Our first full day at the coast started out with these harmless-looking, puffy clouds in a sea-blue sky.
After Baby had had a morning nap, we piled into the car and drove to a nearby wayside parking area and prepared to go for a walk along a paved pathway that paralleled the beach. Just as we were getting Baby all settled into the tummy pack, it suddenly clouded over and began to rain. Hastily, we took refuge in the car, checked the weather on our phones, and saw it was just a passing shower. Sure enough, it was all over in 10 or 15 minutes, so we headed out for our walk.
The path offered a great view of the breakers crashing into the rocks and spewing upward like geysers.
For years, Daughter had been wanting to take her dog to the beach. He certainly did enjoy all the new things to smell. In this photo, Baby's head is barely visible in front of Daughter's head. I am holding Louie's leash, so photography was extra-challenging.
Our path took us through a tunnel formed by thick brush/trees. It made me think of hobbits.
After another nap, we opted to hike down the steep road from our rental house, cross the highway, and walk directly to the beach for our second walk of the day. Again, we were treated to a great view of crashing waves and splashes of water in the rocks.
The tide was low, but we didn't find anything interesting in the tide pools around these rocks. Daughter did find one or two nice sand dollars closer to the water.
It had been a bit of a scramble to get down to the sandy beach from our access point, so we opted to climb up a set of stairs we found and return by way of another paved pathway. Baby was getting fussy, and it was beginning to sprinkle again, and we were not at all happy about that steep hill we had to climb to get back to our house, especially with a baby to carry. Even the dog was exhausted by the time we got back. We quickly decided we would drive the car to a parking place for subsequent beach walking expeditions.
Daughter was still not feeling 100% well, but tried to make the best of it. We spent the evening resting, watching a movie, and reading. The tale of our adventures will continue in Part Three.
I keep thinking what a contrast this trip was to the Oregon coast vacations I experienced as a child. We camped in a tent, and it almost always rained, and everything always felt damp and sandy: clothes, shoes, sleeping bags. Toilets were usually smelly outhouses, and showers were not available. My mother cooked over a campfire or possibly a camp stove, and washed dishes in a dishpan with water heated over the fire. I admire her ambition!
As a child, I found kelp to be highly revolting. I'm not sure what I found so distasteful about it. Perhaps it was the smell of it lying on the beach, or the slimy texture. I no longer want to gag every time I see it, so I guess I outgrew that quirk.
One scene sticks clearly in my mind. My dad and my older sisters and I were scrambling around on some rocks near the shore when a big wave splashed water onto us. Another man nearby laughed and commented, "Grampa got sloshed!" That really set us off laughing, because he wasn't our grandfather. However, he really was old enough to be my grandfather, certainly in his late 50s by then. He took the remark in good humor.