The Oregon coast is a mere 75 miles west of our current apartment. The drive took about an hour and a half through winding mountain roads and past signs that said “Elk crossing,” “Ostrich Jerky Sold Here,” and “Warning – Entering Tsunami Zone.” Our destination was Cannon Beach, famous for Haystack Rock and the Needles. (Good name for a band, right?) Now normally when I think about hitting the beach in winter, Miami is the first image that comes to mind. However, even though our day at Cannon Beach was a world away from our South Beach vacation last year, it was no less spectacular. We felt like Mother Nature did a complete 180 and granted us bright sunshine as a belated Christmas gift. It was her way of convincing us to stay awhile in Oregon. And just like that, we never want to leave.

This is Highway 26 which leads straight out to the coast. We had snow flurries near Portland the day before, and obviously the mountains got a lot more. There were long stretches of fog too (as you can see on the left).

Haystack Rock surrounded by smaller formations known as The Needles. They were created by lava flows almost 15 million years ago. (Yes, this puts everything in perspective.)

No crowds (hooray!) meant that I easily got this panoramic shot of the wide open beach.

This was the breathtaking view to the south.

Another shot of the rocks, this time in silhouette.

My head framed by the Haystack as high tide was rolling in. (And in case you’re wondering, it was a crisp 45 degrees with a faint breeze.)

A misty view to the north and striped pattern on the sand.

From Cannon Beach, we drove about eight miles up the coast to the town of Seaside. It’s the place on the Pacific Ocean where the Lewis and Clark Expedition ended.

The ocean at Seaside around 4pm. (The sun set forty minutes later.)

This was a street-level billboard on the side of a building. It basically sums up my first impression of Seaside. Perhaps it’s a lovely place to visit during the summer but in the off-season, it felt sad.

Back in the car heading home, I snapped this blurry photo of a roadside espresso hut. Cute pit stop for a caffeine fix.

Did I mention the fog?

And then after a few minutes, it seemed to dissipate into a picturesque winter wonderland and a clear path forward…

See you in the New Year!

Maybe I’ll be ready for a “fall face” in, like, November. Until then, I recently bought three new beauty products to prolong carefree summer vibes.

Making summer last

• Sephora by OPI nail polish in Chamomile-ion ($9.50): subtle peachy-gold goodness.
• Sea Salt Soap from cb2 ($6): the packaging had me at hello. Smells like a heavenly beach; it’s gonna be a godsend on the snowiest winter days.
• Clinique Chubby Stick in Pudgy Peony ($16): a sheer Schiaparelli-worthy hot pink for the lips.

Can’t you just imagine a beauty editor proclaiming, “Summery make-up paired with the season’s prints and heavy brocades provides a fresh juxtaposition that feels very modern.” (Pretty good, huh?)

In retrospect, I think we could have stretched our budget and squeezed in a mini sun-and-sand getaway, but that would have pushed our comfort zone. So until next summer, memories of past beach escapes will have to sustain me. Here are three of my favorites:

Grace Bay Beach on the island of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos, 2009.

Love Beach in the Bahamas, 2007.

Beach near Spring Bay on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, 2006.

What’s that old saying? Life’s a beach…and then you die?

P.S. I picked up this gorgeous postcard while in San Francisco. For them, life’s a wave.

Just my style: bold color and simple design.

Older posts about the beach:

Hawaii Brav-O

Beachy Keen

Awash in Color

Free-spirited joy at Ocean City, MD

Look at me rocking the pink terrycloth! Aah…sun, surf and salt water taffy. I’m feeling calmer already.

Thirty years later (cough, cough), what’s terry in my wardrobe these days? Soft, easy, smocked dresses by Juicy Couture. I bought them (on massive sale!) during the time when Juicy’s savvy co-founders Gela and Pam were still with the brand. (But since their departure?  Umm, The Gap is looking pretty darn good.) Bonus points: yee-haw, I can go sans brassiere! I wore an electric yellow one during a sadly-too-long-ago vacation to Turks & Caicos, a step up—or three—from OC:

Worry-free and loving life at Grace Bay Beach

Parting shot: While I love these Juicy sundresses, their tracksuits leave much to be desired. (Ever notice how they never keep it real and say “L.A.R.G.E.” or “Lumpy” across the butt cheeks?) But if you’re really dying to get a Juicy track, buy Biggie’s amazing hip-hop version instead!

Vivid colors in the Caribbean

It might seem strange to kick off my fashion-focused blog with a non-clothing-related photo but this shot takes me back to good memories and brings me good luck. My boyfriend Andrew and I took our first vacation together less than three months after we first met. We stayed at Compass Point Beach Resort in the Bahamas. The resort itself wasn’t the best thing since sliced bread: its location was fairly remote from the main action on the island, and the bungalows were filled with Objectivist literature (yeah, very strange). However, they painted all the structures in fun, eye-catching colors. Now THAT was pretty appealing.