Our original plan was to leave early so we could make it back up to Newport to surf that final evening. But, after having trouble leaving the warm sunny weather by the river, it was clear that our plan was going to change. It would surely be dark by the time we made it that far north. We made the decision to get all the way back to Pacific City, then get up early and go find fun waves. Four days with boards on the roof, wetsuits in the car, and no waves. What if we got skunked in the morning too?
After spending a couple hours in the car, we decided to clean up a little by having a little swim in the ocean near gold beach. At least we got a little salt water on our skin, just in case the morning didn't work out. It must have just been the excitement of the moment, but somehow even without putting on our wetsuits, the water felt warm (at least to me).
That break helped the rest of the trip seem to go more quickly, and we made it all the way to Pacific City in time to get enough rest for an early morning.
The first surf check of our last chance wasn't promising. It looked small and mixed up. So, we drove back an hour south to the place in Newport that we decided not to surf when it looked fun the first day. It didn't look ideal at first, but we knew that the tide wasn't quite right and that it should get better. Luckily, it did. Although it wasn't epic by most people's standards, it was great for the three of us to have fun out there.
It was uncrowded and mellow, which was especially perfect for the girls to practice. I'll let the photos show how much fun we had. That session was worth the wait, and the perfect end to a great vacation.
