Did Someone Say Bingo?

Our trip to visit family is coming to a close, and tonight, Steve & Sarah opted to treat us to Wednesday Night Bingo! 

It is held in the local Butteville Store which is actually owned by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.  It currently runs as a specialty food store and cafe designed to serve the local community as well as the State Park visitors.   

The building first began as a saloon in the 1870's so it is considered to be a significant historic site.  The building has been expanded to include a lovely outside seating area with picnic tables and umbrellas, but since the temperatures were 91 degree at 5:30 PM, it was decided to hold the event in the air conditioned interior. 

I was very impressed with the giant lego creation which is a small scale copy of the building and its surroundings. 

The details were quite entertaining with a band and speakers represented here

as well as guests picnicking outside. 

How clever is that? 

The walls were decorated with photos from the past, as well as some unique items.  Here you can see a collection of Ice Cream scoops. 

Tonight was a treat because not only did we get to enjoy specialty sandwiches for dinner, but we also had some fun playing our hands at Bingo.  Here you can see us with the special 50/50 cards which are played as the grand finale. 

The announcer sat directly behind me in one of those chairs tucked into the corner. 

I must say that this experience comes pretty darn close to living a Hallmark Movie with the locals geared and ready with markers in hand,  and the volunteer caller who seems to know most people by name. 

I really wasn't sure what to expect, and I'll admit that I haven't played Bingo for quite some time save M&M bingo at a baby shower a year or so ago.   This was far different. 

Each round involved a different intricate pattern, which was really quite fun.  Some of the patterns were more challenging than others. 

We even enjoyed some delicious store made ice cream.  Mine was called Cup of Dirt, but I can assure you that it tasted delectable despite the name. It even came with a smidge of salted caramel sauce on top. 

It wasn't until round six that one of us got lucky.  Marty was pretty excited to win that round.   I missed by one square. 

Sarah won Game 8, and then, she went on to win the 50/50!   How lucky is that! We figured that her earnings covered the cost of dinner and Bingo, plus they came out with a free breakfast and a free sandwich.  You certainly couldn't beat that! 

Even without the winnings, the evening was super fun and one we will certainly count as a favorite!. 

Tomorrow we head out on another adventure, so we will have to bid farewell.  We certainly had an entertaining few days here in house and Steve and Sarah were the best of hosts.  

Steve commented that the timing couldn't have been better.  Certainly lucky for all of us. 

So, as we continue our travels, I appreciate you following along and hope you enjoyed our antics. 

Until next time....

Gallivanting in Oregon

 Marty and I are once again on another adventure.  This one begins a tad different, but entertaining nonetheless.  Can you guess our location? 

As you can see....we've been welcomed by quite the curious crew. Nary a dull moment here! 

We are staying on the Geisler Family Farm with Marty's younger brother and his wife.  We flew direct from Philadelphia to Portland, making the trip super easy, and Steve and Sarah picked us up at the airport, albeit way past our bedtime, but one is at the mercy of airline timetables and this one worked the best for us. 

Sunday morning, we headed to mass at St. Cyril, with coffee and donuts as a treat afterwards, where the locals enjoyed chatting with Marty.  The church is quaint and features an icon of St. Cyril. 

St. Cyril is quite familiar to me, but usually paired with Methodius who is absent of any recognition here.  If you are not aware, these saints are responsible for the Cyrillic alphabet, which as I write this, seems to omit Methodius as well.  I might have to investigate a bit further. 

After Mass, Sarah treated me to a "Sound Bath" at her local Yoga studio.  The premise sounded intriguing, and I was eager to learn what awaited me. Believe me when I say, it might have been one of the best experiences of my life!  Certainly a treat for someone who was running on 3 hours sleep due to jet lag. I walked out of there like a new woman!  It was sheer bliss! 

The rest of the day was spent catching up and we had a visit from Suzie, whom we had included on an adventure to Scotland when she was studying abroad in London.  We had a grand time reminiscing.  But, we failed to photograph the moment, so no photo to share. 

After a great night's sleep, we readied ourselves for an adventure to the west coast with Steve and Sarah acting as our tour guides.  How's that for excitement?

Two hours later, we were at Rockaway Beach on the Pacific Coast. 

Steve had purchased tickets for us to ride the steam train from Rockaway to Garibaldi. 

The weather was quite frigid and I was glad that I had a warm coat as we were sitting outside on the open train car. 

The views were amusing as well as amazing.

And by the time we stopped in Garibaldi, the sun had come out and the temperatures were much more balmy. 

The "G" added an amusing touch. 

There was a very short turn around time for the return trip, so we opted to rebound the train after Marty spent some time chatting with the conductor.  

After our return to Rockaway Beach, we popped into a nearby store for some Tillamook Ice Cream, which is made locally.  I picked the Salted Caramel. 

It was scrumptious!

A few miles down the road was a boarded walking path that leads to an ancient Western Red Cedar that is believed to be one of the largest in North America. 

We certainly enjoyed the lush beauty along the way. 

And here you see the famous tree itself.  Locals call it "The Big Cedar" and it is believed to be 800 to 1200 years old.  The trunk circumference is nearly 50 feet.  Interestingly enough, hemlock limbs have sprouted and send their roots down the cedar's core, giving it quite an unusual look to the admirer. 

From here we headed back to the car for the drive to Depoe Bay where we planned to eat dinner.  

But, not before stopping to check out the Bald Eagle whom we had spied on our train travels.  Next to this very long walkway there was a pole of some sort protruding from the water. 

And on top the regal creature sat. 

It appears that he even graced me with a look!

Marty was zooming in with his high tech camera for a better shot. 

The eagle stood there for the entirety of our photo shoot, and never flinched an inch, even when being bombarded by an annoying sea gull.  It was quite the spectacle. 

In Depoe Bay, we enjoyed a delightful dinner at a restaurant that offered a magnificent view of the ocean. 

And walking back to the car we spotted a few seals bopping their heads in and out of the water, but they were two quick to snap a photo. 

We stopped at a look-out on the way home.  Apparently this sea gull was feeling needy.  

As you can see, the view was spectacular! 

We arrived back at the farm just before 10:00 pm.  Considering that we had left at 9:00 AM, I'd say that we certainly had quite a full day.  Great company, beautiful weather, amazing scenery....I don't think you can ask for much more than that!

Today's a bit of a relaxing day, but as you can well imagine, this place offers plenty of opportunities to keep us busy. 

Until next time.....