Coast trip

We are celebrating!  Celebrating James finishing his 2nd year of optometry school!  He is no longer a 2nd year.  He's a 3rd year!  We're moving up in this little optometry world we live in.  

I remember first coming here and being so excited, telling everyone we were 1st years.  I was so proud of us, getting into the school and packing up our life and moving to a new town. 

Now I pity those 1st years, just starting.  It's a long road, but now we're half way done.  It's gone by pretty fast really.  

 Anyway, to celebrate this milestone of completing another year of optometry school (and to take advantage of the week long break James gets), we went to the coast.

The weather wasn't the best though.  It was overcast and drizzling.  We didn't let that stop us though, we just got a hotel instead of camping in any way, shape or form.  The kids loved staying in the hotel.  It had a small pool and this is the first time the kids wanted to swim in it.  So we splashed around there for about an hour.    

I'm getting ahead of myself though.  We first went to Tillamook and went to the Air Museum they have in an old blimp hanger.  We've never been there and it was interesting, for a little while.  

 The kids would have been satisfied seeing a couple of jets and then playing in the little ones they have set up for kids.  

Taylor's favorite plane because it has pink on it.

 The museum had a lot of information about the two World Wars and some vehicles from the wars as well.

After the Air Museum we had to go to the Tillamook Cheese Factory of course, for some "squeaky cheese."   

Then we headed north to Seaside.  We found our hotel and then walked around.  We found a carousel and a toy store and salt water taffy. 

 The kids chose their "horses."  Logan was looking up at the mechanics of the carousel most of the ride.  After the ride, he was able to explain to us exactly how it works.

We relaxed in our hotel, the kids swam in the pool.  It was great.  Our hotel was right across from the Convention Center.  In fact from our room we could see the front doors and we kept watching kids walking out with big, golden cup trophies.  We found out that there was a huge chess tournament that weekend.

The next day we headed north again, to Astoria.  We didn't stop though, we headed over the bridge and into Washington.  

 We've been trying to get to Cape Disappointment ever since we moved up here, but we never quite make it.  This time we did.

 

Dead Man's Cove, on our hike up to Cape Disappointment Lighthouse.  We all decided there must be pirate treasure buried there, especially since all the posted signs said, "No beach Access."  Sounds like somebody's hiding something to me!

North Head Lighthouse. 

 There was another lighthouse on Cape Disappointment and we hiked to it too.  It was a bit windy, but still fun.

This is as close to the beach as we got on our trip to the coast.  But that's okay.  We saw places we've never been to before and spent the weekend together as a family.

 

We made our way back home via Washington.  We drove along the Columbia river.  It was a beautiful drive.  

Now we have a whole week with James home.  What to do?   What to do?  The kids are so excited.  We may go on a couple of day trips, or just stay home and hang out here.  It's gonna be a good week though!