Goonies never say die!

Oregon is beautiful!  I may have mentioned that, but it is true!
Yesterday Michael and I drove to the coast, went up through part of Washington state then into Astoria in Oregon... we went up into what is called Astor Column... I have a few pictures, but in the meantime here is a link about  it.

 

I am afraid of heights.  But... here I am...having flown across the country... and seeing some beautiful things... and why wouldn't I go up inside this thing? I wanted to go... then once in side I was a little unsure... the space inside the tower was literally a spiral staircase... not an extra wide one... quite narrow... and as we were climbing up, people were climbing down... I am not sure where in the rules it said that people going up had to cling to the inside of the staircase using the most narrow part of the stair to climb, but that's how it worked... As I was climbing I tried not to look down or up, but focus on where I was... but there were several people coming down as we were going up... and it was hard to not feel nervous.  We got to one platformish area and Mike asked if I was doing ok... I said I didn't think I was doing well and was not sure if I could make it.  I was a little queasy... and he said, you're halfway there you can't go back.  He was right... and at that point my BFA had been in the faces of the people behind me so why stop now... we kept going and soon saw daylight... and then went through the door out to the observation deck... from below, I anticipated a wider observation deck... I could lean against the tower and, at the same time reach out and touch the railing... It was high!  Very high!  It is 125 feet off the ground... and I think for the first time in my life truly understand how people get stuck up high in places being unable to move... paralyzed with fear... I was a bit shaky... and tried to take a couple of pictures... I don't remember how many I took, but am pretty sure it was not many!  Michael took a picture of me however... here it is:

 You can't really tell in this picture... but I am pasted up against the wall of this tower... and there were other people up there... people unafraid of heights who were walking around, far too quickly I might add.. I mean, being up that high it is unsafe to walk at normal speeds... it is important to be calculated and strategic with one's every move.  I stayed against the wall... and as I moved around the tower kept my back against the wall and at times put my hand on the railing at the same time when other people were not in my way... I can say the views were beautiful... but can also say I could hardly move enough to get my camera from my pocket and use it.  After circling the tower I was ready to descend... and that was a little easier than going up... much actually, because I had the railing and you can bet your ass I was not giving that up.
I found this picture online at http://seattletimes.com/ABPub/2011/05/06/2014981023.jpg

 It shows how narrow the spiral staircase is... and how tricky it would be to have people going up and coming down at the same time...

After that we stopped at the gift shop... I wanted something to commemorate my near death experience... and found a magnet as well as a postcard thingy with the facts about said tower... It is good to be alive!  I am glad I went to the top... It challenged me a bit... and I survived... but also erased any small shred of doubt when it came to being certain that bungee jumping and skydiving are NOT in my future!

From there we drove to a state park... and I didn't take any pics with my phone...we stopped at a lookout place over a jetty and got to see some of the beach coast... beautiful... then we went to the beach and I got my toes into the Pacific ocean!  It was beautiful... it was  a beach where there is still part of a shipwreck... and while we were there a wedding was going on... the beach was beautiful... the sand is darker than what I am used to, still gorgeous... we walked for a while looking for beach treasures... It was cool to have a moment of realization of how far from home I was... and how glad I was that I came here!

We drove towards a town called Seaside and tok a bit of a detour into Ecola Park... to see amazing views... I of course wanted a selfie with the coastline behind me... and Michael was kind enough to agree... but it was funny... I was trying to get my phone in the right place to take a selfie of us and at first cut off his head... now... Michael is a tall person... around 6'5 or so... and I am 6'6... so as I was struggling to get him in the picture I said something about him being too short for the shot... and snapped the selfie just after I said that and look at the look he gave me!  This picture cracks me up! 

Then he and his ego recovered and we took this one...

 Fun stuff... 

Then we walked to a look out point and took this selfie... 

The coast is amazing... just beautiful!  

From there we went into a town called... Seaside... it is a busy town, very touristy and very ... bardwalkish... the beach there is also pretty.. and we found a place to eat...called The Crabby Oyster.  It was a good place to eat and to people watch!  After Seaside we wet to Cannon Beach... a much smaller town and less busy... we met some of Michael and Jane's friends and then went to the beach... down to haystack rock... which you can see in the picture above... the rock furthest away shaped like... well... a haystack...

 

It is the scenery from Goonies... but even prettier in person.  

We returned to Cannon Beach to get some pizza to take back to the house... and I said good bye to the Oregon coast, for now... 

I loved getting time today with Michael.  We had a lot of laughs and are at ease with one another.  

I am grateful he is taking the time to show me so much of Oregon... I doubt we will spend much, if any time in the city of Portland, other than being in the river later today in kayaks... and, I am okay with that.  I have had the opportunity to see where my Friend lives, people and  things in his life he has told me about... and I have very much enjoyed it.  

Life is Good!