Where the Ocean Meets the Shore

So this past weekend Mike and I took our first trip together, just the two of us, without any children or family. We stayed in a motel on the beach in Crescent City and traveled south on Hwy 101 to hit up as many places as we could in our short little stay. We left Friday morning with our first stop being in Eureka at the Lost Coast Brewery. It's an adorable little restaurant/brewery where they make Great White, Downtown Brown, and several other beers locally. We never did figure out whether or not they actually brew the beer at that location but they had case after case of beer lined up along the wall and all the memorabilia you could ever ask for. We couldn't resist their beer sampler where you get a 4oz taster of all 10 beers they make along with a description of each one. It was enough beer to make me a little tipsy if Mike hadn't drank most of it himself. lol. We got a great window seat away from the lunch crowd and enjoyed a wonderful lunch together. The food and beer were delicious and it was a great start to our trip.
After leaving the Lost Coast Brewery, we headed up Hwy 101 to Crescent City. I got my very first glimpse of the ocean a few miles north of Eureka and couldn't wait to get a closer look. We ended up stopping for a few minutes so that I could put my feet in the sand and Mike could relieve himself......in the sand. lol. Once we arrived at our motel in Crescent City, we threw our bags down and went straight to the beach. We drove about a mile down the road and trekked down a 1/2 mile trail to Enderts Beach with hopes of going tide pooling. We either don't know what tide pools look like or weren't in the right spot because we never seemed to find them. But we did interact with some seals/sea lions that were just off the shore, relaxing in the water while watching our every move. They would dip down and come back up, never taking their eyes off of us. They were so stinkin' cute and it was great to see them play around with us. The sun was starting to set so we headed back to the motel to change clothes and go to dinner. We randomly chose a spot on the harbor which didn't end up being all that great and we were so exhausted from the long day that we could barely keep our faces out of our plates. After trying to force down the somewhat expensive meal we finally decided it was time for bed. I haven't gone to sleep at 8:30 since I was 10 years old! Too much excitement for one day I guess.
On day two, we woke up and went to Denny's for breakfast. Yummy! The service sucked and the waitresses were running around like there was a fire in their pants but the food was delicious so we didn't care much. Then we went to Ocean World Aquarium which isn't really much of an aquarium, at least not like the kind I'm used to, but it was pretty fun anyway. We got to pet a leopard shark and watch seals do what looked like dog tricks so that was cool. After Ocean World we had plans to hit up several spots on 101, knowing that we would probably not make all of them. I was trying really hard not to have an agenda on this trip but I knew there were some places I just HAD to see. We stopped at the Klamath Overlook and took in the view, then grabbed some Subway sandwiches and headed to our picnic area at High Bluff Overlook. It was a bit windy and pretty chilly out but it was the best place I have eaten a meal in my whole life. The view was spectacular! After eating lunch, we drove the Coastal Drive down to Gold Bluffs Beach and Fern Canyon. We had a blast at Fern Canyon climbing over slippery moss covered logs to make our way through the canyon. We got pretty wet and dirty but it was just the kind of adventuring Mike and I needed. We climbed the trail out of the canyon and walked to Gold Bluffs Beach. It was crazy windy and cold there so we didn't stay too long. We had plans to still go to Patrick's Point and to dinner in Trinidad but the sun was already setting, drawing an end to our day. We drove back up to Crescent City and went to dinner at a cute little restaurant and lounge, far exceeding the more expensive dinner choice the night before. Once again, I was passed out by 8:30. Sad....
Sunday morning we woke up at 8am which was actually 7am considering daylight savings time but with all the sleep I had just had, I was ready to go. Opening up the back sliding door every morning to the ocean just footsteps away from our room was the best way I could ever think to wake up in the morning. If I had only had a hot cup of coffee I would have never left. We gathered our things and packed up the car early so that we could hit up Patrick's Point on our way home. I was sad to leave the motel and the amazing views every morning but my heart was telling me it was time to go home.
We stopped at Patrick's Point on the way and climbed the trail to Wedding Rock. That is one of the best views and locations we had seen all weekend. I just stood there staring at the vast endless ocean that seems to have a mind of its own. I can only imagine the world that goes on underneath the surface that I may never see. After pulling myself away from Wedding Rock we had one last stop at Agate Beach. A storm was rolling in and the waves starting growing and growing the longer we stood on the beach. They were the biggest waves we had seen all weekend and were completely captivating. We played around on the beach for a while, trying to take in as much as we could before retreating back to the valley, away from all the wonder and beauty the ocean brings.
It was so difficult to leave not knowing when I would be able to experience this place again. Being there made me so aware of the amazing work of God's hand. I was fascinated by the waves from the second I saw them. To me, they were a sign of the ocean's willingness to put on the brakes and stop exactly where God asked it to. I still don't understand how something so vast and so forceful can come to a screeching halt at the shoreline, never going any further than expected. I stood in awe of the wonder of our God, how perfect He created this world to be, all working together in his perfect plan. I wish we could have stayed longer but we were both terribly missing our babies. I can't wait to take them back to the coast with us to experience the wonder of it all for themselves!