And we’re back; and as you can probably tell from the image above, we spent our vacation in Cannon Beach, Oregon.

Tara and I arrived in Cannon Beach Monday morning after taking the long (yet scenic) route down the Pacific Coast Highway 101. We had our list of things to see and do, plus, enough room on our itinerary for things we discovered along the way and simple relaxation. The first night was set aside for photographing Haystack Rock during sunset and getting settled in.

The sunset was amazing, though, I wish I could say the same for Tuesday night which turned out to be less than spectacular. After roaming around Haystack Rock looking for just the right angle; I settled upon this vantage point just to the left of the actual sunset so I could capture the color hitting the mist coming off the 235 foot monolith.

On July 18th I uploaded the picture to my Flickr Photostream and in just 4 days, almost 2,000 views, 200 favorites and over 70 comments later; it rose to the number one spot in Flickr’s Explore pool measured in “Interestingness.” It was also featured on the Interestingness Explore page (See Screen Shot).

Back to our trip, here’s a short list of places we stayed, ate at or did and what we would recommend [or not] to friends, family or even strangers (hello random anonymous web surfers)… Enjoy.

The Surfsand Resort

This is where we stayed for our three day trip, the wonderful Surfsand Resort. Very reasonably priced for what you get, this was the first time I had stayed in a room that actually felt like an actual residence. Granted there wasn’t a kitchen (though we did have a refrigerator), the little touches around the room made it feel very comfortable. From the 42 inch LCD TV (and 20 inch LCD in the bathroom), to every light being on a dimmer to the king size Tempur-Pedic mattress… Light fixtures and decorations didn’t feel like the usual “wholesale” pappy crap found in other places; I’m sure I would feel comfortable having many of the items that were in our room displayed in my own home.

The staff were all very helpful, well, minus the gentleman who checked us in. Their wireless internet wasn’t working and when I talked to him about it he gave me the number to some random I.T. guy to troubleshoot the problems the resorts systems were having - with me, over the phone. Listen, I do this crap for a living and I’m on a vacation, he should have just said “I’m very sorry, I’ll have our I.T. person look into it and I will personally call you when it’s working.” But much as I didn’t let one bad apple ruin it for the whole staff, you shouldn’t either. Everyone else we interacted with at the resort was kind, attentive and willing to go above and beyond to make sure our stay was relaxing and comfortable.

The resort is located on the beach about 3oo yards north of Haystack Rock. From our 3rd story room, that wasn’t directly on the beach, we had a full view of the ocean, beach and all 235 feet of Haystack Rock. The town is also fairly small so most all restaurants, rental shops, touristy shops and the almighty cup of coffee are within walking distance from the Surfsand.

Over all, I would highly recommend the Surfsand as the place to stay in Cannon Beach… make sure you have them build you a fire on the beach for sunset.

Link: [http://www.surfsand.com/]

Gower Street Bistro

If you eat at just one place in Cannon Beach, eat here, The Gower Street Bistro located just across the street from the Surfsand. Now anyone who knows me will say that I am a man of simple taste, give me Peanut Butter and Jelly and I’ll be happy for life. But thankfully I have Tara in my life to steer me in the right direction of more palatable choices.

Our first visit, Tara had a salad which was fairly tasty. Though, they could have chopped the meat and cheese into sizes a bit more manageable for a salad. I can honestly say, with out a doubt, I had the best pulled pork sandwich of my life here. So much so that we joked about driving back to Cannon Beach just for the sandwich… it’s amazing. I made sure the waitress knew several times afterward and again when we returned for breakfast.

The second visit was the next morning after we checked out of the Surfsand. Tara had the biggest pile of French Toast I have ever seen, meaning I got to eat a healthy portion of it as well and it definitely tops my list of french toast. In fact it was so good, Tara had a difficult time leaving the rest after she was already full. I had a huge ham, egg and cheese sandwich and swapped my salad (surprise surprise) for potatoes. It was delicious, it’s up there with Macrina’s delectable egg sandwich. (Macrina, another fine eatery that Tara turned me onto)

A great selection of wine, top shelf liquor, relaxing and a great look and feel; The Gower Street Bistro was our favorite place to dine.

