Seaside, OR (pics)

I still haven't fulfilled my mission of sleeping on the beach but I'm getting closer!

I planned on pitching a tent at Fort Stevens State Park on the coast but made the mistake of waiting until 6pm on a Friday to find a spot. They were full as were the next couple camp sites. An overcrowded KOA Campground had a few spot in their overflow lot for $35. I decided to press my luck even though it was getting close to 7 by now. I really liked the solitude of hike-in camping from the night before but couldn't be overly choosy at this point. The Seaside Hostel was nearby but I was sure they'd be booked. I called to see if I could pitch a tent on their lawn and they ended up having bunks available. Sweet!

The highlight, though, was a sunset kayak excursion leaving a few minutes after I checked in. This guy Colin gives nightly kayak tours for the hostel in exchange for rent. He is taking a bike tour from Vancouver Island down to Mexico and decided to stop here for a while. He alternates between kayak and snowboard instructing in whichever hemisphere suits him at the time. Six of us paddled from the river the hostel overlooks to where it meets the ocean. We had some tea and string cheese on a sandbar while watching the sun set. Hundreds of seagulls rested on the beach and hovered in the breeze around us. It was beautiful.

We got back at dark and I decided to get some groceries. The hostel has a delightfully old and creaky bike with a big basket (pedal backwards to brake) that I took on the errand. I took a detour down to the beach to watch the waves roll in and see the stars. The beach was peppered with campfires and people walking in the dark; the air warm and breezy. Next I pedaled back up the main drag which was alive with restaurants and bars and shops and vacationers.

I returned home with my groceries to a handful of folks sitting around a campfire while Colin played some bluegrass on a guitar. Bananas, peanut butter sandwiches and hummus never tasted so good. People got to telling about their various adventures and a few had been to Burning Man or had close friends who had. I got some good tips for places to stay as I make my way down to San Francisco. The owner of the hostel is a sweet little Vietnamese woman, Trung, with grown children. She told of a Pikes Peak climb gone wrong. She saved an unprepared couple from hypothermia with soup and heated water bottles. She was grateful to hear their snoring all night because it meant she didn't have to carry bodies down the mountain the next morning.

That's all for now. About to go check out a big volleyball tournament on the beach near here (20 or so nets). I'll do my duty and report back on how the women look in their bikinis.

Oh yeah, Trung asked me if I want to build a sauna for her in exchange for lodging. Hmm?