I know I complain about it every year, but . . . (So it's a tradition! Carry on!) . . . having my birthday in early February makes for very limited travel options. Ideally, I'd go somewhere tropical (or neotropical or southwestern deserty), but that would require taking at least a week off of work. Since most USAnian employers are so . . . not outrageously generous . . . with vacation time, I just can't see squandering that much paid leave - in freaking February, for crumb's sake.
Far more important are the Happy October! Adventure (one week off) and the May Vacation (two-three days off). And I need at least a day or two sometime in summer. (And mustn't forget Bucko's birthday and the Midwinter Holiday!)
So every year, I wonder just where the heck in the region I can go. East of the mountains is too bleak. In the mountains is too snowy (and snowy only works for me when celebrating the Midwinter Holiday, or else unscheduled time off due to Seattle-always-comes-to-a-standstill-when-it-snows). So that just leaves the coast. The coast is pretty dandy regardless of weather.
But then I have to decide where on the coast I want to go. Usually, I have the state pride and want to stay in Warshington. (To heck with Oregon and their pretty coast!) But then some years, I decide that I really want to go to the pretty coast.
This was one of those years.
And their coast really is so much prettier than ours.*









* Actually, Washington's got some really nice sections of coastline too. It's just not as accessible.