Day 16: The Package Chase

I woke up early to check UPS tracking for my Costco order, and sure enough—it was scheduled to arrive today. At 9:30 a.m., I called Costco to ask how long it usually takes from delivery to processing. The woman told me UPS comes around 10:30, so to check back then.

After packing up and taking Max for a short walk along the boardwalk, I made the call again. This time—YES—my package had arrived! I didn’t mind having to backtrack toward Astoria. It took a while for the receiving area to bring it out, but finally, I had it in my hands. I won’t share what it is here (not yet), but maybe in a future blog—or if you follow me on Instagram @laerawren—you’ll find out.

With my mystery box secured, I drove on toward Cannon Beach and Ecola State Park. In Cannon Beach, parking was a nightmare. I circled three different areas before finally getting a good shot of Haystack Rock from a road heading out of town. It would’ve been nice to wander down to the tide pools, but they’re not dog-friendly, so Max and I moved on.

The drive into Ecola was long, winding, and narrow—I even had a bus squeezing past me head-on. But at the end, it was worth it: breathtaking views of the ocean with Haystack Rock in the distance. Max and I lingered there about twenty minutes, spotting a deer nearby.

But reality called again—I had no place to sleep tonight. Cannon Beach hotels were pricey and booked up. Tillamook was about an hour away, but the only available options were campgrounds, and rain was in the forecast. I decided to push another 1.5 hours back to Portland. At least there, I could pick up my Nordstrom order and have more choices.

After grabbing my package at Nordstrom, I spent another hour scrambling for a hotel. Car camping briefly crossed my mind, but my car was too disorganized, and honestly, I wasn’t prepared. Out of desperation, I booked two nights at an Extended Stay America through Hotel Tonight, how bad can it be. Big mistake. I thought since it was in Beaverton, and it seemed a nicer chain, and the photos looked good —but walking in, I felt like I was checking into a rehab center. The walls smelled of smoke, the hallway carpets were stained, the ceilings worn. Luckily, my actual room was okay… but I kept the door locked tight and couldn’t shake my worry for Ashley’s safety in the parking lot.