Well, my Thanksgiving vacation is winding to a close, and I can't help but be excited for Christmas to arrive. I know I should be sad that Thanksgiving has come and gone, and I will soon be leaving Oregon, but I'm just not sad at all. I have had a fantastic November. And I'm confident that December will be equally as adventurous.
My November began with a vacation to Carmel &
Monterey with my boyfriend, Danny. We stayed at a beautiful hotel overlooking the Central Coast. We sampled Thai food in Carmel by the Sea,
mosied down main street looking at the various shops & bakeries, and spent way too much money on t-shirts, hats and other authentic Carmel
paraphernalia. My favorite adventure in Carmel was the 17-mile drive. If you've never been on it, it's a must-see for your Central Coast vacation. It's 17 miles of some of the bea
utiful coastline in the world (in my humble
opinion). There were about 20 seals playing in one of the coves as if they were putting a show on just for us. There was hiking on the beach with
tide pools, sea kelp, and clams. Although I do caution you that November is slightly chilly and the summer months might be more
accommodating weather-wise. Most of the houses on the drive are multi-million dollar mansions that one can only wish they lived in. All in all, our trip was
relaxing and pleasant. This is my 2
nd time visiting this year so it's definitely a favorite vacation spot.
Currently, for Thanksgiving vacation, I am visiting family in Oregon City, Oregon. My mother and I flew into Portland on a Tuesday and we are staying at Mrs. Bach's house until Saturday. Today we are flying home and I have to say it will be nice to be in warmer weather. Last night at dinner it was 30 degrees!!! My goodness, I was cold!! Our mini holiday vac
ation has been so nice and relaxing. Our Thanksgiving feast was the best I've ever experienced. And I'm not just saying that because I know Mrs. Bach will be reading this. Oh no. I'm saying this because the feast was truly delicious.
Yesterday, I went into Portland for "black-
Friday" on a photo safari with Alana, Erin and Echo. Alana's class had a photo project to find various photo topics, ex.
interesting graffiti, interesting word-art, architecture, etc. We finished her project with ease and were able to walk around Portland and enjoy the shops, local
mis-fits, and interesting parades. Since it was black Friday it was the busiest shopping day of the year and people were out in full force. We even saw a protest parade on animal rights. It was fantastic! I've never seen such eccentric people parading around with torn up clothes and smiles all marching for a good cause! I loved it. That to me is the
epitome of Oregon and the natural spirit of it's residents.
I am truly thankful for the hospitality Oregon has shown to my mother and me. We always love visiting our family in Oregon City. The food is full of love, the house is bustling with generations of family, and the stories are flowing out of
everyone's mouths about the good times we've all experienced. I'm confident this Thanksgiving will be a story to tell in future years. I can't wait for my own children to one day visit the Bach family and experience the love that's shared inside Mrs. Bach's home. Thanks for the memories!
This photo was taken on our first day in Oregon City. Mrs. Bach treated us to an authentic Mexican lunch at a delicious hole-in-the-wall restaurant. From left to right are Anthony, Mrs. B, the restaurant owner (aka. my mom's twin) and my mom.
This is the "Green Grocer" in Oregon City. Where else are you going to find a green grocery store with a red door in a converted house? It's fantastic, and I especially love the HUGE tree in the parking lot!
Doing what my mom does best...relaxing in her pj's! 
It's Matthew! 
Thank you Jeff for bringing us an extra ration of celery. We couldn't have made the cheese-stuffed-celery-pieces-of-heaven without you.
