If you haven’t made your holiday travel plans by now, you may be out of luck. Accommodations are booked up, and flights, especially on peak travel days, are full. Unless you’re traveling by car to visit friends or relatives at home, options by now are limited. Of course, experienced travelers would long since have solidified their plans, but even those who decide late in the game to get away for a bit can find options in off-the-beaten-path locations or destinations which seem counter-intuitive for the season. My husband and I enjoy getting together with two other couples each New Year’s for a relaxed few days of catching up, wine tasting and football-watching. We’ve usually stayed at one of the couple’s homes, but we decided that put too much of a burden on the hosts. This year we chose to gather at the Oregon coast, renting a home in Seaside. Now, for those of you familiar with Northwest winter weather, you may be wondering what the appeal could possibly be for staying where it could be pouring rain with 30-mile-an-hour-plus winds scouring the beach. I’ll grant you that the weather could be just that nasty, but native Oregonians know that it could also be in the 50s, clear and calm. And storm watchers actually hope for some wind, anticipating finding unusual treasures while beachcombing. Personally, as long as I can remain mostly upright and the blowing sand isn’t providing an unwanted microdermabrasion to my cheeks, I embrace a long stroll along the ocean. The brisk, clean air with the horizon stretching to the west provides the perfect atmosphere in which to contemplate the past year and peer into the future. Our search for a beach rental didn’t start until October, and even for a winter beach trip, that could have been a little late. Harry scoured sites such as VRBO and airbnb, however, and came up with a great house just a block from the ocean. We snagged a five-bedroom place (a little larger than we need, but each couple is assured of a queen- or king-sized bed and personal bath) that looks comfortable and cozy. The deal-sealer was the wine ‘fridge in the kitchen. Some coastal communities restrict rentals in private neighborhoods to a minimum of seven days, as residents object to the disruption of strangers coming and going every two or three days. Fortunately for us, Seaside isn’t one of them, and we’ll be enjoying three nights at our new New Year’s retreat. We anticipate a great time, good weather or bad. We’ll shop, visit galleries, cook, eat, drink and watch the games if the weather is nasty, but we’ll certainly get in some time along the shore if the weather gods smile on us. Either way, it’s sure to be a wonderful way to ring in the New Year. — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor