Completely unplanned, we ended up doing at least a drive-by of every place I'd lived during my 4+/- years in Oregon.
My first residence was a tiny furnished house, rented for me by my dad & his wife, on Latimer Road in Tillamook. It was super cute — part of a little complex of tiny houses connected by shared carports. I especially loved the spacious kitchen there. The place hadn't changed a bit!
View toward Haystack Rock at Cape Kiwanda.
When I met him, Rusty was living in his house at Cape Kiwanda but working in Tillamook. As we began to spend more time together, we decided to rent a house in Tillamook. Pickings were very slim, but we found a small house on First Street. It had been abandoned by previous tenants and the power had been shut off… with food in the fridge… for months. I don't remember much about the landlord situation, but I'm sure that Rusty negotiated the rent wherein we got rid of the ghastliness in the fridge and did some other cleaning & fixing up. I remember turning one of the two bedrooms into a huge closet (as neither bedroom had any other type of closet), and the small-ish kitchen had wooden countertops. That house hadn't changed a bit, either!
After a little while, having two places got to be a drag and we decided the drive wasn't all that bad (unless stuck behind a motorhome or eight), so gave up the First Street house and moved to Cape Kiwanda Drive, Pacific City. As we worked at doing some adding on and finishing, I discovered that I was pregnant! That house had been built for one person and the addition helped for two, but adding a baby to the mix… just wasn't going to work!
Near the beach, Cape Meares.
We sold that house and bought one at Cape Meares, but first… homeless for a month between closings, we rented a small unit at the Terimore Motel in Netarts. We were able to move most of our belongings into the house, but I decided to stash the basinette and a few baby things in the closet at the motel. Good thing!
NOW and THEN.
SAME yet DIFFERENT. Close but NO CIGAR!
Clearly, we don't remember exactly which unit we lived in. I was going to say that this place hasn't changed a bit, either (and I'll bet it hasn't!). Both Rusty and I have made this mistake… I think our unit was actually behind this one! Ha.
Effects of prevailing wind (at Cape Meares State Park).
Finally, when Kate was about a week old we moved to a nice little house on Meares Ave NW, Cape Meares. We did a lot of work there, too, including replacing the deck, painting the exterior, and building a driveway/patio and enclosed porch. The house is completely unrecognizable now with a second-story addition!
Gorgeous ocean view from Cape Meares State Park.
The Octopus Tree.
We had a nice visit with my dad and his wife while we were in Tillamook, and with my cousin Gordy and cousin-in-law John who were out from MN to do some steelhead fishing.
On Sunday, we headed inland…
We stopped near Salem for a lunch date with Rusty's ex-wife, her husband, and a few of their friends. This is a view from the living room — there are sheep out there — you can't see them, but I know they're there (beyond the little building, just behind the hedgerow).
Finally, to Portland for dinner* & overnight with our good friend TJ and her husband Les. We had such a good visit with them and our friend Bill — it was so great to see them/hug them in person!
Fly away home. New PDX carpeting.
*I'm making TJ's yummy & not-too-soupy veggie lasagna recipe for Easter!
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Your travel logs are always fun to read 1. because of your pictures, and 2. because you share a story or two. I doubt any of us would have noticed the difference in your Motel pictures–I certainly didn’t. You have a great eye to have caught it!
so many places in such a short time…and at such a crazy time in your life. I love that you seem to have such good memories of all of them! thank you for sharing these then and now memories with us!
It’s so neat that you could go back, and that you could find/remember all those places. I wonder if we could do as well… We moved so many times in 22 years with the Army. Some places I’d love to see again and some you couldn’t drag me back to. In Monterey, California we had an enormous lemon tree in the back yard, I wish there were a way to collect all the best things from each place and put them all together. (Oh yeah, that’d be called my memory)
I love seeing and hearing about the places you and Rusty lived back in the day. Thanks for sharing this! You have made me really want to go visit our friends in Oregon.
What stunning scenery that you captured so incredibly well! Thank you for sharing a bit of your history! It is nice getting to know you more. Have a happy Easter!
Your beautiful pictures and travel log of Oregon is so timely as we are going on a 4 week RV trip up there (plus WA) in mid May. I’ve made a list of the places you mentioned in your 4 blogs and hope we are near enough to visit those beaches too. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.
The Old Home Tour is quite interesting to read and see; I love hearing about your circumstances and seeing the houses and scenery. Oregon trees are really something unto themselves! Thanks for sharing your wonderful adventures!
It was so good to see you and Rusty, Vicki. Glad you’re able to use the recipe for the not too soupy veggie lasagna for your Easter dinner! Almost like being there!!
What GREAT photos and memories, Vicki. You sure packed a lot of “doing” and a lot of “gorgeous” into just a few days! (You plan – and carry out – the very best trips.) XO