Oregon Coast: favorite shots

Alsea Bay bridge. These arches were built in 1936.

Kyle silhouetted against Portland Temple.

 Tide pools

Emma and Samuel inside light house. There were 104 stairs to the top. Poor Emma -- her shoes kept falling off.  

James throws a rock into the ocean. The beach at Yaquina Bay Head was all big black rocks.

Ocean behind ancient tree trunk.

 Kyle was super cute with the younger girl cousins, smiling while they pulled him to the waves. Who is this kid?

Oregon Coast vacation: scenes and signs

The Oregon Coast was bliss. Absolute bliss. We watched Friday's newscast in which the meteorologist announced the end of the heat wave. "That was the heat wave?" James asked. Perhaps that weather report related farther inland. Nevertheless, Jeff and I thought the coastal climate was perfect: in the 60s all week, with fog and sunshine in a balanced tango, just enough of each to make you appreciate the other.

The fog was magical. On the beach cousins materialized out of air not thin, but thick. The mist beaded on our hair. I never needed the lotion carefully packed in my duffel bag.

The landscape is beautiful -- and accessible. The coastal highway is full of state park-run pull-offs for you to soak in the atmosphere. I couldn't get over the nearness of evergreens to beaches, slopes to sand.

This was at Cape Perpetua, one of the highest points on the Oregon Coast. Once again, Jeff gamely dropped us off so we could walk all ... the ... way ... down to the highway. The children bounded far ahead of me, and I never caught up. (Er, or tried to.)

I thought she was crazy when my friend said blackberries are like weeds in the Pacific Northwest. Something so tasty and expensive in my parts? Come on! These blackberries are growing through rocks near a pier. I'm a believer now.

 Light house at Yaquina Bay Head. Top light house photo by Jeff, bottom by me. It was fun to see him renew his interest in landscape photography.

Elise looks west toward the Yaquina Bay Bridge in Newport. This was NOT the bridge we repeatedly walked across; it had no barrier between sidewalk and the narrow roadway, which is a big no-no for mommy outings. One morning a biker went across the bridge in the fog. A big truck barely swerved away in time. Yikes!

 There were murals everywhere. I only happened to take this picture of Samuel and Jeff because we got separated and I was on the other side of the street. My family will not pose!

Samuel and James plug their noses in protest at the fish market. I loved that you'd be walking along and a forklift hefting that day's catch would cross the sidewalk right in front of you.

Yaquina Bay

A fun attraction we went to as a group was the aquarium in Newport. It had super cool tunnels with sharks, sting rays and other fish. The floor was also glass. 

Samuel loved the play area at the aquarium with a boat and fish market.

Samuel views a harbor seal through the glass.

Uh, ok.

So the weather was great, the company was great, the natural landscape was great. Could it get any better? Yes! The small towns we visited were a haven for a word nerd like me. There were multiple "Natural Selection" stores selling pet and people food.  Or how about "B. Ginner's Art Studio" and a hotel with Terry A. While, proprietor? Clever business names and signs were everywhere. This was my favorite:

I think we all took a picture of this one, given that Mari is the matriarch of the group.

I loved the laid-back feel of the towns, the concentration of toy stores, used book stores and candy stores. Where else could a store thrive selling nothing but kites? Sadly, however, I saw an older man push his cart of belongings, topped with an orange Halloween bucket, to a bench in front of a store. I saw him on that same bench two other days as we drove by. I fear he was homeless, and I'm very sad that we did not stop to see if there was something I could offer him. It's a sorry regret. 

This was a fabulous vacation that drew our family closer, and we already want to go back. I just need time to recover from the 15-hour drive home!

Oregon Coast vacation: the wildlife

We visited the tide pools at Seal Rock twice. Thursday morning Jeff and I got up early, when tide was low. None of our children wanted to get up so we left without them. We joined several of Jeff's siblings. There wasn't a youngster among  us, but the setting was so full of childlike wonder that we knew we wanted to see it again: the next time, with the kids. We saw pink and green anemones, tiny crabs, mussels, sea snails, barnacles and limber, expressive starfish. 

 Anemones 

Interlocking star fish

Our rental house was in Waldport, not far from the Alsea bay and bridge. There was something so appealing about crossing above the ocean on foot. I wanted to do it! Jeff was a great sport and, nearly every time we returned to the house, dropped us off and drove to the other side of the bridge to wait. The first time walking we approached a sandbar. I saw brown and gray lines en masse. What were they? Birds? As we walked closer I saw that was unlikely; the forms were too big. Logs? No, not quite. Wait, they're moving!

Can you guess?

Walking across the bridge

Did you guess seals?

I loved watching them. These lines in their sand are their tracks -- the body drags the continuous line, and the flippers form the divots on either side.

Newport is a bigger town north of Waldport. Its historic Bayfront District is a charming mix of galleries, shops, docks and ... sea lions. If they weren't sleeping they were barking. Now that's ambience!

Oregon Coast vacation: the people

Our family had a wonderful week in the Central Oregon Coast. It was gorgeous! Prior to this, our farthest vacation destination has been about five hours away, and even then just for an enjoyable weekend or so. We've never been able to devote so much time to a trip. We needed this.

What made the trip especially fun is that ALL of Jeff's family were there: his parents, seven siblings and their families. In all, 15 adults and 19 grandchildren, ages 1 to 16. We stayed in the same house and took turns with dinners. I could say I am amazed at how well everyone got along, but then really, I shouldn't be amazed. It's a great group with lots of love.

This spur-of-the-moment shot of 29 of us was taken Friday evening, the night before our own family and another had to leave. I feel really bad that we didn't get a shot of all 34 of us. One family was touring the Tillamook cheese and ice cream factory farther up the coast at the time of this photo (yum!). Here they are from another outing.

The beach was chilly, often foggy or windy, but so much fun. We could walk there from the rental house.

12 of the cousins, oldest to youngest. (Taken Tuesday)

This was taken Friday and shows 15 of the cousins, more or less youngest to oldest (switch the second and third girls from left). Missing are cranky Samuel and the three lucky cheese samplers.

 Elise nearly touches a jellyfish. 

 James was the only one of us brave enough to get so deep in the cold water.

You know those videos at wedding receptions that feature photos of the couples? Nineteen years later Jeff and I still wouldn't have enough shots.

 I wrote Samuel's name in the sand like I had done with James'. He loudly stomped his disapproval.

My only disappointment about the trip is not getting a nice family shot. It wasn't for lack of trying. With so many fun activities going on, and so many different combinations of families doing the outings, it was hard to have all of us together at once.

Here, at the Portland Temple, we didn't have Elise with us because she was coming from Seattle after her trip with Grandma and Grandpa.

Here, at the tide pools, we lack Samuel because we opted to not pry him out of bed and instead left him at the house with gracious Grandma.

On the eve of our departure, when I realized we didn't have a SINGLE SHOT of all seven of us together, I pleaded with Jeff to help make it happen. The light was fading fast. We walked to the beach with the tripod. Only three shots into it, Jeff's brother arrived to tell us that everyone had decided to do a group shot, only they chose to do it at a beach with better car access. They needed us right now. By then the light was too far gone to re-attempt our family portrait. Oh, well. Want to see the BEST two?

Hee hee. Yep, that about sums it up.