Coastal Oregon Road Trip + Wedding, Fall Garden Harvest & A Bay Area Favorite Turns 20

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While most of us were living our lives doing our regular things,

Many others were experiencing unimaginable terror, loss and sadness.

And are left with an emptiness that can never be filled.

Nothing I can say could possibly equal the moment.

So I’ll share a simple quote that stuck with me.

“In these moments, it is important that we remember that right now, in Israel and Gaza,

there are mothers and fathers who hug their children in their arms,

and just want to live in peace and security.”

via Mehazkim

Let’s take a walk on the brighter side.

ROAD TRIP ADVENTURES & A WEDDING IN COASTAL OREGON

Have you ever road tripped up the coast of Oregon? We did last week, with Kyle and Melody, to attend nephew Noah’s wedding in Brookings, followed by a larger celebration in Bandon the following night. Noah and his new wife Katie are the cutest couple and it’s fun to share snippets from their big day(s) as well as a few travel ideas from our short but sweet road trip.

The drive from the Bay Area to Brookings is just under 7 hours. We made a couple of stops along the way including dinner in Eureka. Melody, the family foodie, determined Tavern 1888 in the Historic Eagle House to be our best bet for dinner. Turns out the Redwood Coast Music Festival was in full swing and this was one of it’s venues, but by some miracle we got a table. As the name suggests, the restaurant is in a historic grand hotel in old town Eureka … with one of those cool mahogany bars. And it looks like a fun place to stay. I’m sure there are more wonderful things about Eureka, but when we arrived it was dark and foggy and when we left it was darker and foggier.

After dinner we continued up the coast to Brookings. Don’t do this drive at night. The road is narrow, curvy and it’s very dark and incredibly foggy. We made it safely to Brookings just before midnight and had to bang on the lobby door to rouse the night auditor at the Beachfront Inn. We woke the next morning to a wall of fog but slowly it dissipated enough to see the beautiful ocean view from our room.

We had lunch at Catalyst Seafood on the harbor. Another Melody find and I highly recommend. After posting our location on Instagram, my friend Karen (see her new PNW island home here) messaged that her favorite spot in Brookings is Oxenfre Public House … she says they have the best fresh fruit juice margaritas. This would have been helpful information one day prior and next time I’ll alert my social media friends in advance of my travel destinations.

After lunch we headed back to the hotel to get gussied up for the wedding.

The fog lifted and the sun peaked through as we arrived at Capella by the Sea for the wedding ceremony. Isn’t this the most magical setting?!

Noah’s sister niece Tony officiated the ceremony. She’s a natural and everyone commented she should make this a side hustle. I loved her outfit and the best part, her Prada shoes which she found at a consignment store the week before the wedding.

Jim said it was the most touching wedding ceremony he’s ever witnessed and he couldn’t hold back his tears. Their vows were heartfelt and inspiring and we’re excited to watch their love story continue to unfold.

While Katie and Noah took wedding photos, we headed to the Black Trumpet Bistro for cocktails and a super yummy Italian dinner. Like me, Jim has a very small family, and the entire crew showed up to support Noah. Last month we all got together to celebrate Jim’s mom’s 90th in Oregon’s wine region and it was fun to be together again so soon.

The next morning Jim was up at 0’dark thirty to catch a taxi to the Crescent City airport. He had to be back in the Bay Area for an important meeting. Kyle and Melody met up with cousins Megan and Greg for breakfast at Mattie’s Pancake House. Megan and Greg discovered Mattie’s on their first day in town and liked it enough for a repeat performance. Melody and Kyle report that Mattie’s quintessential diner food is excellent with the exception of the deep fried avocado (picture my alarmed face). Somehow Melody was talked into ordering this unique side dish and does not recommend it. You heard it here first.

And we were off like a herd of turtles for Bandon … about an hour and forty minutes up the coast from Brookings. We met up with Megan and Greg for lunch at Bandon Dunes, a renowned golf resort and from what we could see, worthy of its reputation. We had lunch amongst the golfers at the Tufted Puffin Lounge, checked out the resort spa and drove around the property looking at the cute cottages and lodges and wondering why we weren’t staying there. Bandon Dunes has six golf courses, and I counted ten restaurants. Definitely a destination in and of itself and worthy of a return trip … I say this as a non-golfer.

Downtown Bandon is about 15 minutes from Bandon Dunes and we took a drive through Historic Old Town before rolling up to the Inn at Face Rock. The hotel was packed full … of wedding guests and firefighters getting a much needed respite from fighting the Northern California Oregon wildfires. It’s beautifully situated with a private beach access. The gorgeous beach is just across the street but we had only enough time to check in and get cleaned up for the wedding reception.

