Escape to the beach...

That's just what Andrew and I did last weekend. 

We didn't run far, just to the beach, the Oregon coast. We also didn't run to a luxurious resort that would tend to our every desire, instead we went old-school.
The weather was supposed to be stormy, so our main desire was a room with a view, an ocean view that is. Somewhere we could be warm and dry, but enjoy the surf. Well, we got that view, but also got abundant sunshine, it was absolute heaven.
A reminder of what we'd just dealt with earlier in the week (snow) to the north.
There wasn't much ocean flora washed up on the beach, but when I went to take a photo of this particularly nice clump it had me thinking of the moss I photograph on our forest adventures.
Well, there was snow in Portland in April, so why not a Christmas tree on the beach in April?
Dried kelp and broken sand dollar decorations.
I love checking out the local architecture wherever I visit.
There was a brutalist-style development under construction in the suburbs.
Pyramids and giant toilets, closer in.
That's a good-looking wall, don't you think?

Dogs love the beach.
Loree loves the warm sun.
It may have only been 50-degrees, but nestled up in the rocks it felt plenty warm to me.
I'm one of those people who can't help but fill my pockets walking on the beach. The picking weren't great this time, but three of these items came home with me, the rest were tossed back into the sand.
Our next door neighbors.
Of course I had to do a little exploring of the gardens nearby.
Yep, another one of those signs telling me what I can and can't do.
There were some sizable Cordyline australis in the area, I didn't manage to snap any photos of the really big ones.
Just this one in a front garden.
An empty lot had me dreaming maybe Andrew and I needed to make a sea-side investment?
Speaking of Andrew, he brought the supplies needed to let his mind wander a bit.