Monday, August 25, 2008

Our Vacation--Tillamook, OR

Miami River Inn
Garibaldi, OR
Thursday-Friday
August 21-22

For our 16th anniversary, we decided to stay in a romantic bed and breakfast on the Tillamook Bay... okay so we brought our 4 kids with us, but it was still nice.

The kids' room.

Our room (with a kid on the bed)

Hunter bonding with one of the toys at the inn.

Our original plan was to visit the Tillamook cheese and ice cream factory and camp this night. We decided to go to the factory, but it took us quite a bit longer than we had planned on and we arrived at Tillamook at around 5 pm. We toured the factory and decided there was no way we could drive home that night, so we checked out tents at Fred Meyer, thinking maybe a dry tent might get us through. But by this point, I was done camping and the thought of dragging out our muddy gear was actually making me nauseous. We passed a sign for a b&b and I talked Alex into splurging. It was so nice. The lady who ran it was very friendly and didn't seem to mind us calling her so late. She made us waffles with homegrown blueberries on them and the room was stocked with lots of toys, games and videos for the kids. She even had one of her grandsons visiting so Dylan had someone to play with him the next morning.


The Tillamook Cheese Factory, a major tourist attraction on the Oregon coast.

Watching the workers package the cheese.


The best part: sampling the products

Even Lily got a taste.

We spent the next day, driving up the coast of Oregon. It was absolutely breathtaking. I have completely fallen in love with Washington and Oregon.


Brrr. This is freezing water.

This was by far the most common sign on the highway.

We stopped for lunch in Seaside, a major tourist trap.

The bridge in Astoria. This thing is really high. I was starting to get dizzy driving on it. I wouldn't let Megan talk the whole way over the bridge.


My muscle man.

Hunter has forgotten what real waves look like (We don't really have waves in the sound. Only when boat pass us.) He wouldn't go any closer to the ocean than this.


The Oregon Coast has all these beautiful rock formations out in the water. It's different from North Carolina.


We rushed to Mount St. Helens to go to the Visitor's Center, only to find out that it was closed. Bummer.


Mt St. Helens was supposed to be in the background, but it somehow disappeared. This is what it looks like.


This was our vacation. Lily was marvelous until we reach Lacey (about 30 minutes from home). She told us she was done and did not want to be in her car seat anymore. We had to listen to her scream for the last 30 minutes, but she was happy once we got home.

Our Vacation--Vancouver, WA

Comfort Suites
Wednesday - Thursday
August 20-21

This would be our next campsite. It was so wonderful. They probably took one look at us and groaned, but I've never appreciated a bed and a hot bath so much in my life.



They even had a HUGE whirlpool bathtub in the room.

This is my cousin Randy (whom I had never met) and his wife Della. We had dinner Wednesday night with them and their family. It was so much fun. Randy is Uncle Norman's son.


This is their daughter Alexa's family. Her husband's name is Ben. Alexa had to leave to go to Young Women's so we didn't get a picture of her.

This is Shawn and his family. His wife is expecting soon.

This is Dwight and his family. His wife is also expecting.

This is Della with Michelle.
Their last son, Brandt is in Salt Lake City.
Hunter had a blast running around with all his second cousins (there were nine of them there under the age of 7). He thinks he is pretty much related to everyone now. We had such a good time with Randy's family. Hopefully we can see them again soon.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Our Vacation--Beacon Rock Campground

Beacon Rock Campground
Monday - Wednesday
August 18-20

Beacon Rock (or more affectionately known as "Be a con rock.") is located in southwestern Washington in the Columbia River Gourge. It is beautiful. The rock itself is something like 800 feet tall. There is a beautiful campground right next to the rock. It not only has running water, but showers as well. (Megan and I cried when we saw them.) Unfortunately, not only was there running water in pipes, but it poured rain the whole time there. Apparently they hadn't had rain in 6 weeks until we showed up. After two days, our tent was drenched. The sleeping bags were getting soggy. Everything was getting soggy and muddy.


One night we decided to bag the cooking out in the rain and look for a place to let the kids play. This wasn't it. Obviously. But we did find a little pizza joint.

As we got back in the car to go back to the campsite, we heard a few little voices saying, "Please don't make us go back and sleep in our soggy tent tonight." We were tough though. We did it. Also we had already paid for 2 nights in the place.

Luckily it clear up long enough for us to hike to the top of Beacon Rock that day. (and by us, I mean Megan, Dylan, Lily and Alex)

If you look close enough, you can see over 50 switchbacks and trails leading to the top of the rock.

The start of the trail. There were actually a ton of people there that day.

On the way up.


This bridge is actually where I lost it. I am terrified of heights and I couldn't cross the bridge. It was not even half way up.

This is me chickening out. Hunter joined me.

Those who made it to the top.

The view from the top.


The final insult.

As we were leaving the campsite, we noticed the tire was completely flat. We must have picked up a rock on the 6 mile drive to Coral Pass over "very rough road." Alex had to unload all of our muddy camping gear and change the tire in the pouring rain. We were done camping.

Our Vacation--Coral Pass Campground

For our "stay-cation" this year, we decided to do Washington and Oregon. We had a huge camping trip planned. Our first obstacle was how to fit everything in our little van for a week-long camping trip. We solved that by taking 2 cars. We figured the gas was cheaper than renting a trailer. It also worked great for splitting up fighting kids. Here's how the trip turned out.

Coral Pass Campground
Saturday - Monday
August 16- 18
We found this campground in a book called The Best Tent Camping in Washington. It is 6 miles up a forest access road that is steep and curved. It was a nail biting journey--especially with Megan making comments about how far the drop over the edge was and how we got no cell phone service there, so if we were in an accident, our bodies would rot . . . anyway, you get the idea. It wouldn't have been so bad, but we had to pass a truck on the way up and the road was basically a one-lane dirt road the whole way. Luckily he was on the outside. The campground itself was pretty primitive--no running water, but the view was incredible.
Our campsite at Coral Pass.
Alex at his dutch oven station. Yum, we had some good eats there.
The boys snuggling for warmth.
At the campground, there is a trail that goes 1.5 miles through the forest and ends up with a spectacular view of Mt Rainier. We were about 7,000 feet up. It was truly magnificent.



Hunter had to be the trail guide on the way up. He made sure no one passed him.
Some of the interesting wildlife on the hike. There were wild strawberries everywhere.
Lily loved the trip. Wouldn't you if you were being carried?
The view that made it all worthwhile.