oregon coast...the final day...

There are many lighthouses along the coast and we took the kids to see one that had long been retired.

The couple who run the lighthouse told us the glass light was stolen years ago and had never been replaced.  They took us on a tour and let us walk up the steep winding staircase that led to the top of the lighthouse.

While we were taking in the view from the top of the lighthouse Ashlyn and Chris checked out the gift shop.  Ashlyn picked up a small stuffed finger puppet and Chris was then informed that he would have to purchase it.  Chris was a little confused and the man running the gift shop told him that the stuffed animals get dirty when people touch them so since she picked it up they would have to buy it.  Ummmm....can I just say, what a RIP OFF!  Seriously, if you are going to make people purchase things because they touch them then there really should be a warning sign!  What a racket.

So here are the kids with their finger puppets...because you can't just buy one kid something and not the other.  Yeah...we got hosed.


That night we stopped at another beach to do a little exploring before having dinner.

The water was amazingly clear and blue...


Chris and the kids scaled another enormous rock.  This picture really doesn't do it justice.  They seriously looked like ants when they were at the very top.

On the way back to the beach house we stopped for a little DQ.  You really can't pass a DQ without stopping.

When we got back to the house Chris and the kids jumped in the hot tub to relax.


I was still freezing so there was no way I was going in the hot tub.  Yes, I realize that by its very definition a hot tub is hot.  It's that moment when you have to get out of a hot tub into the freezing cold that I was not okay with.  I'll stay in my sweatshirt and jacket, thank you very much.  So Hal, Jenny and I sat out and ate Jelly Bellies while they relaxed.



That night we sat on the beach to watch the sunset.  Chris spotted some whales along the horizon...

I love the show that God puts on in every sunset.  The beauty never fails to amaze me and the photos never ever do it justice.

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The next day we headed home.  We planned to stop and see if we could spot the elk that we had missed on our way up to Oregon.  We didn't have to look hard.  They were surrounding the highway when we got closer to the field...

They were everywhere!

My favorite was the buck with the growing antlers.

And that, was the end of our Oregon vacation.  TONS of photos taken to document the trip and more memories made than I can count.  We were truly blessed.