Newport trip

This summer we decided to make ourselves an excursion, spending a month away from home so that I could do an externship with Jake and so that we could spend some time with family and friends in the Northwest. Upon arriving in Vancouver, we immediately headed out to Newport on the Oregon Coast, where Tiff's parent's friends own a small beach house. While the accomodations were certainly nothing fancy (the house itself now sits on a noticeable angle as the bluff the house sits on slowly erodes away), spending time on the coast is always a treat. Even when you have to sleep all three boys on one bed and then move them to the couches when we're ready to go to bed ourselves.

On our way out of town, we stopped by the Aeronautical Museum in McMinnville, home of the "Spruce Goose" and where Uncle Alan is currently employed. The boys had a great time checking out all the airplanes and displays, and especially enjoyed the interactive displays where they could get behind the wheel or make their Dad turn the propeller.

Once out at the coast we mostly hung out in the beach house. Unfortunately many of the adults were sick or injured and didn't venture out much, so I got to take the boys on the short hike needed to get down to the beach by myself several times, and they loved finding tidepools, crabs, anemones, and the like. We played games, did puzzles, went out to eat a few times, and spent a lot of time talking.

We did gather up everybody once to head to the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse in town. It was a cool place, and the boys eagerly did their Junior Ranger requirements. A few of us who were a bit braver took the circular staircase up to the top, where we could peer out but not actually enter the top. In the vicinity is a beach made up entire of volcanic rocks. Each time the waves crashed into the beach you hear the clattering of thousands of rocks. From a lookout point you can use telescopes to see Seal Rock, where seals congregate.

As always, the Coast was a beautiful and relaxing destination.