Sometimes the best days are the quiet ones.

This was one of those days. It was rainy and chilly, so we didn’t have a lot of plans for exploring, but Greg and I decided to take a drive anyway. I wanted to check one of my favorite spots to see if the elk were out.

The fun thing about exploring with Greg is that even after nearly 20 years of coming to this little coastal town together, he can still show me places I’ve never seen before.

I don’t know how that’s possible in a town this size, but somehow every year I discover something new.

This time, Greg took me to another side of town I had never really explored—the golf course. I had no idea what a beautiful area it was. The scenery was incredible, and even though it was a gloomy, rainy day, it was still easy to see why people love this place.

Of course, we also found some wildlife along the way. We saw a turkey and several deer, which always makes any drive better.

After that, we headed out toward the elk viewing area. No elk.

We continued up the road to Dean’s Road, hoping we might have better luck there, but the elk were hiding from us too.

Instead, we found one of my favorite birds—the turkey vultures.

I know they aren’t everyone’s favorite, but I love them. There is something about seeing them soaring through the sky that makes me stop and watch. On this particular day, they weren’t soaring anywhere. There were probably five or six of them tucked back in the trees, just hanging out while the rain poured down around them.

After our drive, we headed back to the house and spent some time relaxing. Later, we all went into Coos Bay for a little shopping. We stopped by Stacy’s store, Aspen Lace, and then made a trip to Big 5 by the mall.

Nothing exciting. Nothing that would make a big vacation highlight reel.

Just a good, simple day.

And honestly, those are some of my favorites.

A rainy drive with Greg. Finding a new corner of a familiar town. Seeing a few animals along the way. Spending time together without needing a big plan.

After nearly 20 years of coming here, Oregon still manages to surprise me.

One of the top pictures I took. I just love the layers of the trees and the greenery. And that small little black bird on the fence is a turkey vulture.

Made him try on this hat at Big 5 and he found a fishing pole he wanted to buy for Jayse – who’s really into fishing right now.