We stayed in a really neat hotel, very rustic in decor and eco-friendly. A great find!
We arrived just a half hour or so before sunet (which is 4:30 here these days) so we went straight to the ocean to take in as much of it as we could. It was gorgeous! The reflection of the light on the sand and water was just stunning!
And then it got dark. A little hard to believe there is a gigantic ocean behind us, but there is. I promise.
The next day we were able to explore this cute little town a bit more.
Took a couple of touristy photos. This one was Derek's idea. He told me to get in front of the pan and act like I was sizzling...this is what I gave him. :)
Then he made a friend. :)
Explored this unique place...it's mostly a museum of all things weird, like every kind of mounted animal you can think of (creepy).
But they also had a ton of vintage arcade type games that were in working order for the most part (not creepy).
Then it was time to head back to the ocean!
We stopped for some hot chocolate and started our stroll on the beach...can't say that I've ever combined those two activities before. :)
We decided to ditch the walk and opt for a drive instead because you can do that on Long Beach, another first!
Our hotel had a really fun restaurant called the "pickled fish." Of course we had to try it out and it was incredible - super yummy!
How's this for a delicious feast? Smoke duck breast, fried calamari, and elk chili...not to mention that tower of fresh baked bread and the homemade bread & butter pickles they brought us, fantastic!
And for dessert we ordered milk and cookies, mmmm....
happy boy!
happy girl!
happy couple :)
And now...for a not-so-fun adventure.
We thought it would be a fun idea after dinner to check out the beach at night one last time. But the tide had changed (obviously, duh!) since our last drive on the beach and we got stuck. Oops! Poor Derek felt so bad and tried for half an hour to dig us out, but to no avail.
So we had to call for a tow in the middle of the night...and if it weren't for the tide continuing to come in and get closer and closer to our vehicle, Derek may have continued to dig for hours. Thanks for trying babe. :)
Our new pal George and my very sad hubby.
Oh well...at least we are laughing about it now. And I got it on video, so you can laugh, too. :)
On our last day we woke up to a beautiful blue sky, a perfect day for exploring the beach!
Another really cool thing about our hotel were the complimentary bike rentals. The last time we were on vacation (in Canada), my mountain biking adventure was not so successful. This was a totally different story! These bikes were cushy, cozy cruiser bikes and I fell in love! I named our bikes Archie & Betty...it just fits, right?
First, we rode our bikes to the #1 recommended restaurant on Trip Advisor for a little breakfast...
This bakery was amazing! So yummy and smelled just like heaven...because heaven will smell like fresh baked bread and pastries, don't you think?
...and then it was on to the beach!
Derek said to me, "That bike just suits you." I think he's totally right, and now a cruiser bike (with basket and bell attachment of course) is on my Christmas wishlist. I haven't wished for a bike since I was 10 years old, ha!
We rode our bikes along some beach trails and took in some beautiful views!
Thankful for little getaways with this man. I love him so much!
