As much as we enjoyed our time with family, it was time to say "adieu" as they made their way back to Utah. At this point, we made our way an hour south to Florence. On the way, we stopped at Strawberry Hill for some tide-pooling. We found crabs and sea stars galore! The wind coming off the shore was blasting us so we went inland slightly to Woahink lake. The spot we found was secluded and the lake was warm, so we spent multiple hours swimming, sunbathing, and playing music (Will may have even tried to tan his backside - shhhh).
After an unsuccessful attempt at crabbing in the wind we spent the night in the area and took a tour of the Haceta Head lighthouse in the morning. We couldn't get into the lighthouse itself but could tour the keeper's house. Pictures were not allowed but the house was beautiful. From there, we drove north with a detour to Hobbit Beach. The hike to the beach is beautiful, through an overgrown forest which made us feel as though we were hiking through a fairy forest. Back in Newport, we enjoyed viewing the murals in the Bay Front, crabbing on the pier, a tour of the Marine Science Center, walking around the aquarium village, and celebrating the birthday of the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. Celebrating with us were friends of ours from Utah who were in town visiting. We were given a show by a juvenile grey whale who was hanging out at the base of the cliffs, 60 feet below us. He was so close that we could clearly see his eye. This has been one of our favorite spots along the Oregon coast because of the plethora of activities available to us. A spot to which we would definitely return.
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After wildfires put a wrench in our plans to visit Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National park we made our way back to the Oregon coast. The Hill family (Aubrey's husband's family) were vacationing in Newport and had a few days left on their trip so we decided to head to Newport and spend a few days with them. The reunion was so touching. We left it a surprise for Dylan, only letting her know that we were going to visit some people she knew. When we pulled up to the house, Aubrey, Carver and Papa Mike were on the front porch. The screams coming from the back of the van were incredibly heartwarming. For the first few hours, Dylan and Carver couldn't keep their hands off each other - every time they passed, a beautiful look of true love would wash over their faces and they would have a big hug. It may have been the sweetest thing I have seen in my life.
On our first time through Newport, we seemed to have missed the Bay Front area of town. This was the area that the Hill family had their B&B and spent much of their time. We had so much fun exploring the harbor, and wharf, the small shops, the sea lions, the fish plant and the fishing boats of the Bay Front with Aubrey, Steve, Carver, and the gang. We also spent the morning on Agate beach so that the big Hill kids were able to surf. Aubrey,Will and I had a blast playing on the beach with the two smaller kids as they ran and played in the river's water, explored the rock walls for small critters, and played music on the beach while we watched the big kids play. That afternoon a variety of the gang spent some time crabbing and catching 9 rock crabs for dinner. Although our time together was short we had a lovely time exploring the this area of the Oregon Coast and sharing some much needed time and space. After leaving Mount Rainier, we headed in the direction of Glacier National Park. As we drove East, the smoke was increasing in density. We stopped for the night in the middle of nowhere Washington (Ritzville) at a cute little, family-run motel, the Colwell Motor Inn. While there, we evaluated our options and discovered that half of Glacier National Park was on fire. Wildfires were evacuating the Western half of the park and the air quality was such that we did not want to expose our lungs to that.
We had family visiting the Oregon coast and were invited to join them. The wildfires seemed like a sign that we needed to return to the coast. On our way, we drove along I-84 and decided to stop at Multnomah Falls. This spectacular waterfall drops 611 feet over the edge of a cliff. Is is a gorgeous sight to behold and only a 5 minute walk up to the base. Of course, a stop here wasn't complete without an ice cream treat. We highly recommend this little stop along the highway as a place to stretch your legs and get out of the car to discover the beauty of the area. It is a very short walk up to the bridge and suitable for everyone in the family. After saying goodbye to friends in Seattle we decided to brave the interior and head into the mountains. We knew that the wildfires were running rampant but it was quite shocking to see the effect they had on all of the areas. Apparently, the smoke that was affecting the Rainier area was coming all the way from British Columbia. We later found out that the BC smoke was making it all the way to Newfoundland.
We decided to visit the Sunrise Visitor Center as it was the most easily accessible from the Seattle area and we weren't disappointed. The visitor center road took us up the side of a mountain to a vista that looks upon Mount Rainier itself. We drove through meadows of wildflowers and through many tight curves as we made our way to the top. This area had a historic hotel, lovely old visitor's center, and many hikes which provided majestic views of this incredible mountain. Although the smoke was thick and we were not able to have a clear view, the majesty showed through the haze. With the air quality being as poor as it was, we chose a short hike that took us through the fields of wildflowers and also gave us lovely vistas of the mountain. Dylan worked hard on her junior ranger workbook while we hiked and explored the visitors center. She also participated in a water color workshop with a ranger and created a beautiful rainbow print. Our time on this mountain provided many thought patterns for me. I marveled at the strength of those people who have taken the time an energy to summit its peak. I also looked at the habitat that this area provided and became sad at the state of the wildfires in the area. I also felt very, very small as I realized that this mountain was formed through volcanic activity and realized that if she decided to become active again, her destruction would be so great that I would be just a speck along its path. |
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April 2019
AuthorCarolyn and Will Bollwerk share their adventures with their 5 year-old daughter, Dylan. |