Tagging Along

 August 2019

For work, Jacob sometimes has to meet with attorneys in WA and OR. He had to go to Portland for a meeting and since Riley was still off for summer break we tagged along. 

One day out of the blue, the a/c in my Tahoe stopped working ... during the hottest month of summer no less. And to make things even more challenging the temperature over this weekend that we went to Portland was a hot one. It got up to 100 degrees! Oh boy, it was tough.

We made a quick stop at Jamba Juice to get something refreshing to drink on the road. As we were on our way South on the 5 we got stuck in traffic. Being stuck in traffic on a 100 degree day with no a/c? Yeah, not ideal, and although I had a headache because of the heat I wasn't going to let this heat steal my joy. Besides, I knew we would be staying in Portland for one day, the following day we would be making our way to the Oregon coast!

As soon as we got to Portland we stopped by an enterprise to get Jacob a rental. We didn't know how long the meeting with the attorney would be, this way he would have his own car to drive himself to the meeting, and I needed my Tahoe for the following day to head out for breakfast.

Jacob and Riley remembered to pack their swimming trunks. Riley always looks forward to taking a splash in the pool whenever we go on a road trip. 

The following day Jacob left early for his meeting. After Riley and I got ready I drove to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. I like this place, the store and the food.

Jacob got out of the meeting around 11:40 am. We dropped the rental off and headed West through the Tillamook State Forest. This was our first time driving through here, it was quite pleasant. 

About 45 minutes into our drive the weather changed. Ah, what a relief! I had woken up with a headache again but once we got near the coast my headache disappeared, almost immediately.

We got to Tillamook by 1:40 pm. Stopped for some Mexican and had a late lunch. 

Silly boy! He's always making faces. Takes after his tia Claudia.

And of course our mandatory stop at Tillamook Cheese Factory. I got a coffee almond fudge ice cream cone. So good!

Continuing our drive up the coast, North, on our way to Seaside.

But first, we made a stop at Cannon Beach. Whenever we take a road trip to the Oregon Coast we usually stop at Cannon Beach. The beach is so vast and the rock formations on the beach are spectacular, especially given that Haystack Rock is here (you know, the big rock from Goonies?!). It's quite a sight to see.

We stayed the night in Seaside and now on the road again to Warrenton which is minutes from Astoria. Warrenton is where The Wreck of the Peter Iredale is. We've been here a couple of times and each time we've seen wildlife. We saw an owl and this last time we saw elk. If I remember correctly, we saw three elk, just this one wandered off on its own for a bit.

The few time we've been here the beach has never been crowded even if the parking lot was. The beach is such a place to ponder and contemplate on life and the many blessings God bestows on us daily. We just have to have the eyes to see them and God knows I do. 

I always see different types of jellyfish every single visit to the beach. I think they are very interesting. How can a mass of see through blob have life? There are so many mysterious and interesting creatures in this world especially in the ocean. 

The steel hull is what's left of the Peter Iredale wreck. It was a four masted steel barque sailing vessel that ran ashore October 25, 1906, on the Oregon Coast en route to the Columbia River.

Happiness consists more in small conveniences or pleasures that occur every day,

than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom to a man in the course of his life.

-Benjamin Franklin