Day 24

I'm not sure what time the guy next to us got in but I do know it was very dark. I can usually go back to sleep pretty quickly when we're camping as long as it's not getting light out. And I realize we set up camp pretty quickly compared to others but oh man I was about to get up and help them so I could go back to sleep! I try very hard not to judge others as I haven't walked in their shoes tonight but it's so hard not to in moments like this!

I woke up next to birds and more birds once there was a bit of light. We had berries ripening all around us in the bushes so they were thoroughly enjoying their breakfast. It was super cold so I brought out my sleeping bag to get inside while I edited pictures from the day before.

We had plans for most of the day but the first one was homemade cheese biscuits! We arrived at Grammie's doorstep with empty bellies and a cantaloupe.

We packed up pretty quickly to get on the road to our adventure for the day at Oregon Dunes. This was our 4th giant dune area over the years - we'd climbed and run down, slid down, and surfed down. Today we would be riding ATVs all around them!

I'm not sure if it's the only state but in Oregon if kids under 16 are accompanied by an adult they can drive an ATV. The Oregon Dunes stretch for about 55 miles and we were able to ride around on a nice big section of them. After signing our ability to sue away about 6 times we watched a safety video and learned how to ride.  Before we knew it we were off!

I led us down a trail for about 15 minutes to the beach section. The speed limit there was 25 mph so we had fun racing around on the sand.

We all got cold pretty quickly so we decided to spend the rest of our time back on the dunes. There were little off trails just about everywhere we looked so we explored and figured out how to ride up the huge dunes!

The kids kept getting stuck in the softer sand and on the more sharp turns but they figured out how to reverse out or the unstuck kids would always come and help out. Love seeing that teamwork! Of course Ryan was a natural speed demon and could handle just about any hill. She actually said she wanted to race motorcycles!

Once our two hours were up we got back on the road to Beverly Beach State Park. Our campsite was very close to the beach so once we were set up we left Grammie and Laney a note then walked down to the ocean. This one was different because it was in Oregon!

The tide was way out and Brayden and Ryan were enjoying playing aorund in the tide stream. Cartwheels and handstands caused splashes and big smiles.

Brayden said it was warm so they decided to see if they could swim in the ocean. That idea ended real quick!

Laney and Grammie joined us for awhile and all the kids ended up plaing in the wet sand. Sand art is probably one of Laney's favorite things since she was a toddler.

Once Grammie and Lola came back from a walk down the beach I declared it was time for kids showers with all the wet clothes and sandy everything. We joined Grammie later for a fire and planning for the next day. There are just way too many things to do and too little time to do it!

As we walked back to our site I noticed we'd completely missed the sunset. It was a wonderfully cloudy day too so it was probably awesome. There were still a tiny bit peeking out when we got back so at least I got a little color.

Day 23

The night before I told the kids to start packing up their tent when they woke up. I assumed they would wake up around 7:30 as they have been but not today. When I got back from talking to Dave about some house decisions all was still quiet at our site except for some very annoying Stellars Jays trying to eat Ryan's bag of rocks.

We were supposed to meet Lola and Grammie at the beach this morning to be on our way into Oregon. Of course we were late but the Grammie got to catch up on some phone calls while we enjoyed the beach once we got there. The horrible mother I am made the kids go wash their feet in the ice cold ocean since we hadn't showered in a few days. Their feet were beyond camp brown color.

Within a few miles from getting on the road we were in Oregon! The girls enjoy time in the car when Brayden rides with Grammie. Besides the obvious no brother celebration they also have started listening to the 6 Minutes podcast for kids. We are close to halfway through now. It's a mystery that we are all glad we waited until all episodes came out. Each episode has a serious cliffhanger the original listeners had to wait a week to resolve!











Our scenic road took us past some very interesting rock formations but Grammie couldn't begin to fit her RV to park so we went into the town of Gold Beach and piled everyone in my car and went back.

Our first stop was the Oregon Beach. The wind was blowing the sand just right for natural soft dunes. Soon after we stopped at the Natural Bridges. This is definitely on my future hikes list!

The next stop was Arch Rock where we learned about some of the local birds. It was nice to finally be able to bring Lola on a trail now. Dogs have not been allowed on trails in California because of the wildlife. Arch Rock is where I added kayaks to my list for the next time I'm here.

A few days before Brayden spotted a brochure for a wild safari park in Oregon right on our way to our next city. The kids were excited because today we were actually able to go! Our first stop inside was the petting/feeding area where the kids were very popular! I didn't get a single picture of Brayden feeding anything because a deer ate his food in one bite!

Ryan made a friend with a baby goat! He just kept following her around even though she was out of food.

Next the kids went in to pet a lynx. This little guy was very unpredictable and playful. He climbed up the legs of the girls that went in before them!

Baby animals are always a hit in our family so we visited the nursery next. The first baby was a cavy. He wasn't a baby but he had a baby girl in his room with him. This guy was basically a giant guinea pig.

The ferrets came out next. My kids hold these guys all the time at the pet store and instantly want to bring them home. This guy was still half asleep I think so he was very relaxed.

Eclaire the skunk was next. She was a baby skunk that had been de-scented. She had the sweetest little brown face and the softest fur.

Lucy the possum was brought out next. The handler said anyone 13 and older can hold her so I begged Brayden to try it but he refused. Grammie takes care of these guys all the time at the Wildlife Sanctuary and we probably release 5-6 on her property every month. But she still couldn't convince him. The girls wanted to hold her of course but were just under 13. So I held her. She was super gentle and sweet like a little baby and much more fluffy than the possums Grammie brings home!

