Spring breakin’ on the oregon coast.
We kicked off our trip (after driving across the state of Oregon, that is) by stopping at Multnomah Falls. The upper viewpoint was still closed (presumably due to the wildfire that may have compromised the area last summer) but we made the most of our pit stop. Tim and Lily gave us away as tourists by carrying umbrellas (it was barely drizzling). The rest of us survived in our hoodies, in true Oregonian style.
We stayed in Beaverton that night with dear friends (one of whom I have known since the tender age of 12). Our kids bonded by watching a whole season of some Amazon Prime kids show so that we could talk late into the night. Good friends are priceless. The next day we headed to the coast. This was our view as we drove through the coastal mountain range. It doesn’t exactly scream “headed to the beach”. Haha.
Knowing that March weather in Oregon is rain, rain and more rain, I had the foresight to book a yurt at a state park. To our surprise, we encountered plenty of tent campers. Those Oregonians sure are hardy. We explored the area and found a rocky beach at high tide, giant mushrooms and trees you could walk through.
We showered up that night, anticipating church in the morning and promptly discovered that Rachel’s fear of spiders is an actual phobia. Like, I was talking her off a ledge the whole time she showered in what she imagined was a spider infested shower stall (there might have been one or two). It was nuts. She survived, and was appeased by my promise that she wouldn’t have to shower again until we arrived at our friends house in Vancouver, Washington. Four days later.
We ran into some people from our home stake in Boise at church on Sunday(so weird), then headed out to hit up a few sights (since it promised to be a sunny day). Oceanside was beautiful. Giant sandy beach with haystack rocks in the distance and ample tide pools on the north side of the beach (you have to go through a tunnel to get there). We all were in awe of the beauty and basked in the rejuvenation the ocean offered.
On to Cape Meares – there’s a fun little lighthouse at the end of a very short walk here. The views are stunning and we caught several whales migrating north less than a half mile offshore. It was mesmerizing.
Monday presented a few challenges, so to speak. Our plans to go to the Oregon Coast Aquarium were thwarted when one of the wheel bearings on our car broke and we had to be towed to Lincoln City for repairs. We spent a few hours in the repair shop, munching on popcorn and sipping soda(it’s the little things in life) before finding out our car wouldn’t be done until the next day. We rented a car, drove back to our campsite and combed the beach for shells and agates at low tide. Eve was thrilled to collect ten sand dollars.
The aquarium visit came the next day – and, judging by the number of visitors, you’d think it was Sea World. Except without the rides, and orcas, and dolphin shows. It was a nice aquarium, but honestly, I think our family does better when we stick to spending no money. Increases the enjoyment factor.
Our trip back up the coast yielded a visit to Devil’s Punchbowl, which we caught at low tide so we hiked right in (would’ve been underwater at high tide), a late lunch at a yummy burger joint, and two gallons of Tillamook ice cream, which we consumed for dinner back at our yurt.
A freezing cold, wet (what else would it be in March in Oregon?) and glorious day on the coast. We loved every minute.
Our last day, after cooking a pancake breakfast and packing up (I had to get on top of the car to close the car top carrier), we headed north to Cannon Beach. A few years ago, we spent some time in a vacation rental but the kids barely remembered it. So we planned for low tide, and spent a couple of hours on the beach building sand castles, bumping a volleyball around and exploring the tide pools at Haystack Rock. Our last experience there yielded prolific wildlife – tons of sea stars and anemones. So it was a bit underwhelming to find that most of the sea stars had found greener pastures (too much human interaction, perhaps?). Still, the kids loved touching the animals and we all enjoyed hearing Jack try to say “anemone”.
Some of my favorite moments of the trip were found in the simple expressions of love we shared as family members – the willingness of the kids to stand out in the rain and hold an umbrella for dad while he cooked dinner, the wonder in their eyes as we soaked in the beauty of the world around us, the gratitude we all felt for a burst of sunshine or a hot shower, and the dorkiness we all exhibited over and over. And over.
And this:
This sweet scene just made my heart swell with joy. A little boy with a hand on his big sister’s shoulder. Staring at the ocean. Family life is full of these tender moments. We just need to take the time to first create an environment where they can happen and take the time to notice when they do.