Outdoor Tennis

As many of you know, Jason picked up tennis again (for the first time since high school) on our travels last year and has spent the last year+ feeding his new obsession hobby.

While he had a match against another player, I played paparazzi the other day... he's been enjoying playing outside here in California (just like back in Durango). Unlike Chicago - where it wouldn't work most of the year! - the club here we joined for the month has exclusively outdoor courts.

His game has come a long way since those first lessons last April!


The next Federer?!

Home Away from Home: Shell Beach Edition

Sorry for my lack of posting lately. I seriously need to get it together so I can end this habit of starting every post with an apology! We're staying on the coast in a little town called Shell Beach, part of Pismo Beach, but are just a 10 minute drive from San Luis Obispo. This house is gorgeous and we totally lucked out - you just never really know how reality will stack up against the pictures you see on the website.

Just like before, Frank and Boozer wanted to show you around... take it away, boys!

We couldn't believe it when we pulled up - what a pretty house and yard!
Right by the front door is a little pond with a fountain. The house doesn't have air conditioning, but the weather is so mild that you don't need it... but it does mean that we keep the windows open, so always can hear the fountain splashing in the background.

There are tons of windows, so we can always find a nice sunbeam to nap in, like we're doing here in the family room:

This is Jason's office. But work is boring... come with me as I show you more!

This is the kitchen, where all our treats are stored:

Nicki's 'desk' is at the kitchen table, and we stay close by on our blanket at her feet:

But the best part of this house is that there is so much room to roam outside... lots of grass and walkways for us to explore and do more of our favorite activity - sunbathing!

We spend a lot of time as a family hanging out in the big back yard, complete with a tiny view of the ocean - heaven!

And that's where we've been living lately... this place has been great - we're sad to be leaving it soon!

Anniversary Weekend

This past weekend we celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary... on Saturday we spent some time enjoying the sunshine and great weather in the backyard. The boys like using our beach umbrella to stay cool:



Then we enjoyed a nice dinner at a local restaurant, Lido, with wonderful views of the ocean:





Champagne Toast
We then finished off the festivities with a trip to see the final Harry Potter movie on Sunday.
I completely embarrassed Jason by taking this picture in the movie theatre :)
What a great weekend!

California Dreamin'

Our drive from Bend to California was very scenic as we crossed through Oregon. It seems like there are major highways that go to Portland, but nothing really as far east as Bend. So we drove little two-lane 'highways' towards the coast before heading south into California.



Very pretty, though also really twisty-turny and with steep grade warnings that last for miles. Our little Corolla really wasn't intended to climb up or down anything with a 7% grade, but we just go slowly (not necessarily by choice!) and make it through. Though after a while it really leaves you wishing for a nice boring stretch of interstate!

Eventually we saw sure signs of our progress:

You're Welcome!


It was really hot all through California during our drive - most places it was over 100 - which made for cranky pugs that weren't able to get out and stretch their legs as often. (We learned quickly that they last about 3 seconds in that heat. :)

Luckily, here on the coast it is always at least 10 degrees cooler than inland (even than San Luis Obispo, which is only 15 miles away) so we've been enjoying pretty 65-ish days with lots of sunshine and a light breeze - heaven!

The Mighty Deschutes

And now (finally!) our final installment from Bend... a look at the Deschutes River, which runs literally through the middle of the town. We're probably the only ones who call it 'Mighty' but we think its funny, so just go with it. :)

There are paths and parks along the river all through town:

Deschutes River Trail, near the Old Mill District

Drake Park, which was right by our house: we'd walk through it & over the river to get to downtown

And we were always seeing people out enjoying the river, be it just floating on rafts or through something more 'sporty':

We mainly just walked along it, but it always made for a pretty and peaceful walk.

Driving in Oregon

Driving in a new city or state always has its nuances, but there are some major things that stood out to us during our visit to Bend.

First off, there is a state law that you can't pump your own gas. That's right - Full-Service Stations only in Oregon! (According to Wikipedia, New Jersey is the only other state with the same law.) Even if the pump has a place for you to swipe your credit card & pay at the pump, you're not allowed to do it yourself. We were very confused by this the first time we encountered it, and the whole thing feels so awkward... it feels so strange to just sit there while the attendant does something you could easily do yourself. According to some locals we befriended one night, you're not expected to tip (though it's appreciated) - as they said "Its the law!"

The speed limits are in general pretty low, compared to what we're used to. A highway that runs through town has a speed limit of 45. And everyone actually drives 45. Apparently we're more aggressive drivers back in the Midwest!

The other strange thing here in Bend is that there are tons of traffic circles, which the locals call 'turnarounds.' In all of Bend I only came across one four-way stop-sign intersection, but there are tons and tons of turnarounds... at first they seemed unusual, but they really help to keep traffic moving smoothly.

Another unique feature is that each one has a unique sculpture in it, helping you to not only identify the intersection you're at, but also help keep your bearings about which exit you want.

Around Town - Downtown Bend

I'm super tardy with this, but have a bit more Bend information to share with you...

Luckily, our house's neighborhood was pretty close to Downtown Bend, so we had fun exploring that area too. There are two 'Main Streets' through the town, one headed West & one East - Bond Street and Wall Street. They're both full of cute shops and restaurants and always seem to have people out and about enjoying the town.

One of our favorites has been 900 Wall, which has a rustic-meets-modern vibe and great appetizers:

One of the best meals we had in Bend was at Zydeco:
Keeping the 'eat local' support, they let you bring your own wine with no corkage fee if it's from Oregon or Washington.

The Tower Theatre, which reminds me of a smaller version of the Chicago Theatre, sits in the middle of the block on Bond - they show movies and some live acts here:

Its a very cute downtown, and always seems to be full of people enjoying the shops and restaurants. A few more Bend posts are on the way, and then we'll show off our place in California!