I always thought a good day on Oregon's central coast was when it was 70 degrees and sunny. But after my recent visit, I found that a better day is when it's 50 degrees and stormy.
Earlier this month, the power of the Pacific Ocean was unleashed on the coast as the first major storm since last winter blasted the region.
Winds up to 70 mph blew the tops off the huge breakers as they headed toward shore during high tide, crashing into coastal areas with names like Cape Perpetua, Seal Rock, Heceta Head and Devil's Churn.
By Jeff Larsen | November 21, 2002
For years I always considered Mount Baker a ski destination. I don't ski, so I never had the itch to visit there, even during the summer. But deep down I've always wanted to see Mount Baker up close.
By Jeff Larsen | October 31, 2002
Vancouver, B.C., visitors Rand Stromgren and Frank Penny weren't in a hurry for dinner at Cardero's. After all it was a gorgeous evening on the city's waterfront. Nice time to just kick back and relax.
The two Prince George natives had made their way up to the crowded bar at the popular restaurant and pub to wait for their waterfront-view table. I managed to grab the last stool at the bar next to them -- I think it was the last chair in the restaurant, in fact. And on a Thursday night?
By Jeff Larsen | October 17, 2002
A little apple quiz: What's a cross between a Gravenstein and a Golden Delicious? If you guessed a Gravedel, you're wrong. Surprisingly, it's called a Hawaii apple.
Octavio Torres, who manages the Feil Orchards Fruit Stand in East Wenatchee, said the apple is supposed to have just a hint of pineapple taste. I tried one and it tasted great -- very crunchy and plenty juicy, but sorry, there wasn't any pineapple flavor I could detect, even with my discriminating pallet.
By Jeff Larsen | September 26, 2002
WHITE ROCK, B.C. -- As I savored a bowl of clam chowder on the deck at Charlie Don't Surf restaurant, a passer-by suddenly stopped, pushed her face into a nearby hanging basket of pansies, took a big whiff, smiled and moved on.
That's what's neat about White Rock -- you sense that it's perfectly OK to spend a little precious time to stop and smell the pansies. The dozens of planters and hanging baskets along the promenade and downtown's Marine Drive are in full blossom this time of year and add a vibrant color frame to White Rock's maritime backdrop.
By Jeff Larsen | August 29, 2002
CANNON BEACH, Ore. -- You've likely heard the old saying, "It's like looking for a needle in a haystack."
Well, I spent part of the morning during my Cannon Beach visit looking for a haystack in a fog bank ... Haystack Rock, that is.
The popular Oregon coastal town's famous beach landmark was obscured that morning by a Pacific Ocean weather pattern notorious along the north coast. About 9 a.m., the wind kicked up from the west, and a fog bank that often hangs over the ocean a short distance offshore quickly inundated the sunny beach.
By Jeff Larsen | August 22, 2002
SEASIDE, Ore. -- I thought Thursday morning might be a good quiet time to visit Seaside. That way, I could get to know the resort town, maybe have an early, leisurely lunch at an oceanfront bistro and then head to the beach to shoot some pictures.
It didn't quite work out that way.
Thursday morning in Seaside looked just like a Saturday afternoon in August on the Seattle waterfront. Thousands of people filled the sidewalks on both sides of Broadway, the main east-west street through town.
By Jeff Larsen | August 15, 2002
As she poured a taste for a couple from Arizona, Susan Cox cheerfully explained all the attributes of Claar Cellars' 2001 Johannesburg Riesling -- an outstanding wine with an excellent aroma, not too sweet because the grapes were picked at just the right time. The later the grapes are picked, she explained, the sweeter the wine.
The Claar Cellars tasting room in Zillah in the Yakima Valley was the last stop on the couple's whirlwind visit to a half-dozen wineries that day.
By Jeff Larsen | August 8, 2002
When you visit Old Molson just let your imagination run wild. Stand in the middle of the original town site, close your eyes and imagine what life must have been like in the Okanogan border town at the turn of the 20th century.
Actually you don't need to close your eyes. Many of the trappings of that period are all around you in what might be called part ghost town and part museum. Some literature refers to Old Molson as a "reassembled pioneer town."
By Jeff Larsen | August 1, 2002
