1st Day - Dateline: Oregon

During this, my first view from the Oregon coast of the Pacific, as this endless stretch of sea was called by the Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan (the first European to gaze upon and name it), the ocean lived up to its reputation and was, well, very pacífico-looking.

Our first full day in Oregon (on Friday, May 30) was nothing but pacífico, though. We spent the day with our wonderful hosts who took us to the coast for a day-long trip that included very exciting hiking (well, very exciting for not-your-run-of-the-mill-hiker me) to see tidal pools, rocky beaches, and impressive blow holes. At the tidal pools, we discovered all kinds of living things, like these two cuddly sea stars, creatures I'd never seen before in real life.

Later, on our drive back, we stumbled upon a view point where we could not only see the sea lions and seals basking in the sun (especially with the help of binoculars), but also hear the ruckus they raise with their barks and howls and general merriment. They reminded me of a large family of boricuas out on a picnic.

Also upon our return, our hosts took us to a small winery so we could sample some of the wines Oregon is famous for. I'm a one-wineglass girl, so tasting eight kinds of whites and eight kinds of reds was a little beyond my ability, even if the tasting portions were minimal. But, in true Oregon spirit, I embraced it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and learned a lot about wine in the process.

Another thing Oregon is famous for are its roses, and the winery had some gorgeous rose bushes growing outside its tasting room, including this one, whose most beautiful bloom was just waiting for the sun to peek between the clouds so my husband could snap this flattering picture.

After the winery, we drove by the Umpqua Valley and spotted a few elk, who happen to be related to deer but who have white hindquarters instead of white tails, and are much, much larger. The cutest view was that of three elk, which were lying down in the tall grass. We couldn't get a picture of them so you'll just have to use your imagination for that one. (Later I'll post an earlier photo of elk my husband took during his first trip to Oregon a few years ago...)

Our second day in Oregon was spent with our hosts at a raptor rehabilitation center and at another winery that looks like a Tuscan villa. I'm not exaggerating. You'll see tomorrow. BTW, the awesome photos are my husband's, of course.