↑ Upside

• Breathtakingly beautiful shades of gray and brown
• About as far as you can get from DC without a passport
• No feeling matches the rush when townies accept you as one of their own
• Freezing water furthers your, ahem, downsizing goals
• That “I PARTIED IN THE GRAVEYARD OF THE PACIFIC” T-shirt
• The Pacific Garbage Patch not quite visible
• Beachfront second homes always foolproof investments
• Many sunsets

↓ Downside

• Troubling lack of piña coladas and palm trees
• Some restaurants think it’s acceptable to serve clam chowder without bread bowl
• The exploding whale appears to have been some sort of one-off tease
• Sneaker waves not as fun as they sound
• Public beaches mean you have to share
• Tide pools need tastier broth
• What lurks below
• Zero sunrises