The Skipper and the Fisher

 

The Skipper and the Fisher
As I mentioned in a prior post one of the reasons we decided to visit the Oregon coast is CRABBING!!!! While doing my research for the trip I came upon a website for a bay marina that rents little steal boats with an outboard motor, plus all the gear for crabbing. On their website they had a short example video of two guys taking the boat out, dropping a pod, then relaxing for a bit before they pulled up a bucket full of huge crab. We knew when we saw the video we probably wouldn’t catch that many crabs but it looked so much easier than the crabbing on the show The Deadliest Catch, we were sold we could Crab.
So today was finally the day, we dressed ourselves in layers and headed to the marina. When we arrived we were told it wasn’t crabbing time and we had a few hours to kill. I decided that would be perfect because then we could also enjoy a great lunch while out on the boat. As much as I love food one of my most favorite meals is a well put together picnic. I put together a beautiful lunch pack which included a baguette sandwich with all kinds of fresh ingredients from the cooler, a fresh bag of cherries, chips, salsa and a couple of waters. Yum!
We come back at our appointed time and a more than eager to start CRABBING! Unfortunately we have no idea what we are doing so we had to be walked through all of the steps before being let out on our own. Once we were introduced to our boat the “Skipper” we quickly learned that one person had to drive and the other person would be the crabber, because the crabber has to use a hook to pull in the pods while the driver maneuvers. We decide that Scott will be the fisher and I will be the Captain. The girl at the dock was good at her job and made a lot of jokes and tired to make light of the fact we were novices. Soon it was time to go and she asked who was going to drive, Scott and I both look at each other and he decided it would probably be best if he drove us out of the dock, I happily agreed as I have no idea how to drive an outboard motor boat.  

So we are off and the first thing we do is drive "Skipper" straight into the boat in front of us. The dock girl's smile started to fade a bit but we quickly turned to assure her we would be ok. “You have your cell phone just in case you need to call?”- she asks. “We will be fine!”- we reply at the same moment we hit another boat. At this point I start laughing hysterically but the girl at the dock is definitely no longer smiling, she's somewhere between a concerned frown and pissed. Thankfully, we made it out of the dock without any further incident.
We motor out for a bit and I take control while Scott prepares the bait. Soon we are ready to drop our first line. This becomes another perfect example of when a little bit of experience goes a long way. Scott drops the line but then I proceed to drive the boat over the line in the middle of the drop. First lesson of the day, keep the boat in neutral when dropping or pulling in pods. Drops for pods two and three were just as time consuming and equally amusing. This all seemed so smooth and simple on the websites 2 minute example video. What liars!
We were told to wait 15 minutes between the drop and the pull. Unfortunately we took over 15 minutes to drop the three pods so as soon as we were done it was time to go back and pick up pod 1. Where is the relaxing? Pulling in the pod was a whole new challenge as I had to drive close enough for Scott to hook the line but I couldn’t run it over, also the water was moving downstream at a pretty fast rate so I have couldn’t just pull up and pop the boat in neutral. There were many rounds of misses before Scott pulled in the first line. I held my breath, at this rate we would have limited attempts before we had to return the boat.  

Yayayayya, the pod had about 12 crab at the bottom. We were so excited, unfortunately there were no keepers but it was so much fun we could live without dinner. That’s when I looked down at the bottom of the boat, then to the hubby and realized both were covered with watery bait and crab yuck. There was no way we were enjoying my picnic lunch on this boat. C'est la vie.

 

We actually were much faster by the second and third cast. The crabs were plentiful but not the size we needed to keep for dinner. Around pod 6 we pulled up the first male that was large enough to eat and we were thrilled. At the end of the day we caught three males which the boat rental staff steamed and cleaned for us. We placed them in a bucket of ice and let them chill. Once we returned to the hotel we made a salad of tomato and avocado and cracked those babies open. As you can imagine we were hungry after such a long day of work with no lunch break.

