Waves crash to the shore. A full moon begins its course across the sky. The sea air is soft, its persistent, cool winds like a hand ruffling my hair. I am at one of the most romantic spots on the Oregon Coast, featured in Best Places to Kiss in the Northwest by Linnea Lundgren and Laura Kraemer. The Sea Quest Bed and Breakfast is one of those places you fantasize about escaping to with a lover. Every night, the sky showcases pastel sunsets that you can watch from the upstairs deck or from your room. Each room has its own Jacuzzi with shuttered views to the ocean. There are no televisions, no phones, nothing between you and your lover. Or, in my case, nothing between me and me.

As a person who recently got engaged to be married, I am taking this romantic vacation alone. Like most couples who are in love and enjoy each other's company, my fiancé, Michael, and I spend most of our time together. And since we got engaged, we have bought a house, worked on creating our home, and, of course, have a wedding to plan. Enjoying our togetherness, it is easy to forget that love grows not just between us, but inside each of us. Kahlil Gibran wrote, "Love one another, but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls." So I make this seaside trek of love by myself.

The Sea Quest sits on a 2½ acre bluff, overlooking Ten Mile Creek and, of course, the ocean. It is located seven miles below Yachats, a small town midway down the Oregon Coast. Between the Sea Quest and Yachats lies Cape Perpetua, an emerald and boulder-filled expanse of old growth, tide pools, and cliffs that edge the sea. It is the perfect interlude between the town and my lodging.

My first evening, after checking in, I drive past Cape Perpetua into Yachats to eat dinner at La Serre. I sit alone at a table tucked into the corner, order myself a glass of Merlot, and settle into the restaurant's activity. La Serre is an elegant, but comfortable, restaurant. The waitstaff is friendly and knowledgeable. The energy is relaxed but not enervated. All around me, couples clink glasses and lean toward each other, talking intimately. I order the crab cakes, which is one of the specials that night ($18.95.) They are quite good, but best is the salad that precedes it: mixed greens lightly flavored with an extraordinary hazelnut vinaigrette. At a table next to me, four elderly couples are celebrating a 74th birthday. They are loudly enjoying themselves, telling dirty jokes and teasing each other. I find it comforting to have them there. It is not often that I eat out alone, at least not anymore. They smile at me, even invite me to join them. Though I am tempted, I remind myself that I am here for a purpose—to be with myself—and I politely decline.

Before heading back to the bed and breakfast, I take a walk to the ocean. Yachats is a sweet, quiet town, not at all like many of the coastal towns in America, so eager to please tourists. Its Indian name means "dark waters at the foot of the mountains," which seems terribly romantic to me. The name is also accurate, since Yachats is nestled between the dark blue ocean and the Coast Range, which is an uplifted slab of sea floor. When I get to the edge of town, the sun is just beginning to set. Two surfers, a couple, are working their way into the ocean. They move slowly, fighting the current. I watch them awhile, wondering what they'll surf since the waves are very low. After some time the woman finds a small wave that she surfs on her stomach. The ride lasts no time at all, and then she begins again her crawl out to sea. So much like love, I think. That continual faith. That enjoyment in small things.

By the time I get back to the Sea Quest, it is almost night. Inspired, I pull back the shutters in the bathroom and start to fill the Jacuzzi. George and Elaine, the owners, provide bubble bath, many soft lavender and sage towels, and plenty of bottled water since the tap water tastes a bit like the ocean. I open a bottle of water, lean back into the jets, and watch the orange sun finish its nightly descent into the ocean, which, indifferent, steadily gives and takes, gives and takes, with no hesitation, no analysis. So unlike us humans. My room protects me from any sounds other than the sea and gulls, but I know others are likely in the guesthouse, playing games or visiting. It feels good to be alone, to sit only with my own thoughts. A little more than a year ago, I had not yet met Michael, and I was struggling to recover from a bad experience with a man. For the first time, I had lost faith in what might come my way. It was this kind of quiet that led me back to myself and to self-love, which, as many of us have finally learned, is where all love begins.

By the bed, I find a guest log. I flip through, reading the appreciation. Every single entry is from a couple, many on honeymoons or celebrating anniversaries. Thank you, they all say, for a romantic setting to fall in love with each other. For the first time, I let myself feel that twinge of longing for Michael. I had been trying to ignore it since I got here, but once I allow myself to feel it, the twinge settles soon into comfort. Just the knowledge of him, really, is enough to keep my heart full with him. The bed is soft and covered with so many pillows I have to push them to the side to make room for me. By the middle of the night, though, I am embracing them.

The next morning, I head into the guesthouse for breakfast. Elaine has been up since the earliest hours, and the results look well worth it: Sea Quest puffs, which are light but decadent banana pastries; old-fashioned baked eggs; a lemon-poppyseed cake; fruit; and more. The juice is fresh, the coffee strong, and Elaine and her staff won't allow your cup to drop below three-quarters full. I fill my plate and sit at a table. Like anywhere else in the Sea Quest, the ocean is always in sight. The air is misty, but I can see a crease of blue sky not that far off. A couple and a young woman sit at my table. (It turns out I'm not the only one here alone.) Anyone would agree that one of the joys of a bed and breakfast, whether you are there alone or not, is the people you meet. They are always interesting, always friendly. And this morning proves it true again.

After two-hours of lingering over breakfast and conversation, I say my good-byes and drive to Heceta Head for a hike. I park at Devil's Elbow State Park (this requires a $3 day-use fee) and begin my walk. Most come here to see the lighthouse, which is certainly a beautiful sight, but I decide to continue up switchbacks that snake along the side of a spruce-filled mountain. It doesn't take long before I am alone again, surrounded only by the sea's quiet loll and the many shades of green found on the Oregon Coast. I stop a moment and breathe in this silence, this immense beauty. I find I am content to be here, filled up with me.

For more information and reservations for the Sea Quest Bed and Breakfast, contact the following:
95354 Hwy. 101
Yachats, OR 97498
(541) 547-3782
(800) 341-4878
www.seaq.com
E-mail: seaquest@newportnet.com