It was sad to leave the beautiful forests of Washington, but we started our journey down the coast. Our first stop for lunch was Astoria, OR.
Stretching our legs and looking for a good place for lunch by the pier.
Standing by a huge anchor.
Looking at the bridge that goes over the Columbia River into Washington.
Cory saw a long line outside of this boat and thought that their fish and chips must be good because of that. He ended up waiting in that line for 90 minutes while I walked around town with the kids...it was worth it though. They were delicious!
A stop in Canon Beach to see Haystack Rock, famously seen in the movie Goonies;) One note: Annalisa had accidentally spilled water and soaked her shirt and so had to put on one of Cory's that was easily accessible.
Our traditional Friday movie night, just in our hotel in Tillamook. One note about hotels: my children had never stayed in one before this trip and they had so much fun adjusting to the concept.
The factory! We went first thing in the morning and had the place to ourselves. Ice cream and cheese curds for breakfast;)
Making a silly face...but really, that's how I feel about having to be a farmer.
Lincoln makes a good cow.
Watching them make the cheese from large 40 lb. blocks.
Driving the cheese van
We then went on the Oregon Coast Scenic Railway and the kids loved being able to ride on a train!
These two sat up front with Daddy.
Good to know they love each other.
Striking a pose.
I love how Lincoln is pushing Daddy's sunglasses up.
One of the views from the train. Man, I love this boy's smile!
The front of the train.
The train station
Inside the shady area with my two sun burners;)
A cool rock with a tunnel.
We stopped at Tillamook National Forest and played at the visitor's center there. This is at the top of a tall tower that was used to watch for forest fires.
The tower that we were at the top of (and my finger).
There was also a suspension bridge over the river.
We stayed a night at a hotel in Portland and then the next morning, we visited the Portland temple. Side note: I also took Harrison to an urgent care because he had developed a rash and fever. Turned out he had roseola, which is not fun, but manageable and went away after a few days. It was one of those things that I like to call, "convenient inconveniences."
We went to church close by with old friends, the Lattins.
Then we drove to Eugene to stay the night with law school friends, the Lewis'. They have six children and our kids played together happily for hours.
They have a little girl named Annalisa, inspired by us!:)
The next morning we headed back out to the coast and made a lunch stop in Bandon, OR. There was a lighthouse, a fun pier, and a great seafood lunch spot with fresh crab and fish and chips.
Playing on the pier.
This picture turned out awesome.
I told her to make a silly sad face...
The next few pictures are from our first camping stop, Harris Beach State Park near Brookings, OR. We loved this place! It had a little bit of everything, the campground was nice, and it was a walk from the ocean. I also liked that it felt secluded, but a grocery store was only five minutes away.
The tree that the kids and Cory named Octopus Prime.
It also had a great playground.
Going on a hike up a butte to see some great ocean views.
A huge rock in the ocean.
Loved the view and the massive rocks that pop up all down the Oregon coast.
At a good viewpoint.
A cave down by the beach.
It was tricky to get there, but Annalisa is always up for a challenge with her dad.
We saw the tide pools at low tide. This was the biggest starfish I'd ever seen!
Harrison was crying, but I get good at tuning that out.
Our campsite. It had a passageway back through those trees that the kids would explore and that led to Octopus Prime and the other big trees.
An evening at the beach.
Ethan played in the waves even though it was cold. This kid loves waves.
Beautiful views.
The kids randomly started naming big logs that they found. This big log they named Freddie.
So...here's the situation. Lincoln, for a week or so, had this condition where he needed to poo a dozen times a day. We were driving and weren't anywhere near a bathroom and so he went in his pants. We pulled over and had to assess the damage. All I know is thank goodness for ziploc bags! We got him changed and headed on our way, but it was nice to stop for the view!
The next part of our drive was the worst simply because there were so many turns and elevation changes. Even Cory got carsick, which never happens. We did drive through some amazing redwoods though and stopped to see some of them.
A fallen tree that was huge.
This tree was so big around and this picture doesn't do it justice.
And it was so tall! We couldn't even see the top.
Walking through another trunk.
After a long drive, we made it to our next camping spot, Van Damme State Park near Mendocino, CA. It was another beautiful campground and we were right next to a little stream.
I forgot to mention that we used a two-tent method for this trip. I loved it! The small dome tents are so much easier to set up and take down. Harrison and I slept in the smaller one and Cory slept with the older three in the bigger one. It worked really nicely and the older kids got to tell stories in the tent with dad at night without worrying about waking up a sleeping baby.
A cave by the beach.
Crossing over some rocks to go explore under this huge bridge.
Back to his normal self. He was such a trooper.
Looking down at the ocean from the cliffs.
Looking down at the Devil's Punchbowl, a big hole that gets filled with water at high tide.
The fog was cool.
Walking on a boardwalk through a pygmy forest.
An evening hike near our campground that took us to the beach.
Sunset view of Annalisa
We went on a hike later, just the two girls.
We left the campground after two nights and drove down to the Bay area. We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge (I love San Francisco) and continued through the city. We used Airbnb and stayed at a house in Half Moon Bay, about 40 minutes south of the city.
In front of a bear statue at the local farmer's market, which had some of the best fruit I've ever had.
Walking around town and listening to music.
I loved this sign! I feel the same way;)
At the beach in Half Moon Bay.
I love the horse rider photo bomb.
Harrison points to things with his entire hand. In this case, he was pointing at the birds, which he loved to watch.
I loved all the cypress trees! They looked fake.
Here is the backyard of the house we rented for a few days. The kids loved the Foosball table.
They slept in this room.
We had our own little kitchen.
We drove down to Santa Cruz the next day and went to church there. Then we pushed on to Monterrey to stay the night in a hotel there. We had lots of fun playing there for a day.
At the Dennis the Menace playground.
Walking around at the wharf.
We saw lots of sea lions, including this one that was right by us on the pier.
Annalisa saw this statue and said,"Take a picture of me Mom."
We continued our drive down through Big Sur along the Pacific Coast Highway. There were stunning vistas and beautiful bridges.
Even a cool stone tunnel.
One of the views. The water was turquoise and beautiful!
This is one of only two waterfalls in California that fall into the ocean.
We stopped in San Simeon to see the elephant seals.
The huge rock in the ocean at Morro Bay.
We stayed the night in San Luis Obispo and a friend of ours that grew up there recommended this dinner place with tri-tip sandwiches and seasoned fries. It was delicious!
Harrison loved the fries.
Our hotel in San Luis Obispo.
The next day we drove home. It was weird for the kids and I to be home after six weeks. We were glad to have made it home safely and we really had the best time. I am so grateful for my family!
