Going to the Beach

On Thursday we climbed into the car and headed for the coast after soccer camp. It's only about an hour away. Our first stop was the Heceta Head Lighthouse. It's a half mile hike up to the lighthouse. A very pretty view from the top. This lighthouse is one of the most photographed lighthouses on the Oregon Coast. I'm sure it's much more fantastic when you can see the water and scenery.

All the grandkids (except Makiah, who is too young, 18 months, to fly down to Oregon to visit).

After the lighthouse, we stopped for ice cream and salt water taffy. It is a tradition. Our family's favorite place to visit on the coast is the Oregon Dunes Overlook Day park.

This is the view as you come out of the little forest that leads the way to the ocean. They may look like small hills, but they are huge. Our legs felt like Jell-o afterwards.

This is the view just as you start on the trail back to the car. We had to get to the top of that big hill.

Once at the coast it was beautiful. we gathered sand dollars and seashells.

Drew pictures.

Had the beach all to ourselves for as far as we could see--both ways.

Played a bit in the water--just our toes. It was freezing!

And wrote names in the sand.

On the way home, the kids found things to do to entertain themselves. Such as rolling salt water taffy into a ball,

or balancing sand dollars on noses.

All in all, it was a fun day. The car is filled with sand and I am sure there are some nooks and crannies where you would still find sand on the kids. My only complaint is that it went by too fast.