Category Archives: Uncategorized

After our extended stay in Seaside, OR, we headed north to Olympic National Park. Our first stop was the Hoh River Rainforest. The area gets its name from the Hoh Indians who once populated the area. It is known for being one of the only temperate rainforests in North America and includes rare Blue SpruceContinue reading “Olympic Peninsula”

We enjoyed Short Sand Beach so much that we took Cappy and Grandma back to see it. The sun was shining the entire time; it was a beautiful time to be there. We rested that afternoon… …and tried out the fire pit in the backyard. We also hiked the 4-mile forest portion of the FortContinue reading “Last Week on the Oregon Coast”

Cappy and Grandma arrived the day after Nana left, so the kiddos were not without extra grandparent love for long. We enjoyed having dinner with them and showing them our beach fires. Almost as soon as we arrived to the beach, the kids soaked themselves in the ocean and had to experience chilly conditions forContinue reading “Say Cheese”

Our friend Jill Essex joined us for a few days, having first visited family in Salem, OR. Even though Jill is an experienced traveler, she had never been to Seaside/Cannon Beach. We enjoyed showing her around “our hood.” We hiked the Ecola Creek Forest Reserve, which was a so-so four-mile hike along some of EcolaContinue reading “Words with Jill”

We checked out the Seaside Estuary, which is where the Necanicum River and Neawanna Creek come together with the Pacific Ocean. It was a great shady place to play in sand and water (without big waves) and bird watch. A pair of bald eagles were hanging out in a tree across the river from us,Continue reading “Hold your breath”

I took Evie and Jack to the beach to boogie board in the ocean, even though the sea water temperature is an invigorating 52 degrees (note: I did not get in the water.). While enjoying the view and pondering God’s amazing care for His creatures, I looked down at my feet and found a perfectlyContinue reading “The earth proclaims His handiwork”

Here in Seaside, the beaches are full of large driftwood that the kids enjoy scaling and jumping off. And, of course, they are great for after-dinner fires… We returned to Wheel Fun Rentals to try out their beach bikes… …and visited The Kite Factory in Cannon Beach to buy some kites. When I notified theContinue reading “Beach, Burgers, and Bikes”

We ventured about 16 miles south of Seaside to Oswald West State Park and hiked to Short Sand Beach, a protective cove popular with surfers. Here, Short Sand Creek spills out of the forest and across the beach, where it unites with the Pacific Ocean. There were several caves along the beach that were fullContinue reading “Where River Meets Sea”

Jim, Evie, Jack, and I hiked the first two miles of the Tillamook Head Trail, which still contains some old growth Douglas fir trees. The Elmer Feldheimer Forest Reserve is adjacent to Ecola State Park and has been set aside for “1000 years,” so that the forest can return to old growth. The trail wasContinue reading “Old Growth and Ship Wrecks”

Our second day in Seaside was a Lord’s Day (and also my Dad’s and two dear friends’ birthdays). The church we plan to attend in Cannon Beach has limits on attendance. Our need to get more information on how to RSVP, coupled with the fact that Jim’s back has been pretty flared up (he hasContinue reading “Everybody loves Nana”