Count Down

Today was humptulip. The weather was overcast and a bit drizzly. George is a man's man and nothing seems to wear him down, but I must admit I am finding poling the river a little harder each day. This is not to say that today was not splendid. We left Florence around 8:00 and stopped at the Harley Davidson dealership in Coos Bay. From there we drove through Bandon, but decided that we did not need to see anymore cheesy stuff. We arrived at our final destination of Gold Beach around lunch time. I had made a reservation at the Gold Beach Inn and we were able to check in early. Before I go on I need to interject a little story. It was like this. Years ago my sister, Karen, and her family traveled to Oregon. When they returned she raved about Gold Beach. Now if my sister raves about something that generally means the shopping is good. So I have always thought that Gold Beach is the place to be. Sort of like a nice Carmel. We pull into town and I am expecting the Gold Beach Inn to be, well, different. I was expecting Gold Beach to be different. I don't even know how to explain the town. Except this. I decided to buy one tiny more gift and we could barely find a store to buy it in. We were both in stitches. But back to the Inn. What a wonderful place. Our room has a large window overlooking the ocean. There is a small balcony and a very large bedroom. The grounds are incredible. The best part is this huge deck that has two spas, one covered, one outside, and an enclosed room to warm up in. You can see the ocean from there. Unbelievable. This is a place I could stay and really relax. We walked to the beach and George hunted for agates. After the walk and spa he decided he needed another ride. He is also insisting we go out to dinner tonight as we have been eating in our room every night. The man needs a steak. I hope they serve vegetables. As I am writing I am watching the big blue ocean watching me. It is unreal. I will miss the road. I am also aware that it is becoming humptulip.