The Art of Wandering

An Oregon coast adventure and a foot surgery

I’ve come to really feel that wandering is an art, especially for Americans. We like to have our schedules and full—albeit too full—calendars. We like to know that we’re wanted and liked, and we often answer, “How have you been?” with “Oh, so busy!”.

But often I wonder what we’re busy doing. Our last month has not gone according to plan. Michael ended up having to have foot surgery, one that requires no weight on the foot for 6 weeks. Living in a third floor apartment, no elevator, we packed up and left for Virginia to be with his family for a month. Getting around with a scooter limits wandering, and it’s certainly slowed our life down. But we’ve been fostering a love of wandering more and more, so I thought I’d share our Oregon trip, photos and sightseeing stops, with a general pondering on why we, as Americans, should wander more.

Also I apologize for not writing…I have been working on another writing project that I will announce to you soon!!

Without further ado.

Having no itinerary, we stopped in the Redwoods for a stroll. The trees are magnificent. They rise up out of nowhere, and the forest floor is so cool, fully shaded from the sun.

Then we drove on to the coast, went to two different restaurants before finding the third that accommodated a desire for seafood, an ocean view, and gluten free options for yours truly. By the time we sat down we were quite hungry, but the food + view was well worth the hunt.

Full, we traveled on to our airbnb.

A renovated airstream with a cutout in the middle giving more space, a deck, a jacuzzi, and an outdoor shower. Michael gets 100% credit for finding this. It was amazing and we would not hesitate to book there again.

We cooked a lot of our meals instead of eating out (Michael is a good chef), and enjoyed slow mornings. Slow in the wilderness is a very different feeling than slow at the beach…you feel the urge to explore and stay put to observe all at once.

Plus the view from the airstream was truly amazing, a cliff, sand, and the ocean. We were angled directly west, and so we got to watch the sunset every night.

The next morning we grabbed coffee and bookmarked different spots on the coast we wanted to go to. We made sure the hikes were short (Michael’s foot was in a boot), and we didn’t really want to exert ourselves all that much. Just wander.

And we did. Up and down the coast. First to Secret Beach (pictured above). Then another lookout that led us deep into a forest before rounding out on a cliff. What is so wild about the Oregon Coast is that trees go all the way up to the cliff edges. It feels otherworldly.

The next day we rested, slept in, watched the ocean waves, just enjoyed the views. And then, we wandered more. It was the first vacation we’ve had where we haven’t made any plans other than booking a place to stay, and it was so relaxing. In fact, we’re tempted to do our fall France trip in a similar fashion, to just enjoy our surroundings and wander. Sure, I’ll need a plan for a few of the days, but I love the feeling of wandering.

We just re-watched Rings of Power with Michael’s parents during our Virginia stay, and one of the Harfoots (ancestors of Hobbits) sings, “Remember that not all who wonder…or wander…are lost.” So don’t forget that. You can wander. It’s good for the soul.

Signing off,

Syd

Remaining pics from more wanderings.