Northward Ho!!

We finally made our trip to the coast over Memorial day weekend. It was a blast. We left on a Friday night and drove to Oregon. Saturday we got up and drove along the Columbia River towards the coast. Along the way we stopped at the Dalles dam and Cascade Locks. It was pretty amazing to see the large barges move up and down the river. We were hoping to see fish go through the ladders, but no such luck. The Multnomah Falls were amazing. We hiked up to the bridge in front of the falls. The kids really liked the mist that came off the falls. Saturday afternoon we drove to Portland and then on to

Tillamook for a tour of the cheese factory where Uncle Richard works. They have quite the tour. There are observation areas that allow people to watch the cheese making process. The kids enjoyed the cheese taste testing area the best. We spent the evening at Rich & Becky's house even though they were with their children in Moscow, ID. We appreciate their hospitality and the delicious ice cream that they left in the freezer. The kids enjoyed being able to get out of the yard and run to their hearts content. The yard was amazing. There are huge trees, running water, and grassy hills.

The next morning we drove to Cape Mears and saw the light house & Octopus tree. We also saw some people out on the beach collecting clams. The children were extremely dissappointed that we weren't going to go swimming in the ocean. The temperatures were a bit cold & the sun wasn't going to come out. We did go down the coast a ways to Liberty and let them walk in the surf & play in the sand. They had a great time. All of them were soaked & covered with sand by the time the afternoon was over. It took quite a bit to convince them that we needed to keep driving. Corbin assured me that it would be fine for him to just stay on the beach and the rest of us could continue our journey. We drove to Bend and spent the night at hotel. The next morning the kids got to go swimming in the hotel pool. They had a lot of fun. We drove to Boise and used a gift certificate that Natalie has had since November at the Olive Garden & drove the rest of the way home.

The trip was amazing. We loved to drive through the mountains along the coast. Everything was so green. The kids could have spent a month on the beach and already want to go back as long as they don't have to ride in the car. Next time we will need to make sure the Snyders are home so we can go up and visit with them. All in all it was a great trip.