oysters in Oregon

Since my last post, Lloyd and I drove south from Seattle all the way through Oregon to San Francisco, where we caught a plane to Lloyds sisters wedding in Houston.Our first road trip diversion was Astoria, OR to see the Goonies house.It was a right of passage of sorts for us as children of the 80s.Cant you just see Chunk doing the truffle shuffle from this yard?

After swinging through Astoria, we settled in Portland, OR for the next two nights.We were both blown away by this city.It was a lot larger than we thought, but also has a cozy, quirky feel.And the restaurant options are overwhelming.We opted for the specialty several towns along the Oregon Coast are known for oysters.Our restaurant pick, Ringside Fish House, serendipitously had late-night happy hour during which they discount the oysters of the day.We took advantage of the deal and ordered 24.Despite a few funny looks from fellow dinners (jealous!), we enjoyed every oceany bite.
After Portland, my photos focus switched from seafood to scenery.
We travelled alongside mystical rocky coastlines
Climbed atop giant dunes
Were dwarfed by the awesome Redwoods
Hiked to a fern valley
And took a guided bike-ride through stunning Sonoma
These beautiful pieces of America are what Lloyd spent 7.5 months in Afghanistan defending.