It’s the first day of Fall, which means I’ve got a slew of Summer photos to post before we’re all in the thick of sipping our pumpkin spice lattes. Here we go:
We decided to forego our annual Summer trips to Idaho and to Minnesota and to Hood River this year, because of busy schedules and Shane’s limited vacation days, but I’d be damned if we didn’t mark my favorite season with some sort of family getaway, so we asked my brother if we could crash at their beach house for a few days in August. We hadn’t been to Neskowin since the summer I was pregnant with Isaac, so it felt like it was time to introduce our boy to that magical stretch of the Oregon Coast. First though, a night in Portland to break up the trip and to enjoy the city we’ve seen too little of these past few years. Iced coffee! Books! It was vay-cay time.
Of course he found the one Super Mario book on the paperback carousel. Powell’s has something for everyone!
We ate dinner at Mitch’s and then settled into our downtown hotel – I had a free Hilton night that was set to expire, so we figured we’d make use of it and lean into urban life (with a heated pool to boot). Sunday dawned bright and sunny. Brunch time!
Screen Door was bustling and cute; Juliette’s lemon curd pancakes were perfection.
While Shane went back to the hotel to grab the car, the kids and I did a walk-about of the Pearl. I do love me those Brewery Blocks…
We made it to Neskowin mid-afternoon and Juliette settled right into her little reading nook.
But I quickly got the beach itch and rallied the crew to head down to the sand. No time to waste!
You’d think the whole “they’re growing up so fast” thing would wane over time, but El is 16 and still growing up so fast.
We spent the whole afternoon playing our hearts out, and it felt so good. Sand pails and baseball bats and frisbees, oh my.
Sporting goods are fun and all, but the waves always win.
Settle in, Bud. Welcome to home for the next few days!
The house’s earliest risers convened on the couch Monday morning while I sipped my first cup of coffee.
And then we booked it down to the market for my second cup of coffee. Isaac drank his weight in hot chocolate.
I love these coastal misty mornings.
We spent the rest of Monday morning getting settled, running to the store for milk and yogurt and a few other essentials…
And then once that afternoon sun popped out, we staked out a spot at what came to be our favorite little stretch of sand, on the shallow waterway near Proposal Rock.
We paddled and splashed for hours, slowly watching the tide rise.
Isaac is the kind of kid that generally manages to live his best life wherever he goes, but truly, the I think the beach is his very best life.
Uncle Mitch shows NO MERCY.
And Morgan’s even more ruthless.
Isaac’s a good sport, though.
Juliette found a use for the hole in the bottom of our sandcastle cup…
And then we toasted to her creativity.
This was the first of many “bear hunts” that occurred over the course of the week. This beach has so many fun nooks and crannies to explore.
BEAR! RUUUUUUNNNN!
We shook out our towels, wiped the sand from between out toes, and then golden hour was enjoyed from the deck. Cold wine with a side of Hotwheels.
Happy Vacation, Buddy.
