The Un-Anniversary

Our anniversary was on the day before I got back from Haiti. In anticipation of future guilt, I booked us into the Garibaldi House on the Oregon coast for New Year's weekend. I had a Living Social coupon that needed to be used anyway, so it was a winning deal all around.

So, our New Year's Eve was spent away from home for the first time in years. Luckily, little Madelyn co-operated by being born in the nick of time and we left town on Friday. I was ailing, but soldiered on.

Garibaldi is a small fishing town with not much happening in the middle of winter, but it is within a short drive of Tillamook and Cannon Beach, which are fun places to visit.

We walked into the foyer of the Garibaldi House and our nostrils were assailed with the smell of clam chowder. There was a tureen of soup, accompanied with biscuits, available in the foyer all evening. After we took our bags up to our room we came down the glass elevator...

...and sat by the fire, eating chowder.

It was cozy and peaceful, with light jazz playing on the stereo and the occasional guests checking in at the desk.

Another nice touch was the coffee urn and iced water available all day, although the water had sliced cucumber floating in it, which was not appreciated by moi.

A covered platter of Tillamook sausage, cheeses and crackers was also free for the nibbling in the foyer.

The hallways were still tastefully decorated for Christmas.

Next to the elevator was a table set up with a jigsaw puzzle. I confess I became fixated on making sense of it. We spent some time on it on Friday night and made some progress. It was a fun puzzle, with fantastical images and glitter all around.

The room wasn't the most glamourous  we have ever booked but there were many unique and comfortable features. 

The towels were all folded artistically and were fluffy and soft.

The sheets were a soft cotton of high thread count and the covers were European-style duvets, so you never have to sleep under an unwashed coverlet. One of my favourite things. 

I forgot my pillow, but these pillows were bearable.

I didn't realize that we had booked a "romance package", so we had some surprises on the table.

Two bottles of water. Gratis.

Some full-size toiletries to take home and a little package of European chocolates, which were quickly eaten.

              

On Saturday, after a full breakfast in the dining room that was included in the room price, we walked around Garibaldi.

It didn't take long.

Not much going on but grey skies,

grey sea,

grey boxes, 

and rusty old chains.

We drove up to Cannon Beach later in the day. We walked around the shops for a while but the day was drawing down so we walked all the way across town to get a bowl of Dooger's famous clam chowder. I was feeling wobbly from the cold meds I had taken and the long walk proved to be my undoing, so after dinner we drove back to Garibaldi. We passed the rest of the evening quietly, working on the jigsaw puzzle, eating hamburger sliders in the foyer and watching TV.

I loved the Garibaldi House. You can get a room for under $100 a night and the little niceties make it feel like it is worth much more. If you want a quiet, comfortable get-away, this is the place for you.

On the way home on Sunday we stopped to take photos of mossy trees.

I am unreasonably fond of mossy trees.

How about you?