leg 3

sunday may 8 2011

with thunder and lightening storms a coming we packed up our little van and set out on the road. the weather kept us on our toes this trip and we were so unsure what to do. for example, beverly beach. a beach that we briefly stayed at last year and this year planned to spend the day at as a friend had said she stayed there with her family growing up, and it was a favorite for her. as we drove we experienced massive down pours and then beautiful brilliant skies, we put layers on, we peeled them off, we wore sunnies and then we didn't. we were all over the place. but beverly beach was approaching and i was determined to make the most of it. we had our jackets on, our buckets in hand and few snacks...key = snacks in any and all situations. it felt like we were walking against a wall of wind but the sun was out so we found our spot on the beverly beach and we sat, we ate one bite of a snack and the biggest most blackest clouds came tumbling across the beach, looming and almost laughing at us. with a crack they opened and rains came out...and we ran...which is hard to do with two kids, one dog, buckets and shovels, water cups and snacks. back in the van we giggled...see you next year beverly.

from here we found shelter and warmth in the outlet malls at lincoln city. we got a hotel and escaped the storm while we swam in the pool and had a real shower.

monday may 9, 2011

woke to a drizzle, but nothing that we couldn't handle. back in the van and started the journey to my favorite spot, cape lookout. the sky looked promising on the horizon so our spirits were good. we traveled north to pacific city. this is the reason we had yet to make it any further south. this place is amazing. great surf, amazing opportunities to explore, a massive sand dune, an amazing pub and most years there are whales in the cove. i would live here...even in the van.

we each had a chance at the beginning of the trip to voice one thing we would really love to see happen, to do. mine, have lunch at the pelican brew pub in pacific city.

we pulled into the sand parking lot and layered up, nice but windy. we explored sand dunes, went dinosaur hunting, found t-rex tracks, discovered a somewhat underwater cave full of amazing shell creatures, touched starfish, had our hands eaten by sea anemones, walked in the waves and watched the stand up paddle boarders share waves with the surfers.

the sun had come through the clouds and really, i kinda fell in love with my family in a different way. the girls were asking questions, scott led them around from tide pool to tide pool, our feet embracing the rocks and waves, the sounds and smells of the ocean...my heart was full. now my stomach. we had lunch at the brew pub...are you serious could this day get any better. of course it would as we headed to cape lookout and set up camp.