manzanita
2.15
At last, the long-awaited weekend arrives to celebrate Graysie’s 26th birthday in Manzanita. Around 9am, Cindy, Sam, Allie, and Kayla commence their journey southbound into the gravely underrated, scenic land of Oregon. They serendipitously align on their first priority, which is to load up on caffeine at Muddy Waters, a coffee shack in Seattle. All occupants order coffee except Allie who orders a pink lotus drink. Kayla generously treats everyone to a muffin, of which the blueberry and poppy reign supreme. Things are off to a great start. The ride continues to be extremely pleasant as the crew exchanges conversation and music, knowing their counterparts are equally en route to the final destination. Kayla reveals she vocally performed an original song in her third grade talent show, but unfortunately the lyrics have been lost to time. One hour in, Cindy tires and Sam takes the wheel. The group stops at two gas stations where everyone gets snacks, and Allie and Cindy are really excited to discover car fresheners for sale.
Once they reach Astoria, they take a pit stop at the Goonie’s house and gaze at the port city full of deeply windblown Victorian-inspired houses. Cindy and Sam have no idea how to interpret the Goonie’s house, but are in awe at the oodles of sea lions barking from a nearby shore. Allie really likes these houses. The crew tries to get a table at Astoria Brewing, during which Cindy is snidely told the wait is “as soon as possible”. The four of them are put behind a chain to prevent them from sneaking into the brewery and giving them money in exchange for goods. Graysie’s caravan swiftly arrives at the scene, and after some debate they decide to explore other options for eats and drinks. A little further down the road, members of the 2 cars convene at last and sit down for lunch at Inferno Lounge. There are heavenly water views and everyone is entertained by the interior. Graysie takes numerous pictures and Auddie purchases her a surprise birthday package from the unconventional vending machine. Cindy is absolutely delighted by the grilled cheese and tomato soup, which Sam unabashedly ogles at, takes multiple bites of, and determines was the better choice over his quesadilla.
After lunch, the group ventures into an aptly named store called Treasure Trove. It is here that Sam and Allie strike gold and each purchase Levi’s for very cheap prices. Cindy loiters around and grieves her lack of purchase. Graysie leads the group to a sea lion cove where everyone is thoroughly stunned and entertained by the howling masses of sea lions. Their howls reverberate through the pier, and we are able to stand extremely close to them. One of them sops up the attention and repeatedly shimmies for the spectators. Breaux is fascinated at the site of a legless mammal making such commotion.
Back on the road, their next stop is the renowned Cannon Beach. On the way, they drive through a mob of Roosevelt elk feasting on grass and take many pictures. One such elk is putting on a show, standing over seven feet tall on its hind legs to eat a delicious branch in someone’s yard. They are in awe at such a sight to behold. At Cannon Beach, the view is breathtaking and though Cindy has seen it before, it is stunning all the same. This sentiment also seemed to be shared by the other members of the group. With the wind and rain blasting them, they splash around in the sand and take many pictures. Sam runs up to stare at the rock closer. It is stunning. They take many photos but ultimately succumb to the harsh weather and retreat to their vehicles. At this location, they rendezvous with Carly and the adorable but paralyzed pug Lenny.
Around 6pm, they reach their final location at their Airbnb in Manzanita. The parking situation is a bit odd but is quickly sorted out by the sharp minds on the trip. The Airbnb is as beautiful as pictured and offers dramatic views of the coast, complete with a spiral staircase. Dinner is pizza from Marzano’s Pizza Pie. Cindy, Sam, Allie, and Auddie make the trek to the pizza place and race each other against the speedometer sign on the way. Allie clocks 30 mph.
The pizza gets scarfed down and dinner concludes with a game of drive where Carly reigns champion, despite Zack’s expert skills at eliminating whomever is adjacent to him. Next, the group plays Graysie’s favorite game The Game of Things… It is very fun and brings about great laughter and joy with a side of psychological analysis and social intelligence. Kayla emerges a clear victor by proving to be extremely observant and intune with the group. Sam is astonished that he was only able to score one point. Eventually the group tires and each recedes to their respective bedroom, concluding an exhilarating and packed first day of wellness.
2.16
Cindy and Sam awake from slumber desperate to drink coffee. They voyage into town where they get coffee from a cute coffee shop called Offshore Grill & Coffee House. They roam around town and discover the destined brunch place, Yolk, is ridden with people. Cindy puts her name down and they begin a 1.5 hour wait. In the meantime, Cindy and Sam walk down to the water and are in awe at the raw and tumultuous beauty of the Oregon coast. The white foamy waves crash into each other behind the windblown grass in the tumbling sand dunes, reminiscent of cape cod. The wind wreaks havoc on Cindy’s hair, yet she remains stoic and gorgeous as ever. Everyone reunites back at the house and begins to slowly make their way to Yolk, killing time on the way at the local bookstore and gift shop. Sam craves redbull and sprints to the grocery store alone to secure his boost of energy. After what feels like hours, the group finally is seated at the esteemed Yolk and orders delicious food. Huevos Rancheros was a popular option, with the addition of french toast and scrambles to complete a balanced meal for all. Kayla and Sam fixate on getting tickets to Tyler the Creator and frantically message randoms on Facebook. Cindy hungrily eats huevos rancheros for the first time.
Back at the house, everyone lights up and settles in for some games accompanied by hot chocolate. Inside it is warm and dim and with the backdrop of the rainy beach, it is very cozy. We start with Sequence which is very fun and play with a variety of teams. After a while, Cindy, Sam, Kayla, and Allie begin Codenames which has been a long time coming. Ultimately, the group gravitates towards the couch after a long afternoon of gaming and enthusiastically watch the White Lotus. It is very good and fun to watch with other enthusiasts. Allie heroically puts in an order for Mexican food for the group, memorizing everyone’s order in the process. The night ends with more activities: The Goonies and watercoloring. Graysie crafts an amazing watercolor of fruit using a technique Sam has never seen before. He is awed and notes this technique for future use. It is revealed that Kayla is especially skilled at painting jellyfish. It is a pleasant day full of indoor activities.
2.17
On this day, everyone wakes up, checks out, grabs coffee, and heads towards Seaside in search of breakfast. They visit a very eclectic cafe called Chalkboard Cafe where everyone is seated at tables that are chalkboards! Sam and Zack order the redneck breakfast, which consists of a ridiculous benedict smothered in gravy. The southern accent of the waitress and calling Cindy “baby” is oddly comforting. After breakfast, the group strolls the town and are pleased to discover the town is extremely cute, reminding Sam and Cindy of a far less trashy version of Hampton Beach, NH. The town ends at the beach where the sky has cleared up and offers the classically breathtaking and mysterious views of intrepid water and mountainous cliffs covered by suspended fog. Graysie and Cindy commit an act of hubris and proudly trudge into the water in their rainboots. They far overestimate their abilities and instantaneously retreat in desperation as the water pours into their boots. At the end of their adventure, they part ways and all safely return to Seattle. Not before Cindy jostles everyone in her car speeding supremely through windy roads.