Seaside

Last weekend our family was able to relax in Seaside and enjoy some very spring-like weather.  Two of us were down with colds, so the goal was to just rest and relax!  Plus, we had lots of ice cream :-)

Below are my favorite snapshots:

Sunset view from our balcony (looking west)

Downtown Seaside from our balcony (looking east)

Looking north

Serenity

Goofing off with the camera (which is unusual for me to be in front of)

Bare feet in sand!

I always love getting shots of the kids running on the beach.  Someday I'll have to make a collage of all our beach trips.

Sunshine Girl took this of Nix Nux Nellie.

Got to get that carousel ride in!

Check out the teeth!

Love this peaceful expression

 My girls are getting so big!

Sunshine Girl took this too!  Love it!

At last, the hubby!  

Sunshine Gal took this with my micro lens (waiting for lunch at Subway)

The hubby took this on a walk one evening.

The resort.  Nice reflection of the warm light of sunset.

It was a perfect weekend away and we felt rejuvenated after two days of taking in the fresh ocean air.  We are so thankful to be so close to great beaches!  

A Sweet Valentine Weekend

After close monitoring of beach availability on Worldmark, we were able to reserve a last minute get-away to Seaside, Oregon, over the weekend before Valentines day.  It was especially sweet as we also celebrated my birthday on the beach.  We reserved a room at 3:00 on Friday, quickly packed a few things and were on the road by 4:20.  Since we didn't have anything planned for meals, a stop at the Costco in Warrenton loaded us up with chicken alfredo and ceasar  salad as well as a large, luscious  chocolate cake for my birthday treat.  Saturday was incredibly windy and wet, so we were happy to stay inside for most of the day, but not until after a dip in the pool.  The kids enjoyed swimming despite lawn chairs, towels and sandals sliding around and the wind whistling over wet heads.  We did get out briefly to go enjoy a hot bowl of clam chowder at Mo's in Cannon Beach.

Sunday was beautiful, with bits of sun coming out between the clouds, calm breeze and mild temperatures.  So, we hit the beach before heading home.

The kids were entertained with all the little paths winding around the seagrass.

Cookin' something up.  Lauren had to finish her recipe before we could leave.

On the way home, we stopped at the Astoria Column which Harry and the girls had never been up.  We climbed 164 steps up 125 feet to the top to see the panoramic view of the Columbia River, ocean and town of Astoria.  Visitors purchased little wood airplanes which they threw off the top.  The girls were given a couple which they had fun flying over a large grass hillside.  

The beach is great anytime of year and in any (mostly) weather.  We always leave more relaxed and refreshed than when we arrived.  Looking forward to the next time!

A weekend at the beach

Happy Birthday Grandma!!

Last weekend we had the opportunity to run over to the Oregon Coast for a couple nights. We stayed in Seaside and had a room overlooking Broadway and the beach. The weather was perfect so we were able to get out both days for walks on the promenade and beach. The girls also hit their favorite spots in town: the tilt-a-whirl ride and the carousel. Alyssa and Lauren also spent a lot of time in the hat shop in the mall trying on all their goofy headware.


The house in the picture below used to be owned by my piano teacher. My folks rented in from her on a few occassions, the last of which was in 1991 (I believe). Pierce was just a few months old when we had a family get-together with all the Badens for a week. Scott and Bob were with us for that time as well. Grandpa Baden organized a game for us on the beach with prizes for all of the grandkids, of which I still have. Natalie and I slept on the third floor in a little alcove that faced the beach. The house slept 15-20, so it didn't seem at all crowded with the entire family. This house is for sale now, fully furnished (although it looks pretty ratty) and is three blocks from the beach and promenade. The price seems pretty good at $299K but it does need some work. I hope whoever buys it will keep it as a rental as I would love to stay there again. Natalie, do you remember throwing balls through the 3rd floor window to the deck below and then trying to throw them back again? :)

Harry had never seen the South end of Seaside up towards Tillamook Head, so we drove up there to explore it. When I was about 12 or 13, my brothers, Scott's friend Jeff and I went hiking up that head in December late in the afternoon. It was a warm day and so we were not dressed for cold night weather. Well, we ended up getting off the trail somehow and lost on the logging roads that wind around up there. It was well after dark that we made our way down onto highway 101 a couple miles out of Seaside. This was before cell phones were terribly popular, so we had to hike back into town even though I remember being so cold, tired and scared. I never go through that stretch of 101 without thinking of that time. So, when Harry and I reached the trailhead, I got out to look at the map of the area when two hikers came wandering out of the woods who were completely turned around and lost. Turns out, they had started the hike with friends from Canon Beach, clear on the other side of Tillamook Head and had become separated from their friends as well as turned around. Rather than having them hike back several miles through the mud and steep terrain, the kids and I hopped out of the car while Harry ran them back to the other side in the car. The girls and I walked down from the trail head through the beautiful forrested hillside towards the beach and waited there for Harry.

Tillamook Head is the tall point in the background (picture below). The trail winds around the front of the point from Seaside on the North to Canon Beach on the South. There are miles of logging roads that wind around up there.

The town of Seaside. We stayed at that resort towards the left side of the picture (tallest building) which is next to the popular Broadway Avenue and promenade.

The biggest hit for the kids were the swings on the beach. We spent a few hours here throughout the weekend (the other big hit was the pool).

Someone had spent a lot of time building this realistic looking sandcastle just below the turn-around. Many people stopped to admire it and snap a picture.

View of the sunset from our balcony. I never, ever get tired of staring at the ocean. The resort has really good coffee in the rooms so I always brew a pot of decaf in the evening and watch the sun go down when we stay here.

Another view from our balcony. A slow shutter speed to capture the traffic going around the turn-around.

It looks cold here, but we quickly peeled off our layers as we walked/scootered down the boardwalk (no, Harry wasn't riding that little one ;-) ).