Monday, June 8, 2015

Pacific Paradise

Now that T-ball is over for the year I feel like I have my life back! Well, I have my evenings back anyway. As cute as it was to watch a rag tag team of grass pickers transform into a legit baseball team (they were even doing coach-pitch at the end of the season!), I did not enjoy the insane time suck. I was totally unprepared for the three-days-a-week-two-hour practice schedule. And the 9 am Saturday games. Everything else. Totally awesome.


Jacob's last game was fun. And enjoyed by all, even the babies.



The day after Jacob's game (and my previously documented horrible birthday- thanks for your sympathies and comments...basically, it sucked, I cried, I got over it), we headed out to Cannon Beach, Oregon for a mini family vacation.

When planning this trip, I was tempted to keep everything as cheap as possible. Many years ago we took baby Jacob to Seaside, Oregon which is just ten miles north of Cannon Beach. Before heading home, we drove to Cannon Beach to sight-see and while walking around town, I fell in love with Surfsand Resort because of it's beach-facing rooms and proximity to beautiful Haystack Rock.

When I looked up room rates last month, I was a little shocked by the sticker price of the rooms at Surfsand Resort. After much internal struggle, I bit the bullet and reserved the cheapest room they had, a non-view ADA room. After a disappointing birthday, I was feeling sorry for myself and decided if we were going to Cannon Beach, we should do it RIGHT. I called and upgraded to a room with a view. And it was worth it!

Million dollar view


While I was initially hesitant to spend the money on a hotel, Surfsand quickly proved to us that our money was well spent (it helped that they were having a third-night-free special). Everything was perfect and exceeded expectations. First there was the view. Holy Mackerel.


And... GUYS...a soaking tub IN THE LIVING ROOM! Don't worry, there was a pull-out wall for privacy when desired.


My life needs a soaking tub. Tiny people, big tub!


The day we arrived, the resort hosted free hot dogs on the beach. And every day starting at 3:30, the resort served freshly-baked cookies in the lobby! Every time they cleaned our room, the maid left gourmet mints and toys on the beds. And, with an arm band given to us at check-in, kids ate free at the nearby restaurants! Basically, I'm a sucker for free stuff, even if I have to pay $350 a night to get it.

The indoor pool was freaking amazing. It claimed to be heated and...it actually WAS heated, almost like bath water! The worst thing in the world is the misrepresentation of a heated pool that turns out to still be cold. This was Jon's first time in the pool and he absolutely LOVED it. And because it was heated, I didn't feel bad sticking him in the floaty while we played.


Ryan, being daring and bold in the six inch deep water...


Ryan was a hoot in the pool. He's a tough guy when it suits him, but underneath his bully exterior, he is the world's biggest wimp. He refused to go any deeper than the large shallow area, which was no more than six inches deep. So he swam/crawled back and forth in his floaty in a mere six inches of water. It was hilARious.

He also was afraid of the sand. And the wind. And the waves. So, yeah, he had a blast at the beach. Occasionally, I could coax him off the lawn chairs for some fun. But it wasn't always easy.





Jake is my beach bum, water bunny. He had a blast on the beach and he could swim for HOURS in the pool. This vacation was pretty much his idea of heaven. And that we had in common.


Not exactly sure what is happening in this picture but it sums up Jacob's craziness, Jon's third-chil-easy-going apathy, and Ryan's general feelings about the beach. 



After our first night at the resort, I woke up to the news that there had been four earthquakes out in the ocean during the night. This immediately made me uneasy as I recalled the numerous "Tsunami Evacuation" signs that we had passed on our drive down. But I was (mostly) able to forget about earthquakes and tsunamis and potentially life-threatening devastation and enjoy the remainder of the trip. As you can guess, we all survived, tsunami-free.

One night we drove up to Seaside and hit up the arcades, the indoor carousel, and the bumper cars. To top off the magical day for the kids, they got to eat dinner at McDonald's (so easy to please). The next day we went to Tillamook County and explored the cheese factory. Jacob and Ryan were enthralled in the cheese making process. We rounded out the trip with some freshly made (I think?) ice cream at the gift shop cafeteria.

Watching the cheese makers


On the way home, we stopped at an air museum and explored an old blimp hangar. Apparently, it is the largest wooden structure (1,000 feet), in the country. It was pretty impressive.


On a whim, and at the suggestion of one of our restaurant servers, we ended our Cannon Beach trip with a stop at Hug Point. It was absolutely gorgeous. Apparently some scenes from one of the Twilight movies were filmed here. Not being a Twilight fan, that didn't impress me nearly as much as this:

Ryan's funny face kills me...the stinker


or this:



or this:





During our trip, Jon discovered a taste for sand. He decided it didn't taste very good, but he couldn't stop eating it anyway. Which is exactly how I feel about five hour old french fries.

Sand mustache


Look at all this sand!


Just. Can't. Stop. Eating.


It was such a beautiful, glorious trip. It was so nice to escape the daily grind and experience my children in a new and exciting environment. I forgot how adorable Ryan can be when he is distracted from making his older brother's life miserable. And how adventurous Jacob can be in the face of new places to explore. I fall in love with my kids all over again on trips like these. Don't misunderstand....it's not all fun and games. It's a lot of work. But somehow, the memories that shine the brightest are the high points. 

Me and a sand-eating baby


Jacob was here


All my favorite boys in the whole world.


Salt Water Taffy for DAYZZZZZ



Hugging at Hug Point. Yes. This is stuff I make my kids do. I'm cool like that.


Ahhhh.....I already miss it! Goodbye Cannon Beach!


3 comments:

  1. Love the hugging at Hug Point pic - what's the point of having kids if you can't make them do stuff like that? :-) And glad you had a good time to make up for your birthday.

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  2. Awesome pictures from your vacation!

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  3. That is an amazing view of the place. It sure is nice to wake up to the serenity of the blue clouds and the sound of waves crashing in the surf. And it's even more awesome how all of that is complemented by the amenities that came with your room. Anyway, I hope you had a blast during this mini-vacation of yours. I’m sure you kids did. Cheers!

    Garrett Newman @ Branson Regal

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