 

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This kinda Blows…

 

As I sat in our hotel room this morning, curled up in the bed with my coffee and my laptop, I looked out the window and watched the waves along the coast crashing below. Unfortunately it was dreary outside. I had woken up to go hiking only to find it sprinkling outside. However instead of being sad that it is cold and rainy during our trip, this desert native is happy for the change in scenery. However I am really beginning to doubt my decision to trade in the hybrid for a convertible. 
After deciding not to hike in the rain, we had a slow and lazy morning of sitting around watching the rain and the fog roll along the cost from our hotel room. We decided to venture out around 11, destination- a warm lunch in Florence and then the Sea Lion Caves. After a short lunch at great cafe we headed towards the caves. The Sea Lion Cave is a tourist trap but in my opinion a must see. It is a 2-acre sea cave and a natural habitat for sea lions. Upon our arrival we were told that the lions were out for a swim but we could still go down if we like. We decided to go down and check it out, definitely not worth the $12 entrance fee but still a really neat experience. Plus while we were inside one lost soldier decided to stay around just to test my photography skills. (Let’s just say we bought postcards.)
When we were done it was still raining/heavy fog outside. We decided to make the best of the day and head into town and see if we could find a glass blowing shop. So we drove an hour to town to look for a few places we had noticed on the drive in. This is of course something on my list of things to do- not our list- but it’s raining so why not?
As we arrive at the first place we find I turn to Scott and say “No, this isn’t what I am looking for.”
“What are you looking for?”
“I don’t know but this looks too commercialized, I want to blow glass”
“Do they allow you to do that? That sounds like a liability?
“I have no idea?”
My very patient husband drives on to find “What I am looking for…” and to make it even better he does! He pulls into this place called The Edge Art Gallery. We start looking around at the floats for sale and they are memorizing. I walk pass a sign on the counter which read Glass Blowing Class and I instantly start asking one million questions to the clerk. She informs me that Yes, I can take a class but they are by appointment only, however for some reason today they have no appointments for this afternoon and would I like to sign up? Yes please!
The Glass- Blower explained the class to Scott and I as “something to cross off our bucket list”, however it was not something that I originally had on my list but now that I have done it I would recommend that everyone put it on their list. What a neat experience plus it will make a fun conversation piece for many years to come. “Your air created the float and is sealed inside the float forever.” Now that’s pretty cool.  

Last nights Sunset

 

Driving HW101 along the Oregon Coast

 

The Boy Scout

 

We arrived to the coast yesterday and did about a 50 mile stretch of the 101 on our way in to our hotel which is about 20 miles north of Florence and 20 miles south of Yachats, approximately mile marker number 170 for those of you that have been here before. I of course was overly excited about everything we saw along the 101 and made Scott pull over more than once to check out the view or take pictures. We also decided to grab a hot bite to eat because the hotel was in the middle of nowhere. We passed so many places offering fresh seafood. Many of these places were touristy joints and we know better than to eat there. We want to eat with the locals. Finally on our way out of town we passed this little store that had a sign out front that said fresh seafood. But what made this store different is that the sign was falling apart and they had a huge “crab boiling pot.” We went inside The South Beach Fish Market and this place was hopping; the tables were full and there was a line to order. Here you could either order fresh seafood to go by the pound or have it prepared. We decided to share a chowder and halibut fish and chips. The chowder was good but the halibut was one of those things where you would take a bit e and then sit back and close your eyes while you savored the flavor and the texture. To start you could taste the freshness and then it was prepared perfectly with just the right about of batter and seasoning, finally cooked just right, flaky but not chewy. Ahhh the coast.
We arrived at our hotel called the See Vue around 4pm and at first I was a little taken back by its outside appearance. It is a small place with maybe 12 rooms, think old run down hotel in a horror movie. But when we walked into the room that all changed as there is a huge window out the back that overlooks the ocean. Once we settled in, Scott also settled in for a nap and I took off down the beach to explore. This is when the hotel became even better, there was no one on the beach. It was just me, my camera , the waves and the seagulls. What an experience, I walked about a half mile to the south and then to the north of the hotel. About 10 minutes to the north of the hotel I ran into a family who were building sandcastles and had the most perfect bonfire. I had read during my research for the trip that fires were allowed along the coast and since this discovery I have talked non-stop about the need for a fire on the coast. When I returned from the walk Scott and I decided to head out to the lawn at sit on the lawn chairs and watch the sunset. Unfortunately another couple had the same idea and beat us to it. We then decided to walk down the path and sit on the beach. We walked about 5 minutes and I remembered the great fire from earlier.  