We all got to pet 13-week old Phyllis the groundhog next. We'd seen these guys all over the midwest on our trip a few years ago so it was fun to actually be able to pet her.

Last and definitely my favorite was Groot the 13-week old raccoon. Anyone 13 or older could hold her but Brayden refused again. The girls were grimacing at me. If only they were 2 months older! She was fascinated by just about everything and just wanted to touch it with her soft hands. She pawed my ring then my shirt and the straps on my backpack. She loved feeling all of Grammie's necklaces.

Ryan's goat found her while we were learning about the raccoon and why Laney couldn't have one as a pet like she wanted. I have my list of hikes and places to return with Dave, the girls have their list of pets they want. And it's a long list!

One of the handlers had a 3 month old Siberian Brown Bear out so we all pet him next. He was 100% focused on his bottle the whole time. I just wanted to scratch his little fluffy ears so bad!

And Ryan's goat found her again.

Last up was the serval. The kids all handed me their phones to get pics with so I only got a few with my camera.

Ryan grabbed my camera to make sure she could get a good picture of her goat friend before we left. If I had looked the other way I think she might have smuggled him out with us!

About 45 minutes later we made it to our very busy and crowded campground. There is definitely a difference between camping at a national and state park but this one was more like a city park with super close sites and hundreds of them all crammed in together.



We decided on a quick dinner of sandwiches and salad before I made all of us take a shower. We were all pretty stinky and I knew we would feel much better after. By the time we got back to Grammie's spot she already had a fire going for us.







Going back and forth from Grammie's site we'd watched a girl meticulously write out the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody in chalk on the campground road. I think she might be destined to be a teacher!

We talked and played a game before the girls and I went back to our site to bundle up and read. It was a pretty warm day but I could tell it was going to get cold tonight!

Day 10

I woke up throughout the night with Lola snuggled between me and Ryan. She'd figured out the best spot - curled up in the crook of Ryan's legs on her sleepmat and quilt. She was exhausted from the hike!

 

Brayden and Ryan were so excited to have her with them they got up way too early to cuddle with her. She was loving it so much she didn't even want to come outside! Eventually they all came out and Lola watched as they played hangman in the dirt.  I could tell she was pretty sore and stiff so I had them take her back to Grammie's spot. I took a quick drippy shower for 50 cents and met them down there with the car.

We had a great breakfast and hopped in the car heading for the city. Our first stop was Old Town San Diego. Laney loves visiting historical towns and reenactments so I thought she would enjoy this one too. This place would be a little different that the towns on the east coast with more of a Spanish influence. The area was discovered in 1542, inhabited by Spaniards by 1769, and declared American in 1846.

After a stop at the visitors center I handed Ryan the map and we began to explore. The kids led us to the shopping area first with lots of colorful creations and wares to buy. We could already smell the fresh tortillas being made for lunch!




Our next stop was for root beer floats - always a favorite for my kids! They picked out a local root beer and we all shared delicious floats while we walked on. We finished just as we reached the carriage museum.

It was fascinating to see and learn about how wagons and carriages were used in this area. In this particular wagon, 6 people sat shoulder to shoulder for more than 30 hours with 15 inches of area. It would cost them $200 but quite a bit less if they were short!

The kids have ridden horses quite a bit but never thought about how to control more than one at a time like was used for these carriages. They all learned how to manage 6 horses and be able to control a specific one by holding the reins between individual fingers. We'd definitely need a lot of practice!

We visited the candy shop before we left of course. Grammie bought us all some treats for now and some for later. I was too busy eating mine to get a picture!

Next up was a visit to the beach. Grammie navigated us to Coronado Beach where we luckily found a parking spot close to the water. We compared and compared our beach to this one as we made the trek to the water. California beaches were definitely much longer!

Ryan asked on the way down about their swimsuits. I told her if she wanted to swim I would go back to the car and get them knowing full well she would be lucky to put her toe in for more than a minute. It was very windy and the water was yelp-inducing cold! Grammie walked in up to her knees but we stopped at our ankles and called it good. We examined the giant seaweed on the beach then headed back to the car.

By this point we were all getting a little hungry so I read off the local options to much debate. Eventually the kids decided on Mc P's Irish Pub because they had tuna and fish & chips. I was just excited to try a local beer! The food was delicious! I noticed a doodling opportunity on my coaster so the girls tried their hand at completing the dog. Not bad and definitely kept them busy until their food came and while they were eating.




Next up was Belmont park for rides, shopping, and time at the arcade.  The area was the busy boardwalk kind of place my kids love to visit. Brayden wanted a lifeguard hoodie from one of our beach stops and found it just as we walked in.

When researching San Diego I'd read about the Big Dipper roller coaster and knew Laney and I would have to ride it. The other two opted for bumper cars instead.

















The roller coaster had originally been build in 1925. It had survived fires and avoided demolition. It was now a National Landmark. It was wooden, loud, and oh so jerky. I screamed a lot and we loved it!

We looked through the shops for t-shirts and stickers but the kids didn't find anything so once Grammie found a shirt we headed back towards the woods. We would be leaving the next day so I took some time to reorganize the car. It amazes (and annoys!) me how cluttered everything gets when we sit still for a few days!

We relaxed for the rest of the night reading and playing games in Grammie's RV. We would have much rather been outside but the bugs were a 9.8 on the annoying bug scale. The kids ate and we played a quick game while Grammie got some things organized. I took Brayden and Ryan back to our tent for an early bedtime. Ryan reminds me some days with her behavior that she needs sleep!  Laney and Grammie were planning on a rummy take down tonight!