Jim’s sister, Noah’s mom Lisa, is a chef and she and a couple of her chefy friends catered the reception with a fabulous spread of Noah and Katie’s favorite foods. This included a Chinese food buffet that was out-of-this-world delish! Noah and Katie cut their cake, gave everyone the go-ahead to rush the ice cream sundae bar (wowza), and then we danced the night away.

The next morning Kyle, Melody and I hit the road at 6:00am and were back in the Bay Area by 4:00pm. We stopped for lunch at In N Out in Redding. Is a road trip a road trip without In N Out? No.

Another whirlwind weekend and beautiful family wedding is in the books. We got a taste of the gorgeous Oregon coast and ideas for a more leisurely return trip. Hello Bandon Dunes. Congratulations to Noah and Katie … the sweetest most adorable couple ever!

 

FALL GARDEN UPDATE

Look what I found on our front porch when we returned from Oregon. Vivian and Renee from Homestead Design Collective were here doing their monthly check-in … and this was the result that greeted me. Of course, I harvest, weed and prune too, but the pros swoop in monthly to make sure I’m not messing things up too badly. And they planted fennel, kale, radicchio, violas, leeks, beets, calendula, and spigarello.

HAPPY 20th ANNIVERSARY TO FLAUNT

I was thrilled to receive a golden ticket to Flaunt’s 20th anniversary celebration and it was a highlight of my week. Niece Shelby was my plus-one. Twenty years is a long time for anything, but for a small business it’s a huge accomplishment. Congratulations to Ashley (you may know her as Modern Glam Home) who must have opened up shop when she was 13! I wore a favorite Ulla Johnson dress purchased at Flaunt two or three years ago. Click this link for a closer look at the beautiful floral installation by Busy Bees Floral.

Ashely had a lively group in attendance and I caught up with several friends I hadn’t seen in a while. Wine and bubbles flowed as well as Falling for Flaunt, the signature cocktail that was SO good. Vodka, apple cider and ginger ale garnished with an apple slice, cinnamon stick and pretty edible flower. I’ll have to twist Ashley’s arm for the exact recipe.

Honey + Brie created adorable and delicious charcuterie cones. Once again I’ve fallen down on the job with my lack of picture taking. In my defense it’s not easy to juggle a fall cocktail, charcuterie cone, a cell phone and snap photos.

I’ve mentioned Flaunt in Danville many times in this space, and if you haven’t visited (and live in the Bay Area) what are you waiting for? Ashely curates a beautiful selection of clothing, homeware and thoughtfully selected gifts. She doesn’t carry crap and as Kim and I discussed in our recent quiet luxury posts, buying high quality clothing is more than worth it in the long run because it goes the distance. Like the Ulla Johnson dress I wore to Flaunt’s anniversary event.

If Jim will stop reading now, I’ll tell you about my latest Flaunt purchase. Ashely had a fall shopping event yesterday and I went back to try on a few things that caught my eye the night before and to buy a few gifts. These Le Jean wide leg denim have just the right amount of stretch and this sumptuous (can a sweater be called sumptuous?) Brazeau Tricot cashmere sweater. The sweater is definitely an investment but one I’ll be wearing for years to come.

For yesterday’s event Ashley collaborated with Molly of Branches & Bloom for a pop up and exclusive fall wreath … don’t you love her ribbon bar!

Ashley Westfall, interior designer and stylist at Eye for Pretty, also had a pop-up of her own Upper East Linens. These fall colors are so good … my bed could use a refresh, right?

Be sure to follow Flaunt’s Instagram to keep track of new arrivals plus you’ll want to know when shop manager Denise is mixing her famous sangria. Happy 20th Flaunt!

 

Odds & Socks ~

If you live in the Bay Area, our Kim will be making an appearance today at the Rails store in Palo Alto. It’s their fall shopping event from 10-6 and Kim will be there between 11-2 ready to help you style looks from their new fall collection. Find out more here on Kim’s Instagram! And if you haven’t already, be sure to read her monthly Signature Style post all about handbags.

Mean Girls Over 50 … yep, I’ve had a few run ins … blogger Brenda Coffee shares her thoughts.

What happened to sweaters? Apparently they’re gone downhill and this article explains why. My apologies if it’s behind a paywall, but it’s too interesting not to try and share.

 

Current Favorites ~

 

And that’s what I have for you this week.

Let’s see what’s inspiring Kim and Elizabeth …

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA STYLE

PINECONES AND ACORNS

If you missed my last post, you can catch up here.

You can also follow along on Instagram and Pinterest.

Any thoughts you’d like to share?

I’d love to hear them and you can drop them in the comments below.

Cheers from Snowberry!