Oregon Trip Part 2

After a perfect stay with Aaron and Julie in Washington, we hit the road toward Oceanside to meet the family. We decided to take the scenic route--and learned fog is really challenging to see through. We climbed to the top of this landmark in Astoria and the fog only got worse, but hey it was a leg stretcher.

The fog lifted pretty quickly so we took another detour over Astoria bridge spanning four miles and connecting Oregon and Washington.

The next stop was beautiful Canon Beach.

Zac having a hard time waking up from his nap.

We found this snake on the way back from the viewpoint. It caught us a little off-gaurd because no snakes exist in HI.

Cue "Little House on the Prairie" music.

And there's that fog rolling in again. Little did we know, we would not see the sun again for days.

We had planned a huge surprise for most of the family. No one except Cory and Kristen knew we were even coming to Oregon. We arrived on the vacation house early along with Cory and Kristen. The rest of the family was still hours behind (so we thought). We took that opportunity to meander into town and get some groceries. Thanks to Paul's mad driving skills, he led the rest of family to the vacation home in record time and our surprise plans were spoiled. We still got a kick out of everyone's faces as we pulled up the driveway. The views from the house were terrific. That evening the whole family went down to beach. Zac didn't know what hit him. I mean, what kind of beach is freezing cold. He couldn't handle walking on his own.
The next morning we all participated in a classic Edwards' beach experience. We started the morning tide-pooling.

Then found ways to compete...such as moguling down the side of a sand dune. Ryan first, Scott second, Angela a graceful third. Zac perferred the mogul roll method.

Kristen showed Cory up with her aerials.

The next day we headed inland for a short waterfall hike and the famous Tillmook Cheese Factory. The kids loved it.

Grandma, Grandpa and all the grandkids.

A couple double-scoops later, we ventured to Cape Mears.

The famous Octopus Tree.

The famous Ryan and Karen.

The almost GQ Cory.

Our last full day in Oregon and there was sun...and a gusty cool breeze. Zac still wouldn't play in the sand. He wanted to be completely engulfed in this warm blanket with his mom. Mom completely in her element--cotton balls in the ears and all.

Paul trying to find service. Classic.

This beach is a family landmark. We used to stay near this beach on all our Oregon vacations growing up. It didn't dissappoint. Football throwing, frisbee tossing, and an intense baseball game swept the afternoon away.

The next day, the family said goodbyes and we were off to Portland. We stopped with Scott, Natalie, and fam in Portland to visit some Japanese Gardens. We had heard a lot of good things about it. It turned out to be a disaster. This picture says it all below. Easton and Maddie bored, the other kids refusing to be bored. Let me paint a picture for you. Beautiful, peaceful landscapes. Secluded courtyards and serene ponds oozing with tranquility. Sophisticated and well dressed adults soaking in the atmosphere. Zac, Easton, Maddie, Parker, Brynlee spitting into the water and having races around the landscape. There is a small chance I accidentally showed them when I spit into the water to get the attention of the fish.

Check out Zac and Brynlee at the close of our vacation.

Goodbye Oregon.

Oregon Trip, Part 1

Yep, look twice: that's TERRIS! Aaron and Julie were gracious hosts and had us stay at their place for 3.5 days at the beginning of our Oregon trip. They actually live in Washington, but only about 50 minutes north of Portland. They took Terris when we moved to California in '06, and she's had a great doggie life with them.

Our first outing was the Portland Zoo. This was actually Zac's second zoo experience this month, but because I'm getting a little lazy on the blog entries, I still have the pics sitting in a folder. He loved seeing the animals, especially with Trey and Audrey.

I showed him these pictures tonight, and he pointed to the one above and said, "DOGGIE!" Oops, not quite, kiddo.

Zachary was pretty wasted from our 1:30am bedtime the night before, and of course the long plane ride over. We told him we would take him on a choo-choo train before we got to the zoo, but once we were on it, we wondered if another day might have been better...

He perked right up after a few minutes, though, and spent the rest of the trip asking to go on the "choo-choo rain" again.

Beautiful, green Oregon:All weekend, Zac followed Miss Audrey around, played with her toys, and gave her hugs and kisses.
Saturday morning, Aaron took Brady into the mountains at 4:30am. They spent the morning fishing, and we met them a few (um....quite a few) hours later to see waterfalls, drive through the woods, take some short hikes, and share a picnic lunch. It was beautiful, crisp, and a refreshing change from our scenary.

We hiked down to these falls and stepped into the chilly water. This was Zac's instant reaction, which did not stop until he was completely dry.

Aaron's kids, on the other hand, were not cold-water wimps.

Waterfall #2:

Afterwards, we drove for the lookout over Mt. St. Helens. It's 1980 eruption was the "deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in the history of the United States," with 57 dead and 185 miles of highway destroyed. (Courtesy Wikipedia) It was active again in the last few years, but has since calmed down and visitors are allowed. Aaron and Julie actually hiked to the rim. Awesome.

Sunday, we enjoyed a morning stroll by their beautiful lake. Brady said it felt like old times walking "his" dog.

Aaron and Julie were perfect hosts: feeding us yummy meals (salmon and fresh grilled veggies, Cafe Rio salad, and an unbelievable fresh blueberry pie!), driving us everywhere, and even arranging babysitting for a night out. We only wished Roni and Coleman were around for our game night. Next time!