Oregon Coast Odyssey

Heading out from Leavenworth, we took the scenic route that took us past the spectacular Mt Ranier and through central Washington. The drive was much longer than we anticipated but most agreed (at least Dad did) that it was well worth it. Soon we were on familiar roads along the Oregon Coast and like usual, the beautiful beaches drew us in. Parking our trailer, everyone was quick to want to explore Cannon Beach and search out favourite ice cream and salt water taffy treats (those freebies are always welcome and addicting - oohh, just one more). We did some exploring that we hadn't done in previous years including hiking down and exploring through Ecola State Park. The water is cold but that doesn't hold back the Connor kids as they played in the surf for hours. It seems like whenever you get away from home, you do things that you don't do in your own backyard. We picked up a hitchhiker and his dog. They were walking down the Coast of Oregon but it had gotten dark so we gave them a ride to the next State Park where they could camp. What an amazing adventure that we would have missed out on if we hadn't picked them up (makes you feel connected to humanity when you do things like that -- awesome). The week went by very fast and the arrival of the O'Dells and Dendy's meant that there was always fun to be had. Marla was sick for the first part but she rebounded and it was a great stay. We went to the Cannon Beach Convention center daily to hear some great speakers (Jim Burns was one of them - http://www.homeword.com/). The kids just played and played. The weeks was spent exploring the beaches and Seaside during the day and having campfires at night on the beach. Highlights included having to rescue the trapped group on the next beach, do an ice cream drive through for 16 on bikes, and the endless laughing around the campfire (Silly Billy's were flying all week). The Oregon Coast has always been a magical place for us and this year was no different.

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