Oregon Coast

We started off our summer vacation with a trip to the Oregon Coast to visit my side of the family. My oldest sister's family is moving out of the country, so this was our last opportunity for us to get together for a few years. We had considered not going because I was throwing up Saturday night, and because of some other complications, but we made it. My family isn't the type to jam pack every day with adventures. We're kind of the sit, read, and veg type. So when I told Ryan how disappointed I was that out of the three books I brought I only got halfway through one of them, he said he considered that a huge success! That means we actually did something!

Day one, Sunday: 15 hours in the car driving to Portland. Stay with John and Sadie and their kids.

Day two, Monday: John and Sadie make us a big breakfast, then we drive out to Silver Falls.

They were catching water droplets in their mouths:

Later we drive out to Lincoln City to the beach house we were staying at. Our boys finally get to meet cousins they have never met, and reunite with some they have met.


Day three: In the morning we head down the stairs (180 or so of them) to the beach. There were some good tide pools with more starfish than I've ever seen. The boys learn how to squirt sea anemones.

Back at the house, wrestling ensues:

Later we visit the Newport Aquarium.

Alex, with water above and below.


Trying to get a peek at some sharks:

After the aquarium we visit Flashback, a 50's style diner, and fill up on milkshakes, fries, and onion rings.

Day four: Tidepools and beach combing again in the morning. Dad makes a huge breakfast that leaves all of us worried that we won't have room for lunch at one of our favorite places on the coast: Tidal Rave. Luckily we all manage to eat lunch even after the dispappointing news that "Genoa Bread" is no longer on the menu. They still make it for us, but without salami. While at the restaurant some of us spot a whale out in the harbor.

We stop to look into the Devil's Punchbowl while the tide is in.

Day five: We head out to Otter Crest in the morning to visit the caves and explore the Devil's Punchbowl while the tide is out. We watch a few seals playing in the water, then head over to Mo's for the famous clam chowder. I had the Marionberry cobbler instead.

Later the kids and two dads all go out to see "Up".

Day six, Friday: The Haslams are the first to leave at 6 am, excited for another 15 hours in the car.

Other highlights: dancing to Cusco,

playing wii (it was the first time for our boys and they are hooked), hot tubbing, hide-and-seeking (Benjamin played it about 100 times this with his cousins), and all the gorgeous scenery we drove through. Everything was just so green and open and I kept thinking, where do all the people live?

And it wasn't as if we didn't have any down time. There was plenty of lounging around with laptops:


Mostly we enjoyed seeing family and we missed the ones who weren't there, but hope to see them soon. I for one wouldn't mind this trip becoming a tradition (all except for the long drive.)