Last Saturday, my brother threw around the idea of heading to the Oregon Coast and asked me if I wanted to go bright and early Sunday morning. We’ve lived together for most of our lives and I know how quickly he changes his mind so honestly, I didn’t take him too seriously. “Sure, sounds like fun.”
I awoke early Sunday and got ready, just in case. And, I’m glad I did; he was serious. We hit the road by 9 am but we weren’t just idly heading to the beach — we were also on the lookout for Bigfoot. Yes, Bigfoot. Recently, one of his friends had taken a snapshot of a Bigfoot statue in a tiny coastal town and we were determined to find it (more on that later).
I visit Cannon Beach every year for vacation and it’s easy to see why I love it so much from these photos. Everyone else in the state thinks it’s as beautiful and picturesque as I do and every time we head there, it’s completely packed. The thing is, the main beach next to all the shops and stores is packed but I was let in on a secret over the weekend — if you head down the highway another mile, to the large rest stop, the beach is nearly vacant. Peaceful. Pristine.
This is the part of Cannon Beach that I’d somehow never seen. I couldn’t quite believe it.
The trees along the path down to the beach have such a cool look with branches jutting out in every direction.
We walked for what felt like forever on the empty beach, but it was probably more like a half hour. The wind whipped around like crazy and the waves crashed but we didn’t care.
I felt a little cliche taking the same shot what felt like 10 times in a row but I couldn’t stop. I’ve done a lot of traveling but I’ve never seen a beach as cool as this.
Seriously, those waves. I want this made into a print for my wall to remind me of what life is like outside of my office!
Our time at the beach was fun but we still had some business to take care of; finding the elusive Bigfoot statue. Finally, as we rounded some tight corners on the highway that cut through what felt like miles of trees and farmland, there he was. We hit the brakes and excitedly hopped out with our cameras. The older guy living in the house Bigfoot is placed in front of came out and chatted us up — he’d carved him himself last winter and was pretty proud of his creation. We told him that if he was ever in the mood for carving more, we’d love one for our backyard. Because really, who can deny a magnificent beast like that?!
What a day. I ended up blowing all the deadlines I’d set for myself to get caught up over the weekend and I definitely paid the price this week. But you know what? It was completely worth it. Days like this remind me of why it’s important to break free, no matter how much work is piling up and just get out and see the world. I need to remind myself that this beautiful beach is less than two hours from my front door and take advantage of it more often.
Have an awesome weekend, everyone. I hope you have a great adventure, even if it’s nearby.
Melinda says: 
Nadine 
kath 
