We LOVE the Beach

We had a wonderful 4th of July trip to Cannon Beach. The weather was mostly cooperative, although a little cool and cloudy and one day of rain. We still made it out to play on the beach everyday.

Driving took an hour and half longer each way due to several unplanned poop stops. For those of you who do not have children I apologize for all the potty talk. It is one of our more all consuming topics these days. Anyway, it was not bad driving. Our GPS does seem to think it knows quicker routes, but has yet to prove it self.

On our rainy day we took a trip to the Seaside Aquarium, which I would say to all who are wondering if it is worth their time - It is not. The fish all looked depressed or dying and the seals were cute, but in a very small tank. Every time we have been to Cannon Beach I say, we should visit the Tillamook Cheese Factory. So since outdoor activities were postponed due to weather we headed south. Well, so did everyone else. It was beyond packed. We past on the hour long lines for cheese and ice cream samples and opted to just buy some. The "squeaky" cheese was a big hit and I will have to look for it in the stores around here.

Steve was sick from my driving when we returned so Megan, Aiden and Nolen and I headed to downtown Cannon Beach for a little over priced shopping. We sipped lattes and wandered the shops and then headed home (hotel) with another delicious pizza, from Pizza a Feta (I believe we had four while we were there).

The 4th was great. My anticipation of a quieter celebration completely met my expectations. There are no firework festivities in Cannon Beach and very few amateur shows were going on. So instead of the noise that goes until 4am in Mill Creek, we only had a couple of explosions, which myself and our dog Ellie were very grateful for. Our friends the Woodgates came from Portland to celebrate with us and we had a wonderful day on the beach. The kids, all under five were not the least bit fazed by the wind and sometimes cold rain. They played and played. We had ice cream cones in town and more pizza for dinner. It was one of my favorite 4ths ever.