When we got there it had been abandoned but was still smoldering. I quickly ran back to the hotel to gather supplies for a picnic and left Scott to rebuild. When I returned my Boy Scout had a roaring bonfire. (He wanted me to write that he rubbed two pieces of wood together while I was in search of matches, so if you ever hear that version please just nod and smile.)

Pit Stop in Portland-

Pit Stop in Portland-

As we were finalizing our plans for the trip we decided to make a short two night stop in Portland. Two years ago we spent a couple of weeks here and in Willamette and I just love the area. Since then I have been trying (unsuccessfully) to get the hubby to move. In all honesty it is not plausible anytime in the near future but perhaps one day. Hey we all can dream, what would be without them?

My Reasons to Love Portland are simple….
1. The hospitality industry is not over the top but instead geared towards ppl who like to stay in unique and different places. (Don’t get me wrong there are plenty of high end hotels but there are also plenty of options for the rest of us.)
2. It is a great foodie town. Besides for the great restaurants they also have the most amazing farmers markets.
3. A very notable wine industry is just a hop, skip and a jump away.
4. Older homes and buildings with character- I am not going to write about this but just note that I find it to be very important!

Last time we were in town we stayed at this really cool hotel called Kennedy School by the McMenamins. The McMenamins are two brothers who buy old rundown buildings and recreate them into Pubs and Hotels. Two years ago we stayed in a Schoolhouse from 1915 and our room was appropriately named “The Second Grade”. The room came complete with a chalkboard, a large coat rack, and fairytale rhymes. Last night we stayed at another one of their hotels which was called White Eagle and is located in an industrial neighborhood on the north side of town. The building was built in 1905. It turned out to be a cute hotel with only ten rooms. The hotel was setup like a hostel and the rooms were very small with the bathroom and shower being down the hall. Scott walked in and was in shock, this apparently was his first time at “roughing it.”
Luckily for Scott we had booked ourselves at Hotel Monaco for the following night. This hotel turned out to be a treat. It is a Kimpton hotel and way cute! It is a dog friendly hotel and apparently if you are missing your pet they will lend you one of house goldfish for the night. Scott and I debated calling on the goldfish but could not explain how a goldfish would make up for the 150 lbs. Mastiff we were missing. The hotel was cute in other ways in addition to being pet friendly and its fabulous décor, they also provided every room with your own stuffed animal to cuddle, comfy socks, animal printed bathrobes and daily tasting in the “Reading Room.” Plus the hotel staff were top notch. I was called Mrs. Shanks multiple times. As I am still getting accustom to the name…. 5 years later, I was a bit slow to respond at times.
2. During our first trip to Portland we were introduced to a small restaurant called Le Pigeon by our good friend Michele. Michele is an old friend from the early Janos days. It was such a great experience the first time around that we decided to go back for seconds last night. This restaurant is one of the best we have ever enjoyed. In addition it is very small, the seating only includes a chef’s counter of about 10 ppl plus three communal tables that serve about 10 each. So to be served there on a Friday night is an honor. Thankfully, we have Michele to get us in, plus she was able to get us a great table in the corner where we can observe all the action. The food is one of a kind, please refer to pictures and the menu because I cannot describe food well enough to give adequate props to the dishes we tasted this evening. YUM!
http://www.lepigeon.com/

During our Dinner at Le Pigeon I mentioned my love affair of salts. Almost every time we break bread with friends I bring up the fact that I need to learn more about salts. Unfortunately I have yet to follow though, however when I mentioned it to Michele, she got incredibly excited and told us about a salt shop called The Meadow that was close to our hotel. We of course decided to visit this shop first thing the next morning. When we walked in I was instantly saddened by the fact this store was not right down the street from my house. It was the most beautiful store I had ever been to. There was a whole wall full of different salts in little vials, another whole wall full of different sorts of chocolate bars, in the front there was a beautiful table full of assorted flowers and vases, plus in the back of the store there was a table with assorted bitters and wines. After I took about 50 pictures of their shop, we started shopping and I was overwhelmed. Thankfully Michele had mentioned that they carried a few different sets and one that she particular liked was called the Starter Set, "an introduction to the classic artisan salt." I will not bore you with all the details but the set comes with six different salts and a pamphlet on how they are made and when to use them.
Please check out their website www.atthemeadow.com, oh and one of the owners wrote a book called Salted which will be coming out in October. I think I am going to preorder my copy today.

