The Second Best Way

There is another way that Carolyn and I enjoy the good roads.......in our 1999 Mazda Miata.  This past weekend, as part of her birthday present, we drove the Miata to the Oregon Coast.  I bought this car shortly after we moved from Southern California to Southwest Washington because I didn't think I would be able to ride my motorcycle during the winter.  For the first few years I stored the KZ 550 over the winter, but I still wanted something fun to travel the curvy mountain roads that are abundant in our area.  The bottom line after more than a decade of owning the Miata?  It's a lot of fun for a four-wheeler, but it's no motorcycle.  No mistake, though, it has some definite advantages.......like that roof......and the heater, oh my!  Actually, even on nice days when we can ride with the top down, there is the advantage of not having to wear all the protective gear needed for a motorcycle.  Sometimes it's pretty nice to just hop in the car in shorts and sandals and take off.  Still, after awhile, I began to figure out how to keep riding during the winter.  The primary secret is electricity........as in electric vest and heated handlebar grips.  Once I went that route, along with a good set of rain gear. I was good to go.  Now I ride pretty much all year, as long as there is no snow or ice.  I don't do long rides, but I do use the motorcycle for transportation when an errand calls for short solo trip not requiring much carry space.

This past weekend was spent sort of kicking back with books and some long hikes on the coast, combined with some leisurely drives on the coast highway and other coastal roads.  We stayed at a beach house owned by a friend of Carolyn's in the town of Manzanita Beach.  Here are some pictures from the trip:

Miata at the beach house

Oregon coast beach on a mid-August weekend

Actually, we had to hike one and a quarter miles on a steep trail to get to this beach.  The park where we started the hike was full of people, but when you start hiking you lose most of the crowd.  We did a couple of pretty good walks; one of five miles and the one above of 2.5 miles and it was re-assuring to both of us that we could do OK, since both of us have had some nerve or joint problems that made us wonder if our hiking days were over.