December 2023 – Page 2

SKS: Girl Stars

Sara sent this pretty postcard, which the PO mauled a bit.

Books I’ve read in this list: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, Harriet the Spy, Pippi Longstocking, Alice In Wonderland, Roller Girl, Anne Frank Diary of a Young Girl, Anne of Green Gables, Beezus and Ramona, The Secret Garden, The Poet X, His Dark Materials, Little Women, Women in Science, Heidi, Matilda, and Island of the Blue Dolphins.

Sara said she got this as part of a set of postcards her mom sent her and that she was excited to send this one to me. Sara said she had read 11 of these books and guessed I had read more. Indeed, I’ve read 16. Aside from the ones I read when I was a kid, I can thank Librarian Book Group for a bunch of these.

Postcard from Gearhart

I wasn’t the only one to head to the coast for a quick break. Laurie and Burt visited McMenamins Gearheart Hotel and enjoyed it.

While this location would greatly benefit from a soaking pool, I also enjoyed my stay at this establishment.

Cannon Beach Day 4: Headed Home

My bus left at 9:30, but I grabbed one more view of Haystack Rock before I checked out.

The seagulls are well trained. Throughout my stay, they appeared the second I stood at the window. I did not reward them for this attentiveness.

On my way out, I saw a bit of how the decor used to look. While the white was calming, I do enjoy a good turquoise door.

Cannon Beach Trip Day 3

On this day, I stayed in, embroidered, and looked at the pretty views while watching movies. The hotel advertised a DVD library. I noted that there were three copies of The Goonies (filmed in the area) and that the acquisition of DVDs seems to have stopped around 2012. I watched 17 Again (because I hadn’t seen it and because RIP Matthew Perry) and Spanglish.

In the evening I popped into Newmans at 988 to see if they had room for me. They did, and I had a delicious dinner. From the future, I can say I’m glad I stopped there, because it is now closed and has become Little Yellow House.

I then went to the Coaster Theatre Playhouse to see Miracle on 34th Street.

From there, I walked back to my hotel, which gave me a chance to capture their festive lights and the stairs that take you to the hotel.

Cannon Beach Trip Day 2

I woke up to this!

I think they must have upgraded me.

After taking in the view, I headed off to find food and finish some Christmas shopping.

Many restaurants were closed, but I found Oros’s Fireside Restaurant to be open. I had a steak omelet. (A splurge).

Aside from the very lovely log cabin interior, it had this really nice stone exterior. A sign on the building said:

Original log cabin restaurant built on this site in 1925 by Paul Bartels for his sister Marie. He was a stonemason who built most of the historic beach rock fireplaces in town.

The Hallmark Resort and Spa is a bit of a walk from the Cannon Beach main drag, but I walked the length of the drag and arrived at this park where I sat and watched the ocean for a while.

On the way back, I picked up some Christmas gifts in a sock store and a houseware store.

I also grabbed this picture of Haystack Rock poking above a hotel I passed on my way back.

I walked down to the beach for some official beach time. Look at the supports added to the motel’s structure:

Here’s a nice shot of the way the rooms are positioned for maximum view. You can see a few people enjoying said view.

I stopped on one of the lower decks and when I looked over, I saw some local wildlife.

A sunset shot of Haystack Rock

Visual evidence for Matt that this place provides maximum pillows. (Matt prefers one pillow, no matter the size of the bed.)

Trip to Cannon Beach Day 1

I haven’t explored Cannon Beach much, and the bus goes there, so I took a short vacation. I stayed at the Hallmark Resort and Spa, which was a hop, skip, and a jump from the bus stop. I arrived on Thursday night after sunset and climbed a bunch of stairs to get to the front desk. I’m pretty sure I reserved a queen partial view room, but my room looked like this.