Heading Down the Oregon Coast

We got a late start this morning.  We had intended to get up at 7am and head out, but we didn't wake up until 8:30!  I guess we needed the sleep!

We packed up our cozy little campsite and got a move on.  The ranger at Fort Stevens suggested we check out Battery West, which is another part of the military fort.  This battery guards the Columbia River, and is partially restored.

Wow!  What a completely different experience.  Battery Russell was creepy and deserted, but here at Battery West, we could see what the batteries were actually used for.  They had replica guns and all kinds of informational placards for us to read.

We learned all about how the ammunition was stored and transported to the guns.  We also read about how they used the guns.  We are so glad we took the extra time to check it out.  It was a fascinating place to visit.

Then we hit the road again.  We stopped for lunch at Ecola State Park in Cannon Beach, Oregon.  We had packed lunches for the road, and this seemed like the perfect stop.  Being the Goonies fans that we are, this was a must see for us.  Parts of The Goonies were filmed in Ecola State Park...  you may recognize Haystack Rock in the distance.  The kids were beyond excited when they started recognizing the scenery.  It made for a great pit stop.

From there, we continued our way down the coast to Tillamook, Oregon.  Tatum had been looking forward to this stop all day.  We toured the Tillamook Cheese Factory and got to taste samples.  Yum!  Then we headed over to their ice cream parlor for a treat.

Ice cream...  or in Connor's case, chocolate milk.  Yum!  It was delicious.  We continued down the coast, stopping in Coos Bay for a seafood dinner, and finally making camp in Bandon, Oregon.

We set up camp quickly and made the mile hike (in deep sand most of the way) down to the beach.  Tatum was not amused.  I had promised an ocean side campground.  It wasn't quite close enough for her.

But once we got there, they were all smiles.  The girls really love playing in the ocean.  They didn't mind that they were fully clothed.  The got wet anyway.

Even Connor got in on the action tonight.  Once it started getting pretty dark, we headed back to camp.  The kids are beat, and so am I.  Tomorrow is a short drive to the redwoods.  We hope we can get an early start!