Manzanita

Just the four of us, plus two can't-live-without friends, escaping for a short weekend to the Oregon coast. Is it possible to stand inside a sunset? Can the sand reflect the sky? Will the Farmboy steal some pussy-willow cuttings for his Sweetheart? Are there hearts made of rock? Can a two-night getaway feel like enough to hold a girl over for weeks and weeks? Can a girl find both a new favorite coffee AND a new favorite whisky in the same small town? What does a 12 year old video-game obsessed boy write in the sand? Will the 10 year old find evidence of our small town all the way over on the coast? Who is intrepid enough to step out of a cozy house into a darkening world with a camera-holding Mama, while everyone else stays behind?

The following photos will answer each and every question.

"Your Princess is in another Castle" (Mario)

"It's dangerous to go alone, take this" (Zelda)

And if that isn't enough to make you want to visit the Oregon Coast, I don't know what else to do.

Arizona!

With many miles yet to go, the Adventurous Foursome departed the Happiest Place on Earth, bound for a Southern high desert retirement community.

Retirement community, you ask? Yes, indeed. To visit dear family members who love to dwell in sunshine with easy access to golfing, shopping and good salsa.

A few isolated rainstorms made the Oregonians feel right at home in the normally dry climate.

The restfulness and relaxation of the retirement life was good medicine for their tired feet. The sometimes colorful and entirely foreign landscape kept their eyes entertained.

Not that they needed much to keep themselves entertained.

The family trekked here and there, and saw vistas unlike any that could be found near their forest home. Dry, tenacious plant life, and tough, hardy creatures filled the landscape; easy to see once their eyes adjusted to the new terrain.

Even the architecture and art surrounding their new adventure were fascinating to behold.

But at the end of their exploration, the best and brightest spots were back in the home of their family. Splashing in a salty pool, cuddling on a patio chair, laughing, laughing. laughing.

After three days of unwinding in the realm of pink mountains, it was time for the pause to end.

With many squeezes and well-wishes, the homesick Foursome bid Adieu and Au Revoir to the warm air, spiny plants, elusive javelina, and two dear hearts.

Having tapped out the store of ready entertainment, as they transferred from airport to airplane to airport to airplane to airport, they relied on each other, with a little dose of Angry Birds and blog-reading to dampen the sadness of leaving such a grand adventure behind.

Nearing home at last, the sun set over their native soil, a sight to sooth and delight, a final moment to bookmark the memories they gathered.