The car was packed to the brim. Everything was ready. We got up at 4 AM and left at 5 AM on Sunday. SO EARLY! We made it to Tri-Cities with awake, but happy, children. There we stopped at a park, played, stretched, ate breakfast, and got dressed. Another few hours in the car and we made it to Hood River (one of my favorite stops) by 10 AM. The water was sooooo warm! The kids had a blast playing and thought they were in heaven.
Another stop in Corvallis for an ice cream and stretch and we were back on the road. We made it to South Beach in 12 hours (pretty good for us!). The kids were beyond done in the car and ready to eat dinner.
Day 1- We went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium. So much fun! The girls loved it and ran all over. The boys enjoyed all the animals too! A quick trip to the campsite for lunch and the girls and mama stayed home for naps while the boys and daddy went back to the aquarium for some big kid time.
After naps we all went to the beach. The boys loved running from the waves and building sand castles. The girls were exhausted and a little less than impressed after about 10 minutes. :)
Day 2- We started off each morning with breakfast at the campsite and then the kids and mama would walk to the park while daddy did dishes and general clean up. Then we all met up to play and plan for the day. Day 2 consisted of an adventure at Seal Rock. The tide was high so there wasn't much to see, but we did enjoy climbing on rocks and playing. The path to the water was a long LONG walk down a steep and narrow hill. Halfway up, we saw an elderly gentleman who had fallen. This meant Dan went back to help him get back up the hill while I carried both girls and pulled both boys. PHEW!!!!!
Another afternoon nap followed by the beach. Man we love the ocean! This trip was shorter as Katie decided to put her head into the sand repeatedly making the sand fill her eyes, nose, and mouth. While she didn't like the effect afterwards, she continued to do it, meaning we had to leave.
Day 3- We had heard of a tour of the tidepools at Seal Rock early in the morning at low tide and decided to check it out. Unfortunately, the weather was FREEZING! The girls cried most of the excursion, but the boys had a blast. We saw tons of sea life and could've spent hours looking in the tide pools had it been warmer.
After a warm up and rest time, we went to the jetty to look for crabs. What a great way to end our trip. It was a long walk, but well worth it. The boys ran and played freely. The girls ran and played with much supervision as they have no fear of the water...none (even though it's soooooooo cold). We found several crabs, found some agate rock, and enjoyed some family time to end our trip.
Day 4- A quick breakfast and freezing weather made for a fast get-away. We got in the car and loaded as quickly as possible. Goodbye yurt! Goodbye camping!
Unfortunately, the kids were not as thrilled about getting into the car this time. Crying commenced as soon as we hit the first road construction sign (the downside of driving home on a weekday). The first stop was in Corvallis at a park where we stretched, played in trees, and looked at a rose garden.
The next stop was Salem for lunch and another stretch. We stopped again in Hood River so the kiddos could play. The crying became very hectic for the next 3 hours as the children (babies) screamed and cried. There was much stress and little rest. We finally FINALLY pulled into Tri-Cities for dinner and a good playtime. The car was nearly silent the rest of the way home.
What a great trip. The traveling is by far the hardest art, but we manage. The family time is invaluable. We couldn't have asked for a better trip (ok, maybe better warmer weather, but that's it!).
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