Oregon Coast

We spent our Crandall family reunion at the Oregon coast this year. It was a long drive so we started really early in the morning. We passed Tillamook on our way to the beach house so we met up with the rest of the family and decided to tour the cheese factory. Everyone knows how awesome Tillamook cheese and ice cream is but the best thing about the pitstop was the waffle cones! They smelled divine and tasted so good, so soft and chewy. Man, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. I would drive there again just for the waffle cones, they were THAT good!

I had no idea what to expect on this vacation. I had never been to the Oregon coast. They told me to pack swimsuits and sweaters which was really weird in my mind but once I got there it was pretty obvious why. We rented a house right on the beach and the first time I walked out I had to take a second to figure out that what I was looking at was real. It was so beautiful I almost thought I was in a movie or something! I wish I would've gotten some pictures of the house we stayed in because it was so perfect. Enough room for everyone (but we could've used one more bathroom) and the basement had a pool table, jukebox, and arcade games that kept the kids entertained for hours! That is, when we weren't at the beach. 

This beach was really cool to because it had singing sand which I had no idea existed. 

The next morning, we headed out to the tide pools. The boys loved looking for creatures and poking at the anemones. Gwen hated it and cried when I tried making her touch one.

There were tons of hermit crabs and starfish and Ry even found a sea roach. 

There was a gigantic sand dune that you could climb up. Carson climbed it at least three times I think.

It was a pretty good hike up. This was at the top (there's little Carkey).

And then it was naptime...

More beach fun the next couple of days...

Gwen loved just filling up her little bucket and dumping it out.

Ryder "catching some waves."

 Flying kites

Gorgeous sunsets

There was a trail that took you kind of around that huge sand dune and down to the other side.

Making a sand castle. There were tons of sand dollars and we even found a dead jelly fish.

Reese kept saying he was the "digginest dog."

We rented some surfboards and paddle boards.

Julie had the great idea of buried treasure. We hid ring pops in the sand and put an "x" on them and told Carson and Reese that pirates had been here. Man, Carson went crazy! He was sooo ecstatic when he found the treasure. I wish I would've gotten his reaction on video!

It was a great relaxing vacation and I'm really looking forward to going back again someday!