Out of town, out of Dodge, out of it

It had been a year since I had more than three days off, my choice. I sort of wanted to go to Cambodia but there wasn't enough time and there was that whole Mom situation hanging about. So I hit the road, which I love. First night in Arcata, home of Humboldt University, home of great weed. When Stacey lived up there, Tom and I drove up a couple of times a year, had dinner, smoked, came home. With smoke. But seeing Stacey was the draw. Stacey is always the draw.

This time there was only the draw of being up there, away from home. The Hotel Arcata has seen better days.  Some rooms are fine, others smell bad.  Who cares. They take dogs, a good thing.  Tom and I converged on the Hotel Arcata, walked the dogs, hung out and then went out to dinner.  A mediocre dinner but it gave us 2+ hours to talk. And talk. About many things.  We don't do that much anymore because we don't meet up that often.  Sitting and talking hearkened back to the times we traveled together and had nothing much to do except talk.  It was a nice evening.

The next morning we walked the dogs again and then had breakfast and talked some more.  Gotta love that.  And I do.  We parted ways (oh, so poetic.) I went north. Tom went south. However, before I left town I stopped at the donut shop and got one for the road.  Tom probably didn't, he has strength of character that I do not have.  It was a perfect donut that I was eating an hour later, smacking my lips at the deliciousness of that donut when I got pulled over for doing 50 in a 35 mph zone.  So wrong.  In so many ways. Not the speeding, but the speeding ticket, of course.  The donut was not the fault.  The fault was all mine.  Hell, I speed every day.  To get caught once every three years, not so bad.

Up the coast I went, scofflaw that I am.  Before leaving my home I had scoped out the small towns on the Oregon coast and I set my sights on Newport. Don't know why, I just liked the name, I guess.  What I wanted was a small hotel on the ocean. View.  Comfy bed. Quiet if possible.  Cheap if possible.

I found it at the Inn at Nye Beach in Newport.  Not a chain, small, 25 rooms, right on the ocean.  Amazing off-season rates, like more than half off.  With the dog charge, the per night rate was less than $130.  Including taxes.  Unobstructed view of the ocean, huge room, gas fireplace, two queen beds, small fridge, huge bathroom. (It could have been romantic, but Cooper would have nothing to do with that romantic business.  Thank god. Or thank dog.) Great pub in town with amazing whiskey at amazing prices (seriously, a healthy shot of Laphroig was $8, half of what it is in the bay area) and delicious food.  Cooper and I walked all around town, walked to the beach several times and it was the perfect place for me.  Two nights, I could have spent three..... 
Then off to Eugene, which was so much fun.  And that will be tomorrow's post.  I promise.

xo