Pacific City, Oregon.

We hired a car, and drove down to Salem to look round Wilamette University, and briefly at the State Capitol. All firmly closed as its Christmas (but is U.S its just 'Holiday' ). And it was WET. Just what Pat meant when he told us it was going to be wet in Oregon had only just really begun to sink in. Its on the west coast, so nothing between Oregon and (after checking in atlas) Japan to stop the weather. Big wind, big waves and WET WET WET. Manchester on the Pacific.
So anyway, after Salem (Uni looks lovely, even when closed), we drove on towards coast, and got to this place.
Pacific City - surfing, holiday flats, places to eat. A fleet of small open fishing skiffs (not going out today), and the Pelican Brewery. Which is one of the many small indepedent beer breweries in Oregon. Right on the beach, with a pub/restaraunt attached, looking right out over the bay to this rock (which I have just noticed is not in this pic - its just behing P, off to the right !)
On the way home we went over the hills. We had not downloaded the US maps onto satnav before leaving UK (altho we both thought we'd done it) so when we plugged it in it was useless! So driving a bit north before going east was done on a very basic drivers map which took no notice of contour lines..... and of course it did go UP..and up, and up..through the Tillamook Forest State Park.. and above the snow line... and into the zone where the flashing signs say that you must have chains or snow tyres (in a hire car ?!) ..and a blizzard. So we drove very slowly, feeling very glad that those other vehicles did have big grippy tyres, and they were not all passing us and zooming off into the dark. At least they could haul us out of the ditch.
However - got up and down fine, and found our way back into Portland, but finding the house was a bit of a challenge - getting off the freeway into the right bit of Portland without getting back onto freeway going in the other direction (a close shave). Lovely to come home to a very pleasant house and a whole selection of places to eat.