We were told that there was going to be a fireworks show. Turns out the town couldn't afford to do it this year so instead we just grabbed some pizza at this really cool pizza joint about 1/2 a block from the beach.
Next day was the 4th of July and we were excited because we were going to try to add Mason and Jaxin's names to "our bench" out at Cape Meares. Unfortunately when we had got there we found that they had replaced the bench :( It was a sad moment but we half expected it since we started putting our names on it almost 10 years ago!
Then we went to the famous "Octopus tree". The most excercise I've had all summer was the hiking on these trails.. Quite a walk! The views here are amazing and I could never get tired of this place. We spent the evening on Rockaway Beach and watched the fireworks go off over the ocean. Absolutely beautiful! The scene was really cool too because there were campfires to stay warm by and a couple of guys playing their guitars and singing along. The fireworks were nothing compared to anything I've seen before, and i don't think I'll be able to appreciate small town displays the same as before. It adds a lot to hear the waves of the ocean crashing at the same time as the sky lights up and you realize where you are!
The next morning we ventured to the most coveted Tillamook Cheese Factory! It's always a must when we go and it was fun to do it with the kids at an age where they might actually remember.
We had lunch here and bought some souvenirs. The kids got some squeaky cheese and of course we all tried some ice cream. Yummy!
In the afternoon we went and visited Bob's Grandpa and Grandma Bell. They were so sweet and welcoming and it's always a special time to visit with them. Grandpa took the older boys down to the river to skip rocks and find treasures, and I stayed with Grandma and the babies to have "girl talk". We love them so much and the kids again were old enough this time to remember their Tillamook family that they rarely see.
On July 5th we traveled north to Seaside and got a hotel that was right on the beach. Our room had a big window overlooking the ocean and it was right above the Seaside Aquarium where the kids got to feed some seals. Down the main street there was a big arcade that we couldn't pass up and a little further up was the carousel mall where Mason got to ride his choice of horsies. The next morning we went out and played on the beach and splashed in the ocean and found all sorts of little treasures. The boys favorite was when Bob found a sand crab. They were amazed at how fast it can dissappear when you drop it in the sand! We played until check out and then ran upstairs to shower before we got back in the van to travel. It worked out pretty well actually!
From there we traveled even more north to Astoria where we drove over the bridge into Washington. It was INSANE! I still can't believe how long and close to the water that bridge was. I was kinda scared.. ok REALLY scared, but I'm glad I didn't let my fear control me. It was kind of triumphant!
Open this pic to see it up close.. It's pretty impressive!
On our way back through Astoria we stopped at a couple of famous film locations. I don't see the big deal, but I was out numbered and Bob is a big dork!
This is The Goonies house!
And this is Haystack Rock at Depoe Bay also filmed on The Goonies! We found out that about a week later someone caught a great white shark about a 1/4 mile away from here. Yikes!
We drove back down to Tillamook where Mom and Dale surprised Mason with a birthday party. He was so excited about his SpongeBob balloon that Grandpa Dale bought and just loved the red fuzzy ball that Grandma Carolyn saw him playing with on the first day and decided it would make a good present. He wasn't a fan of cake, but that's okay cause it left more for me!
We had so much fun here and i was honestly quite surprised at how well the kids did in a new place. Of course they had a big man game room with a pool table and darts and "Carolyn-made" trails to explore with a hot tub to relax in afterwards! They made it so comfortable and we were able to spend important time bonding that we don't get much of with this side of the family. Thanks guys!
When we left Tillamook we traveled south to Newport. There were breath taking views the whole drive and the kids stayed occupied with the much appreciated d.v.d. player in our new van. In Newport we stopped at another aquarium that was much larger and had a ton of weird creatures. It was pretty impressive, and as you can see the kids really enjoyed this part. Well worth the time and money!
This was a cool fish tank that the kids were able to climb in the middle of and feel like a fish! There were fish swimming around their heads and a tunnel to climb through. Here is Logan being a fish!
Bob did all sorts of fun things inside and then we went outside for the messy stuff. Here he was making "hot lava". He let the kids take turns pouring in the ingredients and did it quite a few times so they all felt like a part of it. He was sooo good with them!
On July 5th we traveled north to Seaside and got a hotel that was right on the beach. Our room had a big window overlooking the ocean and it was right above the Seaside Aquarium where the kids got to feed some seals. Down the main street there was a big arcade that we couldn't pass up and a little further up was the carousel mall where Mason got to ride his choice of horsies. The next morning we went out and played on the beach and splashed in the ocean and found all sorts of little treasures. The boys favorite was when Bob found a sand crab. They were amazed at how fast it can dissappear when you drop it in the sand! We played until check out and then ran upstairs to shower before we got back in the van to travel. It worked out pretty well actually!
