There's nothing wrong with our 2009 Ford Flex Limited, nothing at all. Got plenty of fuel, too. It's just that we're here on the Oregon Coast and the weather is great ... for the time being.
This is the view I have if I turn my head slightly to the left as I sit in the chair in front of Dad's TV. That's highway 101 down there.
Here's the entire 180-degree panorama, as seen from the balcony.
Yeah, there's no reason to go anywhere else at this particular point in time. And tonight we're having fresh Dungeness crab for dinner. And by fresh I mean hauled out of the ocean below this very morning.
The Ford Flex will simply have to sit in the driveway and wait until we're good and ready to move again. But that's not to say it didn't figure in the day's activities. The kids got these nerf dart guns, you see, and the Flex has an invitingly flat backside, and ...
We'll be back on the road in a couple of days, and we're headed towards some snow. I just might have to break out those snow chains, after all.
Happy Holidays.
Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing @ 43,075 miles
the_big_al says:
10:35 PM, 12/28/09
That looks to be near Brookings or Gold Beach?? Where exactly is it? My sister-in-law runs a resort right on the California-Oregon border... the scenery looks very similar to that.
rick8365 says:
04:03 AM, 12/29/09
WOW - what a spot! What a view!
Thanks for the great pictures - the first one could/should be used in a Flex promo.
Curious about the two antennae on either side of the dishes; what are their purpose? And, the metal wrap on the pole above your daughters - to keep critters at bay? What kind - just mundane squirrels or something more interesting?
Enjoy your stay and trip.
adantium says:
04:55 AM, 12/29/09
Jealous!
hybris says:
06:48 AM, 12/29/09
Considering that your kids are using nerf guns they have fairly tight grouping.
I wonder if this should be new test for the LT fleet Nerf dart adhesion test.
wobbly_ears says:
07:18 AM, 12/29/09
What a tranquil view!What a wonderful spot! Sitting in my office here this morning in, I'm getting jealous!
wobbly_ears says:
07:21 AM, 12/29/09
@rick8365,
I think if one wants to get international channels and/or premium HD channels, you need a second antenna for Dish Network.
Either that or it is a mind control device being built by Dan & his dad!
throwback says:
07:22 AM, 12/29/09
Great view, I definitely plan on visiting the Oregon coast. Dan, the state should give you stipend for all the publicity. How come never any pictures of the wife? No need to answer, I'm married also.
wobbly_ears says:
08:07 AM, 12/29/09
@throwback ,
I don't think putting pictures of family on a public website is such a good idea. There are some really crazy weirdos out there.
I agree with you on Oregon needing to pay Dan for the great publicity :) They didn't have to spend millions like that stupid California tourism ads with the Governator!
felonious says:
08:52 AM, 12/29/09
Great series of pics! Forget visiting Oregon, they make me want to *move* there!
I love how the first three pics set up the punchline of the fourth so perfectly. I really did LOL at my desk. :D
despy1 says:
09:37 AM, 12/29/09
Oregon is fantastically beautiful, incredibly diverse, and...
WAIT! Forget all that, you don't want to move here! Remember it rains 9 months out of the year on the west half and the east half is sagebrush and juniper. We go to the Oregon "Coast" not to the "beach" because 95% of the time it is raining horizontally.
On second though, come... visit, spend touristy dollars. Especially in Bend, we could use the extra income.
cr_driver says:
10:12 AM, 12/29/09
Nice view, enjoy!!!! :=)
misterfusion says:
10:18 AM, 12/29/09
Despy1 provides a good example of the internal struggle that probably rages inside every Oregonian. :P
"Considering that your kids are using nerf guns they have fairly tight grouping. I wonder if this should be new test for the LT fleet Nerf dart adhesion test."
@ Hybris: Now that I've heard this, I don't think I ever want to read another automotive review that does not include such a test.
actualsize says:
11:56 AM, 12/29/09
@the_big_al: Good eye, neighbor. We're almost exactly halfway between Brookings and Gold Beach, high up on a hill on the Brookings side of the Pistol River. That's Cape Sebastian and Myers Creek State Beach off to the north (and behind the Flex).
And the rain doesn't come down horizontally -- that's ridiculous. Today it's only hitting us at 75 degrees from vertical.
despy1 says:
01:14 PM, 12/29/09
Gold Beach and Brookings are like the Banana Belt of Oregon. They are frequently the warmest spot in the state in the winter. And as shown above, is quite beautiful. Still rains a bit though!
Dan, the passes are looking at 6" plus of snow tonight and into tomorrow. Currently chains aren't required, but you may need them yet! Only 1-3" forecast for Bend tonight. Would love to here how that Flex does in the snow on standard all-seasons.
incufan32 says:
01:58 PM, 12/29/09
Dan,
The Gold Beach / Brookings area is amazing and like others have already said is consistently warmer than any other spot in Oregon during the winter. My Grandmother owns a home on Boomer Bend Rd just south of Gold Beach and she actually own the little house that you saw by the jetty, they are for all the stray cats that people leave down there. Strange but true. Anyhow, hope you enjoy your time down there. It is already starting to snow over here in Hillsboro, Or. Bah hum bug.
bobfranks says:
05:45 PM, 12/29/09
Nice view, but without the flex would be better.