When I told my 65-year-old mother — who recently became a grandmother — that our trip to the Oregon Coast would include one day of “fat biking” the beach, she had a simple question:

“What the heck is fat biking?”

Well, Mom, it’s basically a mountain bike outfitted with gigantic tires that let you ride just about anywhere, including sand beaches, like a self-powered monster truck.

“Why would I want to ride a monster truck?”

Sigh.

Last month, my parents arrived in Oregon for a weeklong vacation on the coast, and in between time spent with their new granddaughter, I decided to plan some outdoor adventures.