just north of Florence, the Sea Lion Caves are a connected system of sea caves and caverns that open to the Pacific Ocean.  Access to the caves is through a gift shop above the cliffs.  The main part of the cave is a total of two acres and about 125 feet high.  There are a few entrances accessible via the ocean.  One is completely flooded at high tide and the other is a wide opening in the rocks where observers can see the ocean.  Over time, this has become the only known mainland rookery (breeding ground) and wintering home for the Stellar Sea Lion and the California Sea Lion (to a lesser extent).  It is also home to several bird species.  During certain times of the year, it is also a great place to whale watch. ...

 It's a schizophrenic Saturday here in Oregon (what's new) and we're strolling in to the halfway point of the A-Z Blogging Challenge.  Today's letter brings us to a feature that many states along the coast possess and something that I've always had a fascination with... Lighthouses There are eleven total lighthouses along the Oregon Coast.  Nine were built for maritime purposes, five are still in operation, and two were privately built.  Of the eleven, nine of them are on the National Register of Historic Places.  There are five lighthouses that offer tours to visitors and each has a unique history.  Some even have sordid pasts and rumored ghosts that roam their buildings.  As a heads up, I apologize for the length of this post. From the north heading south along Highway 101, the lighthouses are as follows: Tillamook Rock Lighthouse is the furthest north and located near Seaside.  It is deactivated and the only lighthouse b...

Happy Friday everyone and welcome to the letter K!  Today is all about... The Kite Festival For one weekend in mid-May, the city of Seaside , Oregon hosts an event called the  Rockaway Beach Kite Festival .  Located on the   Northern Oregon Coast along Highway 101, Seaside has been a popular destination for vacationers and tourists since its founding in the early 1800s. The wind along the beach during this time of year is perfect for kite flying enthusiasts (professionals and amateurs, alike).  Anyone, regardless of age, can join in on the activity.  You can bring your own kite and participate in a multitude of contests ranging from longest drag to highest flight.  Professional kite flyers put on shows for the crowds and live music is heard all along the beach. Kite Festival booths, Seaside, Oregon In addition to the Kite festivities, the boardwalk leading down to the beach offers boutique shops, a traditional arcade, ...