 

 

 

The farmers markets in this town are another example of amazing. At the market at Oregon State University we once again met our friend Michele. She showed us around the market

 

for a bit while we choose; local cheese, tomatoes, cherries, olives, peaches and plums. It was time to fill up the cooler for the Oregon Coast.

Walla Walla- Vino

Leaving Seattle we spent half a day driving across town to buy a cooler at the local Walmart. :(

But by the time we left town it was totally worth the trip. The cooler was full of two types of cheese, three lbs. of shiny meat, a loaf of bread, cherries, peaches plums, tomatoes, plus local WA beer and wine.

We arrived in Walla Walla, late in the afternoon Monday. We stopped by the hotel briefly before heading out for out first tasting in the region. The hotel was awesome, it is a B&B called Walla Walla Inn on the outskirts of town. It is surrounded by a small vineyard and wheat fields. There are only 4 rooms in the place in addition to the main house. It is very beautiful and quaint.

We quickly drop off our things and head into town, unfortunately the wineries were already closed for the day. We do a short tasting at a place called Walla Walla Wine Works, which is a more corporate environment, they do "House Wines" for all those who know WA wines and then stop by a place called "Olives" for dinner. Olives is decent enough. Michelle orders the "Tuna Salad" and I decided to go with a pizza. With two glasses of house wine we headed out to the patio to await our food. The big surprise of the night was right in the middle of my pizza- in the form of an egg. It was essentially cooked to over easy so the yoke broke and spread out over the pie.. Unexpected, but good. The long drive and appetizers of fermented grape juice must have fueled a healthy appetite as we put down the food in no time and were on our way. On our way you ask? Is Walla Walla on a Monday night a place where you have somewhere really important to go? The answer is yes. We had a very important date with the front porch of our little B&B. Cool Weather, good wine, and books took up the rest of the evening. Needless to say it was relaxing and enjoyable..

The Discoveries...

The next three days were full of great tastings and some great finds. It all started early Tuesday morning with our visit to Pepper Bridge. As we pulled up to the very rustic estate and parked the car I asked Michelle if she was ready to start the Washington wine adventure. Excitement builds with each step and we manage to make it to the door before the need for wine completely overtakes us like a ware wolf in the full moon light. Luckily the door was open and someone was behind the counter ready for us with open bottle in hand.... We had arrived....

After a few pours of wine the creative juices began flowing and questions came spewing out of my mouth, almost as if I know what I was talking about, almost.. It soon became apparent that I in fact did notknow what I was talking about- I discovered as I stared at a map in disbelief... What led to this?- you ask. A very large part of Walla Walla is in fact in Oregon... ... ... However I had been telling Michelle and tables that is was the best region in Washington. As I was staring at a map which clearly put some of my faviorite vineyards in Oregon, not Washington, I wondered just how many people I had lied to.. Ignorence is bliss..

After Pepperbridge we continued with our whirlwind tour and I will not bore you with too many more details, rather a list of wineries.. more details can be discussed over a bottle of WA/OR wine..

Amavi

Northstar

Va Piano

Sleight of Hand

Seven Hills

Sapolil

Spring Valley

L'Ecole 41

Long Shadows

Gramercy

Waters

Reynvaan

As you can see by the list- it is a hard sommeliers life.. so much work...

Honorable Unmentioned Activities

So my mother messaged me today to ask if we have done anything besides eat and drink in the last 4 days. Since we skipped two days to talk about the night of libation, I guess we can go back and recap some of the greater moments in Seattle.
I loved Seattle and spent everyday coming up with reasons to convince my husband we should move to WA.
Reason 1- They have a NFL team
Reason 2- There are great old houses with lots of character
Reason 3- Close to water
Reason 4- Pikes Market
Reason 5- Beautiful flowers in the market
And so the list goes. As you can imagine by reason number 105, Scott stopped listening to me when I mentioned something I loved. So instead of making the list for you I will attach a couple of my favorite pictures.

Pikes Market, Downtown Seattle























Glass being blown in Pioneer Square, Historic District

























Waterfall Garden Park, Occidental Park















Washington Park Arboretum






Seattle Japanese Garden






xoxo- M&S