Solo Mama Road Trippin’ to the Oregon Coast (Part 2)

We could not have asked for a more beautiful 24 hours on the Oregon Coast. More often than not I’ve experienced the Oregon beaches to be tempermental, much like the Washington Coast. Beautiful and rugged and full of a loveliness all it’s own…but it’s often accompanied with some rain or wind or overcast skies. So, we HAD to take advantage of the sunny 70 degree weather! And all of this adventuring before 10am!

The weather was warm enough to even take a dip in the Pacific Ocean! Woo!

The trepidation that Potamus felt the first day was completely gone by the next morning. We could not keep him from race-walking (he can’t run yet) as fast as his little legs would carry him…straight into the waves! He was much more sure-footed now, not wobbling every time the sand shifted under his feet with the lapping waves. He even experienced several waves that got him thigh high and he didn’t get bothered by being knocked onto his backside. A kid after my own heart! When I was his age (and into late elementary school) I would TANTRUM SO HARD if there was water around and I wasn’t allowed to swim. I’m guessing I’ll have another fish on my hands 🙂

After some lovely wave jumping, Potamus settled in with grampy to build some sand-castles. Unfortunately we picked a place a little farther from the water, so instead of really building castles (because the sand started to dry pretty quickly), my dad said we were “building ruins.” We all had a good chuckle at that little quip.

After a hard morning of play, we headed off to take a nap. Afternoon adventures were to be had, but first, rest!

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The afternoon was spent traveling up the road a few miles to Cannon Beach. I convinced my parents to go to this pizza joint that Boof and I had eaten at on our honeymoon. So yummy! But, in true Oregon Coast fashion, the weather turned from warm and sunny to cool, overcast and a slight breeze in the air. Looking at the sky we realized if we wanted a few pics with the famous Haystack Rock, we’d better get skedaddling before it turned into a full on rainstorm!

By the time we made it to the beach, the wind was whipping pretty good. Not one to be swayed (we had come ALL THIS WAY DARNIT!), we headed out to the rock. It was low-tide and so there were some tide pools that we waded in (ouch! barnacles!) and tried our best to keep Potamus from running straight into the stormy sea.

just take the darn picture already mom!

being carried by grampy, cause it’s windy out here!

mom, what’s so cool about that rock? there’s the OCEAN right here!

wading into the ocean…regardless of the weather…a true Pac NW native!

okay, one picture mom, but I will NOT be happy about it. I want to wave jump.

We headed back to the yurt just in time for it to start POURING! I won’t bore you with details, but night two was less than stellar, and we headed home early to try and beat the naptime grumpies. While I am exhausted from our almost 48 hour adventure, I think I would definitely do it again. Though, ask me in a few days when I’ve fully recovered, eh?

Any crazy road-trip stories to tell me? Road trippin’ with kiddos?

Solo Mama Road Trippin’ to the Oregon Coast (Part 1)

first time at the beach!

The Oregon Coast holds a special place in my heart. While we only went there a few times as a kid, I have been back several times as an adult and always around special occasions. There was the birthday I spent there, with my parents, just a few weeks before I left for India. And then there was my honeymoon, where Boof and I relaxed for a week (after driving all over Washington to spend Christmas with everybody). So, when my parents discovered the joys of yurting (like camping, but not in a tent OR a cabin), I jumped at the opportunity to book a small getaway with Potamus. Yurting has all the lovely camping feels that I love, without the hassle of camping that I dislike.

Manzanita, Oregon

Boof couldn’t take the time off, so I decided to do the road-trip myself…which was a little nerve wracking. Good thing I’m adventurous, and slightly deranged because the drive there took almost 6 hours (though part of that was a pit-stop in Portland to visit my bestie Ruth). While we just hung out last week, it was so much fun to have a back-to-back visit! We chatted, ate some yummy crepes, and Potamus had a chance to burn off his energy in the park. He mostly slept the whole way there, so that was nice for me!

enjoying some dinner

Potamus has never seen the ocean before, so it was a real treat to watch him go from nervous to super excited. While we had spent some time in the sand, it was in a warehouse and not warm and awesome for sand-castles! There is just something so magnificent about the way the ocean comes rolling in while you sit there in warm sand. And we don’t have to go all the way to California to experience it 🙂

swingin’

our digs! pet friendly yurts. like camping…but with beds, electricity and HEAT!

doin’ dishes with grammy. clearly he is enjoying himself.

let’s build a sand castle!

COME ON GUYS LETS GO!

Nervous at first, but a few minutes later he wouldn’t stop heading into the water! We seriously had to pry this kid away from the waves because his toes were turning purple and he was shivering.

wave jumping with grammy and grampy

After a long day of travel, lots of adventures in swinging, playing in the park, wave jumping in the ocean and building sand castles, Potamus and I crashed. We had pulled the futon mattress onto the floor so that it’d be the closest to home and fell asleep. Fortunately he slept pretty well in the new place.

So, what’s the craziest adventure YOU have taken with a little one? Did you do it solo or with a partner? Ever been to the Oregon Coast?