Life at a "Swell's" pace

On the weekend of July Fourth we took a trip to the coast line and used some gift certificates we had received the previous year. We had participated in the annual Pirate Treasure Hunt at Depoe Bay and won a goody box full of gift certificates and prizes. We also outbid others on some nice prize certificates, too. One certificate was for a box of solar lights for the garden and free games of 18-hole golf and dinner at Chinook Winds Casino. We ended up making a weekend of it and enjoying Fourth of July along the coast.

We took advantage of the smaller certificates on our way up to the casino. One was for O'Downey's Irish Pub & Family Dining right in the heart of Depoe Bay. We ended up grabbing some pub sliders to go. With the other certificate it was to The Taffy Depoe for one pound of fresh saltwater taffy.

Waving, solar powered Queen and Napoléon in a local shop near The Taffy Depoe.

Both places in Depoe Bay are worth a stop if you're passing through. Depoe Bay sits right on the coast line and is home of the World's Smallest Harbor.

Passing through Depoe Bay we headed up the coast line toward Chinook Winds in Lincoln City, Oregon. One of the places you pass is called Boiler Bay.

It's a beautiful coast-overlook of the Pacific Ocean. We arrived at Boiler Bay during sunset and the view was endless across the ocean and as the sun hit the water it was beautiful.

In Lincoln City, Oregon there is the "D" River, which is the World's Shortest river.

We arrived at Chinook Winds around 9:00 p.m. It was still daylight here on the pacific coast. But once the sun starts setting it doesn't take long for it to disappear.

We checked into our ocean-front room and we got a front row seat of the sun setting.

We ordered room service once we got all settled in our room and our stuff unpacked. I love ordering room service where we go because it's just fun to get something delivered to your room by a waiter.

Our meal was beer-battered cod with seasoned fries. It came to our room steaming hot and was delicious!

The coleslaw that came with the platter was the best I've had in awhile.

As the sun was slowly fading behind the ocean, we saw a lot of wildlife throughout the evening. There were people setting up camp fires on the beach to watch the sunset, too. It was so picturesque.

We stayed in the Casino Resort and enjoyed the large indoor pool until about 10:00 p.m.

The following morning we took advantage of the breakfast for two voucher we received at checking and took off toward the Chinook's Seafood Grill.

The window view of the restaurant was of ocean and seagulls.

This ceramic speckled coffee mug and creamer cup caught my eye and I went on a mad hunt to find something similar once we arrived by home. I found it!

After breakfast we met our tee time at 10:00 a.m.

We used the gift certificate for The Mr. and my round and paid for The Bean to play. The Bean has been getting more involved in golf and after all of the sports we've tried out he really has taken to golf a lot. And of course, The Mr. is pleased.

Chinook Winds golf course is beautifully laid out. It used to be a nine-hole course and turned into an 18-hole course over time. The nine holes are on the outside of the course and the other finishing nine are fit into the inside of the course. It's a bit confusing the first time you play them, but once through it all makes sense of the layout. Not the best course we've been on, but it was beautiful being next to the ocean while you play.

(Do you see the heron?)

The first hole of the course reminds you of the Ninety-Degree Rule right away.

The Mr. plucked it off right away and we were ready to go!

This hole was crazy! You swing on top of the hill and finish at the bottom of the hill. It took The Mr. four swings, The Bean six, and I finished out with 10. Ha!

The Mr. and The Bean had a great time and I just enjoyed being present and watching them together. We ate lunch at Ace's Bar & Grill and headed back down the coastline on Highway 101.

The Mr. definitely won this golf game.

The Yaquina Bay Bridge in Newport, Oregon. Last year we spent Fourth of July in Newport and it was nice to be visiting it again. Out annual beach trip changes from year to year, but we definitely are having fun planning something different each year.

Along the Newport Bayfront.

Near Toledo, Oregon.

Historical marker in Eddyville, Oregon. Eddyville, Oregon will soon be bypassed by the new roadway that spans past the entire town. This historical marker is along the old roadway.

On Monday, July Fourth, The Mr. and The Bean put on a small light show for the evening. It was nice to be back home, kicked back with a glass of wine, and enjoy my boys having fun.

This road trip is definitely one for the books! It was a blast golfing with the boys at Chinook Winds and we always have a great time on road trips. Check out our other road trips with hashtag #snsroadtrips across the web.

What happened this time last year?

It's Sunday, which means it's the day to relax and do absolutely nothing. Well, actually we are going to go for a hike after lunch and enjoy McDowell Creek Falls. We always seem to go for a bike ride on Sundays, so today we decided to mix it up a bit and take a hike. I have a lot of photos to share next week of our recent excursions, including our recent golf trip. But first, here are the things that made this week awesome!

1. This skyline

The pink skies here in Oregon never get old.

2. This night shot

Moons like this always remind me of the Cheshire Cat smile on Alice in Wonderland.

3. This little doggie

Happy sixth birthday, little PITA.

4. This charcoal stick

The city water here is so hard on our stomachs that we literally avoid drinking it most of the time. We've tried tap filters, pitcher filters, and even water delivery and nothing seems to help cleanse the water enough to where we can drink it, and the costs of those really add up over time, too. We have heard about charcoal filters in the past, but never took the time to try it out on our city water, until now. It has helped cleanse a bit of the taste in small glasses of tap water, but in large pitchers it needs a week to sit and really work. The city water here just doesn't taste refreshing enough to us to drink on a daily basis. We use the water to cook with after it's sat in the charcoal filter, but as far as drinking it, it tastes too contaminated for us. We have ventured out to boxed waters though and found that this brand is great! It comes from our local coop and we always stock up when we go for our weekly shopping trips there.

5. This wide eyes

For the last two weeks we've had some visitors in the tree behind out house. PITA goes nuts over them, but are happy to have a bit of wildlife activity in the city. They've been back a few times over the last two weeks, but this week we got a good view of them.