Link: [http://www.gowerstreetbistro.com/]

Pizza a’ fetta

Pizaa a’f fetta bills themselves as one of the top fifty pizza restaurants in the country. Something quite odd to claim on your website, I would be more inclined to make such a statement if I were in the top ten or top five… All semantics aside, this is a great spot for lunch or a simple dinner.

This is the first place we ate once we arrived in Cannon Beach. The space is small with only a few tables. The staff were quirky with a sense of humor and very talkative if you invited them in conversation. The pizza was delicious, but I’ll have to give it some time before I rank them on my top fifty list… I’m going to have to bump someone, I just don’t know who yet.

Side note about Pizza a’ fetta; when you walk in the door you might notice two ziploc baggies full of water hanging from the door jam. What I at first thought was some sort of prank does in fact serve a purpose. I asked our waiter what they were for, and he replied “You sir, are the first person to ask.” I found this hard to believe because even passers by seemed to stop and look at the sacks in bewilderment. Apparently, they fool flies into thinking it’s raining in the doorway. And being the smart buggers that they are, they avoid fling into the restaurant for fear of getting wet. It almost makes sense if you think about it; they see thousands of the same object so two baggies of water will look like thousands of baggies of water. And I must say, there was not a fly in the room.

I thought it was all a joke, but a quick Google search says otherwise. Whether it works or not, people have been doing it for years.

Due to the small space, and the deliciousness of their pies, I recommend arriving a little bit earlier than normal for your meal if you plan to dine in. They sell pizza’s by the slice, whole or both to go with some outside seating available.

Link: [http://www.pizza-a-fetta.com/]

Mo’s Chowder

Every gleaming review must have a sour taste, Mo’s is mine. You know you are in the wrong place when the first 25 feet of the restaurant entrance is hawking cheap Cannon Beach souvenirs. But this is a “historic chowder house” that was also featured on Extreme Home Makeover; so we gave it a shot.

I ordered halibut fish ‘n chips and Tara ordered a crab melt. When they arrived it appeared they had both been deep fried in the same vat of fat. My fish and chips were tasteless… that’s all I can say really. I’ve never had a tasteless piece of halibut in my life. Tara’s crab melt was basically a wonder bread grilled cheese with shreds of “who knows what part it came from” crab in the middle.

The only thing great about this place was the view. The food was tasteless and so was the blatant and constant up selling from our waiter. But maybe we are spoiled Seattleites who are used to eating at Ray’s Boat House, Dukes or even Spud’s. This place is for tourists coming from land locked states who don’t know what good sea food is supposed to taste like.

Link: [http://www.moschowder.com/]

Other Bits

Bruces Candy Kitchen, where they make and wrap their own salt water taffy right in front of you. Flavors ranging from watermelon to peanut butter and jelly to peach, all in all I believe they have about twenty five assorted flavors. Other mass varieties of candy and sweets are also available. A great spot to stop in and check out.

Mike’s Bike Shop is a great place to rent Cruisers, a Cruiser Tandem (which is what Tara and I got) and other bikes. They also have new bikes for sale as well as the normal bike shop bits and apparel too. Mike works behind the counter and is a great personality to converse with about local trails, rides or just life in general. Helmets are required (by Mike) if you are riding on the street but not if you are on the beach. Rental times vary depending on the tide too; so if you want to rent that cruiser for a ride down the coastline, plan for low tide or else you are tied to the town streets (which is a great ride too).

Cannon Beach Surf Shop located just next to the Surfsand Resort is a great place to stop in for water sport apparel, toys, surf boards and boogie boards. You can also rent “fun cycles” which can only be used on the sand. With that said, like Mikes Bikes, rental times vary depending on low tide so plan accordingly.

