Saturday, May 21, 2011

Upon my arrival last night I learned that over 3,000 bicycle riders and their support teams would be arriving at the Pelican Pub and Brewery this afternoon as Pacific City is the destination for the annual American Lung Fundraiser, Reach the Beach. The ride begins in Portland, 100 miles from here. Riders can join the ride at various stops along the route. I also learned that a new art gallery, deja-vu studios, had opened up in the street level shops at the Inn at Cape Kiwanda, another "must do".

But, first on my list was breakfast at the Grateful Bread, a local bakery/restaurant that is a favorite local gathering place. My favorite is their Hangtown Fry, a scramble of oysters, spinach, eggs, and cheese!

After breakfast and a walk around, I stopped in at deja-vu studios. It is owned by two sisters, Joycelyn and Janae Davis. Joycelyn works primarily in acrylics, and Janae is a quite talented digital photographer. In addition to selling their paintings and photography, they offer custom purses made by their sister Jessica who lives in California and note cards and a few other artsy offerings. I purchased one of Joycelyn's paintings that just spoke to me. The girls are up and coming new artists and stopping in at deja-vu should be on your list of places to visit!

The local newspaper, the Pacific City Sun, recently ran an article on the gallery. Quoting the article, "Though a big focus on the gallery is to capture unique Pacific City highlights from the Cape to Haystack Rock so visitors can take a slice of paradise home, that is by no means where the creative juices of these two sisters end."

The bikers began to arrive in earnest around 2PM. I had set up my camera & tripod in front of the market by the Inn. Since I would be close to the arrivals, I used my 18-55mm lens. That was amistake; I should have used the 55-250mm. Hopefully, I can return for next year's ride and correct that mistake!

Dinner was at the Delicate Palate, one of the finest restaurants I have frequented in Oregon. I had the halibut and was not disappointed. The Palate is a "must do" when at PC.

It was a fun day exploring new haunts and frequenting old ones.