Celebrating Our 3 Year Wedding Anniversary

Well I cannot believe it has been three years since we got married. I guess time flies when you're having fun. We have traveled far and wide together and continue to try to squeeze in as much fun as our busy careers will allow. I surprised Em with a weekend getaway trip to the Oregon coast to commemorate our 3 years of bliss. Due to our work schedules, we had to celebrate a little early....Em didn't seem to mind. :)

Our accommodations were the Edwin K B&B in Florence (about 3.5 hr drive from home):

our lovely room for the weekend

our room included a jacuzzi

the living room showcased the beautiful Craftsman style

our day started each morning with an amazing 5 course breakfast

the elaborate gardens in front of the B&B

After getting settled in, we walked the small town and ended up at an Italian seafood restaurant for dinner.

the crab-filled mushrooms were a great way to start the meal!

After dinner, we were surprised to learn that a nearby casino was hosting a free fireworks show so we drove over to check it out:

The next morning, we headed south about 40 miles to the Oregon Sand Dunes. There were a few good stops along the way.

The Siuslaw River has many sandy beaches along its shores. This picture pretty much sums up why Oregon is one of the most beautiful states.

an old lighthouse still in operation by the U.S. Coastguard

We finally reached the dunes, and I was in awe with how expansive they were:

the wind shapes the sand in ways that would make an artist jealous

We rented some ATVs to ride on the dunes and then took a trail down to the beach.

Em riding on the beach

Our next adventure on the dunes was to try sandboarding (kinda like snowboarding...which we love, but on the sand). I vowed to myself a few years back that I would try a new sport every year. 2010 new sport, check.

Me prior to my initial summit and descent

I think it took me about 2 runs to get the hang of it

Em took a couple spills on her first trip down...

...but made it to the bottom in good spirits. :)

The only bad part about sandboarding is that there are no ski lifts so you have to walk up each time. :( After about 6 runs, I was exhausted and thoroughly covered in sand.

We went back to the B&B to get cleaned up for dinner. With a few hours to kill until a table was available at our desired restaurant, we took another walk around town. Some boats had just come in from a 5 day tuna excursion. We admired their 120 fish catch, but were even more impressed by their ability to fillet an entire fish in under 1 minute! It's too bad we didn't have a cooler, because it was only $2 a pound to buy an entire tuna fresh off the boat.

fishermen weighing each tuna on the boat

bridge over the Siuslaw River in Florence

Our long awaited candlelight dinner, complete with moonlight glistening off of the water through the window. The food was great, the ambiance was perfect, and the service was impeccable: worthy of being called our 3 year anniversary dinner.

The next day, we enjoyed another phenomenal breakfast at the B&B, then made our way back home with a stop for each of us: one to admire elk grazing and one to hit the Outlet Shopping Malls. Can you guess who chose which? :)

Elk

I gotta admit, I was a little nervous about proposing the idea of riding ATVs on sand dunes to Emily as an idea for our anniversary trip. Fortunately, she was very excited about the prospect......and this confirms why I married her. She is always up for new adventures and willing to try new things to broaden our horizons. We have fun every chance we get. Who knows where the future years will take us or what crazy trips we'll take. I can only say that I am excited for the future, and I cannot think of anyone else that I would more enjoy spending my days with. Thanks Em! I love you. Let's have many more years of fun together. :) -Brad