Coronado Island on Our Beach Cruisers

Since we moved to San Diego, I decided that Vince and I needed to pick up a hobby that we could do together when we aren't working - some kind of joint activity that wouldn't break the bank if we did it on a regular basis. We went out on a date night and I brought up the subject - and we almost immediately came up with the idea to get bikes to ride around all the many beautiful spots in San Diego.

So, a couple of weeks ago we started shopping around and found two of the cutest beach cruisers down in Pacific Beach, and brought them home with us a week or so ago. I am beginning to compile a list of all the fun places I want to go explore on our new bikes - all the many wonderful beaches, cute little towns, Balboa Park. I love seeing new sites and what better way to enjoy them then riding around on a bicycle in 72 degree San Diego?

My little blue bike!

Next plan - leather colored seat and hand grips, and a wicker basket on the front!

Vince's retro bike - isn't it adorable? I love it and so does he.

Our maiden voyage was this Monday, we strapped the bikes to the back of our little car and drove across the bridge to Coronado Island (technically not an island... since it is slightly attached to the mainland by the Silver Strand, oh well). We spent the day riding around the quaint little town, along a bike path that runs along the beach over half the island, we got to see ocean, beautiful homes, an amazing view of downtown San Diego across the water, lovely coves filled with sail boats and yachts and all of it with a nice breeze and sunshine. I have to say that it was a most beautiful day and one that I will definitely want to repeat soon! Next time I think we will park in downtown San Diego and take our bikes across on the ferry, it is supposed to be a lovely boat ride.

Can't wait to see where we head this Monday! But until then, I'm gonna continue enjoying our evening rides after dinner around our new neighborhood.

Weekend Getaway

The cute little town of Astoria, Oregon.

There was an amazing view of the Oregon valley from a hill in Astoria.

Vince on a Coast Guard ship...no, he was not supposed to be there - he thought it was part of the Maritime Museum display!

One of the many amazing houses in this little town on the Colombia river.

Vince and I at the beach, a real-live-ocean beach in Seaside, Oregon.

Vince and I had the chance to go to a marriage conference a couple of weekends ago. We have been told by wise people that you should invest in your marriage at least once a year, whether that is taking a class together, going to a conference, attending a retreat, or reading a book together on marriage. I think it is great advice, probably something you think about more in the beginning stages of the marriage, so we want to be sure make it a practice now that we keep for another 60 years or so.

The conference was being held in a tiny town called Seaside, OR, whose claim to fame is that they are the end of the Louis and Clark trail - there are even plenty of plaques and statues to prove it! It was a beautiful town on the intersection of the Pacific Ocean and the Colombia River. The town is adorable, with tons of little beach cottages for vacation rentals, little shops, an very old indoor carousel and a beautiful beach full of sand dunes and tall grass - I loved it.

Just up the river from Seaside was the town of Astoria, population 2,000....for the past century or so. We visited a Maritime Museum, where Vince was kicked off of a Coast Guard ship, a museum on the history of the town, were we had our own personal tour (because we were probably the only guests that came all day, maybe all weekend!) and a look-out hill were you could see the most incredible views of the town, river and pristine valley.

It was an amazing weekend, we definitely want to go back again sometime when we can rent out a little beach cottage for a weekend. We are so grateful for the opportunity we were given to be there.