Vacation finale

Before heading home we decided to make one more stop to see if we could get a good look at a lighthouse.  We drove about 10 minutes or so to Cannon Beach (what a cute place!) and then drove over to a viewing area where we were supposed to get a good look at Terrible Tilly or the Tillamook Lighthouse.  The lookout spot was a scorched piece of land that made us feel like ants under a magnifying glass- doesn't Sim look like he's having the time of his life?

 There is a lot of interesting information about this area- those big rocks in the background (or haystacks) are actually lava rock.  Apparently the lava flowed down the Columbia river and settled there when it hit the ocean.( I need to do some more research on this- how long ago, etc.)

 And there is the lighthouse- that tiny speck out in the water... that's Terrible Tilly- a bit anticlimactic if you ask me, but at least we got to see it.

Thoughtful, sweet Karen could sense my fascination for lighthouses and actually found a little one for me at the antique store and gave it to me as a present- We love uncle Norwin and aunt Karen!  We had the best trip ever and loved spending it with Petter's parents- they were so much fun and such a big help.  We will be returning to this beautiful part of the country again... hopefully soon.

Not finished yet... Seaside Oregon

So the night before it was time to head home I couldn't sleep.  I laid there thinking that we came all this way and my kids only got about 4 hours at the actual ocean- that is not enough!  So I got up in the morning and announced (hoping anyone would agree) that our trip was not over and we needed to go to Seaside.  Luckily Karen and Laurel liked the idea and were very supportive, we just needed to talk Petter and Tom into it- which, we did.  So we said good bye to Karen and Norwin (sniff) and hit the road again.  Let me just say that they were the best hosts ever and we love them dearly.

We stopped in Astoria, Oregon (where Kindergarten Cop was filmed) and visited the Maritime Museum (well it was too expensive so we just walked around the outside and the gift shop) where there was a lot to look at and explore.  The beautiful bridge in the background goes across to Long Island.

 The kids thought this propellor was a playground

 Love this pic of Pet and Sim- look how they have their heads together.

moss and algae can be beautiful!

 Once we got to Seaside, we parked as close to the water as we could and ran as fast as we could to the water.

 Once we reached the water, Sim stripped down to his undies and ran the entire time like a ping pong ball bouncing around

 still running

 I don't know why but the ocean makes me want to walk, and reflect, and relax.

 The fog was starting to set in

 The kids loved playing in the tide pools where we saw some jelly fish!

 We went and got some dinner, checked into a hotel and explored some more.

 Our hotel was so cute- it's the one in the middle and our bedroom is the one on the top left- great views.

 We walked and ran and played until the sun went down

 The girls liked to jump over the waves

 A baby sea lion was on the shore, we thought maybe it's little flipper was stuck so Petter tried to dig it out a little.  

 Love silhouette pictures

 Our hotel in the middle with the fog taking over.

We absolutely LOVED this day! So glad we stayed!

Olympia Farmers Market

Back to Norwin and Karen's house to meet up before hitting the city for Farmers Market and antiquing.  Before we headed off, Norwin took the kids (and Petter) for a ride pulled by the tractor.  They went all around their property and saw where a baby fox lives after his family left him- the kids gave him a name and talked about him for days.

 The farmers market was so much fun, the kids loved the balloon man and everyone got a balloon from him

 Simeon got a hat, a sword, a parrot and a belt

 Olivia got a heart

 Jayda got a dog.

 After the market we went to a cute antique shop where I bought two big rectangle wire baskets, and Karen got me a lighthouse.  Laurel found a throw and some cute napkins.  We needed some food so we went to Anthony's for some seafood.  We sat out on the porch and had a beautiful view of the boats and water.

 When our bellies were full with clam chowder and delicious bread, we went for a little walk out to see the boats.  There was a tower that Olivia and I climbed up for a better view.

 Olympia is the Capital of Washington, I love this picture with the sail boats in front and the building in the background- again a view from the tower.

We met up with Brandi and her kids again for a visit to the Nisqually Bird Refuge.  We didn't see one single bird but enjoyed the walk around the park.  We will visit another time of year and hopefully see a bird or two.

Fish farms and a fire (say that 10 times fast)

Next day we visited two fish hatcheries- one trout farm and one salmon.  The trout farm was fun because we could walk right up to the water.  The fish went crazy when we came by probably because they thought we were going to feed them, but we told the kids it's because they liked them.

 They are kept in round tanks full of water with water spraying in to make it like a current.

 I didn't get any pictures at the salmon farm because it was a little more secure so we couldn't go right in but we learned a lot about salmon.  The farms are located right next to a river and when they let the salmon go into the wild, they always return right to the same spot and then the eggs are harvested.  I can't believe all those salmon can find their way back home- very cool.

After the fish farms, we stopped at the store and bought hot dogs and fixings for smores. 

 Before it got dark, one more trip around the lake.

Vacation Continued... A day at the lake

First thing in the morning the day after crabbing, everyone ran down to the lake.  It was such a perfect, sunny day

 The kids were still in their jammies but wanted to hang out a little with their feet in the water looking at this beautiful, quiet lake

 After breakfast, canoeing

 paddling (or peddling?)

 fishing (he's trying to convince me that a little pebble is a fish)

 swimming

 sliding

 and floating.

 After lunch, Barretts wife, Brandi came with her kids and the kids played and played some more

 They even caught a snake and let it go in the water.  This was one of my favorite days of our vacation, I read, napped, talked with Brandi (whom I love), swam and lounged.

 After the party left, we drove a little while to Hoodsport for some dinner.  We ate at a combination burger/chinese place

 and then went exploring a little in this cute town.  We walked down a long pier and watched some people fish and try for some crabs.  This is an inlet of the ocean and I love how it feels more like a lake with the trees on both sides.

 The small area by the water had tons of clam shells- the kids loved how one side is so smooth and the other is rough and full of barnacles