Cannon Beach Farmers Market takes place on Tuesdays 2:00pm to 6:00pm (through September 30th) just across the street from the Surfsand Resort. It’s pretty small but you can find great snacks such as sugar snap peas, chips and salsa, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and the like.

Overall

Tara and I had a great time, we both enjoyed our first trip to the Oregon Coast and spending time relaxing together.  We flew a kite, rode a tandem, tore through the sand on fun cycles, dipped our toes in the water, ate amazing (though at times, not so amazing) food and had a bon-fire on the beach at sun set. We over chlorinated ourselves in the pool, walked forever and a day, bought several pounds of salt water taffy and I turned another year older.

We both definitely want to go back soon… and did I mention that pulled pork sandwich was amazing?

In just a few hours, Tara and I will be leaving for a week long vacation… mostly to get out of Seattle but also for me to age another year older come this Monday. Part of the terms of my vacation will be to disconnect from my digital life a bit and spend time enjoying our road trip, the ocean breeze, visiting our friends along the way and over all slowing the process of my graying hair by taking time to relax. I will however, have my digital SLR at my side to record some of the things we come across during our trip.

See you all in a week…

This past Saturday my brother Brian and his fiancé Rosanna were married. I was my brothers best man and I honestly wrestled quite a bit in writing my toast for the reception. I found it hard to strike an acceptable balance between a Toast and a Roast.

My brother an I have a interesting relationship where we enjoy giving each other a difficult time, pointing out each other’s flaws and laughing together about it. Though, I was afraid others in the audience wouldn’t catch our humor and think I was just being an ass. I didn’t want it to be one of those awkward Best Man toasts you always hear about…

Written on my lunch break Friday and then reworked several times afterwards, even a few hours before the ceremony, I came up with this:

Believe it or not Brian and I never really got along all that well growing up. Now, some would say this was the normal brotherly rivalry but, we would say it was more like a territorial dispute between bitter enemies.

As kids we were polar opposites. Brian was the sensationalist; he was head strong and did everything on his terms - no matter the cost and ignored any sort of advice along the way. I’m only four years younger than Brian, but I’m positive he is the reason I only knew our parents with gray hair.

I on the other hand, was the little brother - the laid back one, a go by the rules type that never questioned mom or dad and believed everything they told me. I would watch what Brian did and I would do the exact opposite, never getting in trouble - even for the things I actually did that he got blamed for.

We spent every moment our parents weren’t looking attempting to make each other’s life miserable. Our parents had to set up days that each of us was in charge to avoid a meltdown - Brian had the odd numbered days I had the even numbered days.

It took my joining the Marines and moving 3,000 miles away to finally bring us closer together. It was at this distance that we learned to listen to each other without being disgusted by each others physical presence. I started to miss him. I started to think the world of him. I began to realize that Brian being so hard on me growing up helped shape who I am today and he continues to do so. He is someone I look up to who I don’t want to disappoint and who I turn to for fatherly advice.

Yes Brian, I said fatherly; when dad passed you became the man of the house even though you weren’t home anymore. We all did a lot of growing up on that day ten years ago and we’ve done a lot of growing up since. I haven’t had dad there to ask for advice on difficult adult decisions but you’ve been there to help me through in his absence.

Dad is here tonight Brian, he is proud of you, you’ve done well and you have married well.

We share the same humor, we share the same wit and, though we don’t see it, some say we even look alike… I’m thankful for everyday we have shared together and I could never ask for a better brother.

Rosanna, I knew you were the one for Brian the moment I met you. You calm him down, you are his balance, you are the love of his life and I am now proud to call you my sister.

So I would like to ask everyone to raise their glass with me to wish you both a long happy marriage and may you have many, MANY children.

That’s it - short, sweet and to the point…

Did you know every sweater Mr. Rogers wore on his show was knitted by his mother? Sure, Mr. Rogers was a staple development factor for millions of children growing up, but not many are aware of just how awesome this man was. An article over at Mental Floss highlights many of the reasons Mr. Rogers was the perfect neighbor. Here are a few of my favorites…

Even everyday thugs can’t resist his wholesome charm and even fear wronging him.

