Cannon Beach

We had a mostly relaxing weekend at Cannon Beach earlier this month. Andy especially needed some ocean air and the peace he gains from walking on the sand. Niranjana had been declaring that "I'm missing Haystack Rock." Then the Surfsand Resort e-mailed an April offer we couldn't refuse, so off we went.

I wasn't much fun for the first 36 hours, as I acquired some food poisoning on road-trip food. Better me than the child, I say. One of the photos was my view from our balcony as Andy and Niranjana hit the beach.

By Saturday afternoon, I was up to a walk to town where Niranjana helped me pick out some seastar earrings at a friendly jewelry store. I even was able to eat real food at the Cannon Beach Cafe, instead of saltines and 7-Up. Salt water taffy isn't my thing, but Niranjana likes it a lot, so we had a fun trip to Bruce's Candy Kitchen.

We love Cannon Beach, for many reasons. Other coastal towns are nice, too, but both of our families have historically preferred Cannon Beach. This is where Andy proposed to me, back in 1994. It was where we took Niranjana last June for her first view of the Pacific.

Niranjana seems to have inherited the love of the ocean and the beach. She is intrigued by the holes that other kids dig in the sand. She likes picking up shells and rocks. She is learning how to write letters — next year it will be her name — in the sand. She stands at the edge and waits for waves, then runs away gleefully. Or, like Ammaji, she lets a cold wave catch her feet to make sure she gets the full ocean experience.