Thanksgiving @ Bluff House - Moclips, WA

 We are planning on eating at 2:00 so we have allocated time slots for each person to cook their offering for the meal.  The stove does not actually produce much heat, so cooking times may vary.  We managed to have almost everything heated that was suppose to be heated.  Anyway, great meal.  We have vowed to stay vegetarian for Thanksgiving next year.

Following Thanksgiving dinner, the next obvious thing to do is walk along the beach while food coma kicks in.  After everyone woke up we played some serious board games.  In our final game, we survived a plane crash, waiting to be rescued.  We needed to forage for food, and materials to build fires, spears and shelter.  Occasionally we eat poisonous mushrooms and become paralyzed or are attacked

by rabid raccoons.  The days take their tool on us and we start to go mad.  At one point, I had to stand up and dance, if I stopped I would die.  Others had to throw their cards across the room, or pretend to go blind or stop speaking, or have a staring contest.  WHO ever knew crashing in the wilderness could be so fun.

Bluff House - Moclips, WA

 The sun rose and we had a gorgeous view of the ocean.  We are up on a bluff, about a hundred feet over the beach.  We have started to learn some the quirks of our little nest.  Two master bedrooms on the third floor, sans heat. But with jacuzzi tubs.  Living is all done on the second floor, with a great room and kitchen sharing the space about equally.  The first floor has a smaller bedroom, with a space heater.

I called the property manager who sent out some people to investigate the lack of heat on the third floor.  Our general conclusion is that, although there is a thermostat and heater vents, there is actually no infrastructure to support them.  Their plan is to confirm this with owner.

Getting to the beach requires a short drive.  The beach is very firm, so the locals like driving on the beach.  We’re not sure that Hertz would approve.  

We have prepared some of our first vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner: a cranberry galette and an artichoke and spinach lasagna.  Tomorrow we finish the prep and have our feast.  And then comes…leftover Friday.

Bluff House - Moclips, WA

 Got up, went down stairs for breakfast.  Deb has never had Avocado Toast, so decided to order it, without really reading the rest of the description: Grilled ciabatta, avocado, cream cheese, bacon bits, goat cheese, marinated grape tomato, arugula, sunny side up egg.  We had a few hours to kill, so we went to downtown Seattle for lunch.  Found a deli on TripAdvisor.  Seattle’s finest Cheese Steak Sandwich.  Also Seattle’s thickest Cheese Steak Sandwich.  

We rented a Ford Expedition, a very large SUV, packed it to the roof with enough food for Thanksgiving and the potentially rest of the year, and headed out for the VRBO on Washington’s sea coast.  By the time we arrived it was 8:30 at night, but Deb still showed no signs of hunger.  As with every VRBO, there is a manual describing particular do’s and don’t.  This one included detailed tsunami instructions.  Well, that’s a little concerning.

Tomorrow will bring sunrise and a view of our potential destroyer.

Raddison Airport Hotel - SeaTac, WA

 We are off on our Thanksgiving vacation (is it really a vacation, if you’re retired?). We’re hanging around the condo with 15 minutes to go, nothing to do, so we leave…get to the bus early…catch an earlier bus so we can wait at the airport instead.  Deb has been happy that we did the effort to get TSA Pre so we don’t remove our electronics, take off our shoes, etc.  I buzz through the line, happily, when I hear a distant voice say “Chris…Chris…Chris”.

I had forgotten to put Deb’s known traveler number in her profile, so no TSA Pre.  I was so frustrated that I forgot to take my iPad out of my bag.  Off go the alarms,  my bag is contraband.  It has to go through security again.  I can see flames shooting from Deb’s head!  

After that, it was pretty smooth sailing, got to Seattle a little early, got to the hotel.  All is good.  Now we just need to wait for the rest of the family to get out of work ( I remember those days.)

An Urban Aindustrial Suite - Salinas, CA

 Our last day in California.  A person asked if we missed living in California.  Truthfully, yes!  The weather is wonderful, the produce is fantastic, the people are friendly….yeah, but the traffic is gnarly!

Today we went to Carmel-by-the-Sea.  (That’s the official name.  I Googled it and there is a Carmel in Indiana, but I’m not sure I could confuse the two).  We had lunch at the Treehouse Cafe.  It touted Thai food, which is very high on Deb’s list, but we ate Falafels and Gyros.

Since most of my clothes seemed to have shrunk slightly on the trip (I can think of no other reason that they might be slightly tighter).  I convinced everyone to walk down to the beach for a little exercise, forgetting that in Carmel, “down to the beach” is very literal.  There was a hefty uphill climb on the return.  We rested at a cowboy themed wine tasting,   The pourer spouts were cowboy heads with red liquid coming out their mouths…not a great visual.

The day finished with a “flight” of chocolates.  Sort of a game where you eat a small piece of chocolate and guess the percentage of cacao and the other ingredients.  It took quite a bit of “higher/lower” etc. To even come close!  Lots of fun however!

Tomorrow, sadly, we fly home.

An Urban Industrial Suite - Salinas, CA

 

Our downtown studio is urban industrial chic.  So that’s a thing now.   Maybe not my go to vibe, but fun for a few days.  After some delicious homemade muffins, we head for the Salinas farmers market.  They have lots of local produce, which isn’t all that strange since Salinas is famous for providing the world with healthy vegetables.  

There’s lots of food vendors, as well, but Deb is drawn like a moth to the smell of a smoker (it’s one of the things we miss most about living in a condo…not having a smoker). Smoked brisket and smoked sausage with smoked baked beans.

Justin has renewed his membership at the Odonata Winery, the sun is out, and there’s a jazz combo.  Everything is aligned for an afternoon of music and wine tasting.  

A very enjoyable day!

An Urban Industrial Suite - Salinas, CA

 

Our eclectic VRBO 

We start off the day with some pastries courtesy of the inn.  Deb has a delicious fruit danish.  She gives me the summer squash danish (I know, it doesn’t sound that good…and there is a reason for that).  With breakfast under our belt, so to speak, we head off for Salinas.  These are pretty much old haunts for us.  In short order we are through the extensive vineyards and onto the Bay Area freeways.  Lunch in Morgan Hill, while watching the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics.  We make it to Salinas, had a quick visit, checked into the VRBO and walked to Mangia, an Italian restaurant for dinner.  Visit, watch an episode of Firefly and off to bed.