According to a TV Guide piece on him, Fred Rogers drove a plain old Impala for years. One day, however, the car was stolen from the street near the TV station. When Rogers filed a police report, the story was picked up by every newspaper, radio and media outlet around town. Amazingly, within 48 hours the car was left in the exact spot where it was taken from, with an apology on the dashboard. It read, “If we’d known it was yours, we never would have taken it.”

He lived a life causing others to burst into spontaneous song.

Once while rushing to a New York meeting, there were no cabs available, so Rogers and one of his colleagues hopped on the subway. Esquire reported that the car was filled with people, and they assumed they wouldn’t be noticed. But when the crowd spotted Rogers, they all simultaneously burst into song, chanting “It’s a wonderful day in the neighborhood.” The result made Rogers smile wide.

Getting it right, every time, for the children.

He was a perfectionist, and disliked ad libbing. He felt he owed it to children to make sure every word on his show was thought out.

Someone we should all admire and aspire to more like…

Mister Rogers was known as one of the toughest interviews because he’d often befriend reporters, asking them tons of questions, taking pictures of them, compiling an album for them at the end of their time together, and calling them after to check in on them and hear about their families. He wasn’t concerned with himself, and genuinely loved hearing the life stories of others. Amazingly, it wasn’t just with reporters. Once, on a fancy trip up to a PBS exec’s house, he heard the limo driver was going to wait outside for 2 hours, so he insisted the driver come in and join them (which flustered the host). On the way back, Rogers sat up front, and when he learned that they were passing the driver’s home on the way, he asked if they could stop in to meet his family. According to the driver, it was one of the best nights of his life—the house supposedly lit up when Rogers arrived, and he played jazz piano and bantered with them late into the night. Further, like with the reporters, Rogers sent him notes and kept in touch with the driver for the rest of his life.

Discover more great tidbits about this great man by reading the full article at Mental Floss.

This Saturday marks the tenth year since my father lost in our battle against prostate cancer. It’s difficult to believe that so much time has passed from something that feels like it happened just yesterday. There hasn’t been a day that has gone by in those 3,650 days that I haven’t thought about my father in one form or another. It’s become easier through the years to accept that it happened, but I will never accept that it had to happen so early.

My first article on this weblog is something I wrote when I finally came to terms with loosing my father a few years ago. And today my brother wrote a great article marking the ten year anniversary over at his weblog.

“In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.”

- Albert Camus

How ’bout them skins dad.

This past week I have made three separate trips on absolutely gorgeous days with my camera in tow. Tara and I went to the University of Washington campus because the one hundred year old cherry tree’s are in bloom and they always make for a great photo opportunity. As I’ve mentioned before, I also went to my brothers cycling race as well as Golden Gardens in Ballard for the sunset with Tara on Saturday.

I go through these weird phases with my photography. Though I love photography, it seems I will be satisfied with work I have done and then take a break for awhile; often spanning months between even picking up my camera and not realizing it. I’ll be the first to admit, I’m a sucker for good weather and a sissy during inclement weather. Which is a shame because you can get some really great shots when it looks like a dogs butt outside, (See old proverb: “Even the sun shines on a dogs ass occasionally). I just find it difficult to muster the motivation when it is wet, cold and nasty outside; often times, living in Seattle, the weather doesn’t always lean in my favor.

Never the less, after this past weeks excursions, I have officially caught the photography bug again. I really did find a new enjoyment in cycling photography. It’s different than what I’ve previously been interested in; architectural and abstract. I’ve never liked taking pictures of people, I hate telling them what to do. I like to quietly move around a subject and find my shot rather than direct it. I guess that’s why I fall back on architectural, the structure isn’t going anywhere and I have all day to silently move around it looking for my shot. Cycling is still people pictures but in a way that I am still at the liberty to move around looking for my shot without having to give direction. It is at a fast exhilarating pace where I have a small window to snap the picture which is just the kick start I needed. And nothing sounds better than, “I like to shoot people… [with a camera].”

