Short Beach - Oregon and Home

About nine miles outside of Tillamook, straight up the hill from Oceanside lies my parents not-so-secret beach. The official name is Short Beach, but my parents call it Thung Lung Tinh Yeu (Love Valley or Valley of Love if you prefer) because it reminded them of the same-named famous location in Da Lat, Vietnam, where they honeymooned long ago. Awww. Cute, right? :)

(When my family went back to Vietnam for the first time and visited Da Lat, we made my parents take pictures in front of what we thought might have been the same spot on their honeymoon. I swear, some of those flowerbeds looked the exact same decades later.)

This less than mile-long stretch of beach is a favorite with my parents because my dad can go fishing and my mom can join him if she feels like it, or gaze at the gorgeous views if she doesn't. Seriously, just look at it.




A lone fisherman.




The whole expanse.




I love the Oregon coast.







My brother and wife waving hello.




I love the windswept trees too.







When my parents first discovered Short Beach, the path was a lot more treacherous. Through the years, through donations and volunteers, people have been building a path.







I like to stop and admire the flowers, even if it's just a clover blossom. It's surrounded by the ubiquitous salal berry.




Fuchsia in the wild.







To get to Short Beach, head to Oceanside and then when you see this sign, go left and continue up to the top of the hill. When you see a guardrail and a sheer drop below, you've arrived. Just park on the side of the road where you can.




It is Tillamook after all, so I had to show you obligatory pictures of cows.




Since the cows were coming home, so were we. Har har. :P




Back home, my mom took out a whole salmon that my cousin had caught and asked me to cook it "the children's way" since she wasn't sure how we liked to eat it. I said just salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Salmon is so good, but freshly caught salmon is sooo much better.




Along with some cucumbers and tomatoes from my mom's garden. I don't know if it's from growing them upside-down, which my mom said keeps them free of pests, but the tomatoes were sooo juicy and flavorful.




And homemade clam dipping sauce.




Homemade blackberry wine too.




Add Rice Krispies cereal to the leftover marshmallows from making Campfire S'Mores and we had Rice Krispies Treats for dessert.




All Oregon posts can be found with the tag Series: Oregon, but I suggest reading this particular trip in this order:
Giant Catfish and Family Trips Home
Mom and Dad's Garden Again
Pacific Oyster - Bay City - Oregon
Tillamook Cheese Factory - Tillamook - Oregon
Barview Jetty County Park - Rockaway Beach - Oregon
Searching for Tide Pools
Campfire S'Mores and Other Breakfast Treats
Dismantling Camp and Leaving Rockaway Beach - Oregon
Short Beach - Oregon and Home
Rice Krispies Treats
Chasing Waterfalls - Columbia River Gorge - Oregon
Behind the Scenes: Bob's Red Mill - Milwaukie - Oregon
Whiffies Fried Pies (Food Cart) - Portland - Oregon
Potato Champion (Food Cart) - Portland - Oregon

*****
1 year ago today, Vegetarian Lasagna with Feta Cheese, Spinach, and Tofu.
2 years ago today, Four Color Carrot Salad.