This may also be the perfect time for me to start an ever popular project shown on many flickr pages, the “365 Set.” Where you shoot and upload a picture to flickr every day for a year. I’ve always been intrigued by this but never really had the motivation to do it. But I think it will help force me to enjoy photography through the wet and cold winter months and become more consistent with my imagery and an over all better photographer. Starting in the spring should give me enough momentum to make it through next winter.

In the mean time, I’ve had several requests on how I executed a certain design aspect of some of my images, more specifically how I was able to blur the background but have my [moving] subject in focus. I would love to tell you how I did this, but I feel I must lay some obligatory basics first that create the foundation for photograph design.

So I am going to get to work on writing some articles on “Photography Design” to cover some techniques that like I use and for you to try. And hopefully, you have some techniques that I don’t know about and can share with me too! Expect the first one, very basic, in the next day or so on the Light and Exposure effects of Shutter Speed and Aperture… or something close to it.

I have come to a point in my life where I am more afraid of loosing my past than ever. Not everything of my past, more specifically, memories of my father. I only had eighteen years with him and most of them I was too young to note certain memories were worth remembering. When you are that young, you can’t grasp the concept of loosing someone nor fathom it ever happening.

I find myself moving further away from memories as each day passes and it doesn’t seem to be a voluntary process. The daily grind consumes me and the days fly by without much thought. At times I find myself grasping for information about my father and feeling ashamed that I can’t recall the details. It’s embarrassing, he is someone that I shared such a great bond with, but then at times I feel like I never knew at all.

Then I realize; maybe I am trying to remember too broad of a time line, too much at once. There are certain instances that stick out in my mind about my father that when you put them all together, it spells out who he was completely.

My single best memory, and it is one that I have rarely shared with anyone, is our code for telling each other we loved the other. It related to his favorite football team, the Washington Redskins.

Hey Evan, how ’bout them Skins?

It was said many times and never mistaken by others for what it really was. It’s not that we were insecure or embarrassed, it was just one of those things we shared and belonged to us.

The oldest memory that I can recall places me at a very young age standing on an old red milk crate to reach the engine compartment of our Chevy Blazer. It was here that I developed a bond with my father over cars. I didn’t know what was going on at the time, but we would just sit there staring at the engine. I would hand him tools and he would point things out, tell me about how things worked and why. I would be in complete awe that he knew so much. Funny, as a teenager I claimed he didn’t know a thing about anything. Though now, I find myself in situations where I would give anything for just a piece of his advice.

Flash forward ten years and by this point he had had prostate cancer for just over two years. He’d been weakened by his treatments and was becoming less and less mobile by the day. I would be out in the garage laying on the cold concrete floor changing the oil on my 1970 Volkswagen Beetle and turn over to grab a wrench to see him on the ground already there handing it to me. He must have known what I didn’t at the time, there is a moment for each memory and it’s up to us to make it happen. He was a stubborn man when it came to loving his family and he wasn’t about to let some sickness get in the way of being there for the ones he loved.

These days one of my favorite past times is when my Mother, my Brother and myself are together and we get to talking about Dad. The great thing is, it’s all smiles and laughter. We always have another memory to share that picks up where someone leaves off and a different view of the same events, it’s amazing.

So maybe I’m getting frustrated over the petty things. Maybe things get blurry and lost in between so they don’t crowd what is truly important. It’s the little things I can piece together that are important. It’s those little things that made me who I am today. Sure eighteen years was too short of a time to have known him, but I wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world. It was the best eighteen years of my life and he will be with me, my Mother and my Brother for the rest of our lives. Together he is remembered by all of us, together he survives in us.

So, Yeah Dad, how about them Skins.

I wrote this two years ago in 2006 when I felt I was finally coming to terms with loosing my father.

Leonard Snyder passed away in May of 1998. He is survived by his wife Carrie and two son’s Brian and Evan.