Weekend Campout at the Oregon Coast

This weekend we loaded up the crew and met the rest of our families out at Hammond, Oregon. We camped at the KOA across from Ft Stevens.

The plan was for two nights... but the load of gear says "two weeks". Its nice to take anything that sounds good.




After arrival, we hit the beach.

The favorite beach activity was 'dune cliff jumping'.







Alot of beach combing - the fun stuff was the clear, jelly slime.

At least it doesn't sting...

...and the kids are less prone to put it in their pocket and forget about it.




The shipwreck is still there... just like an old friend from 30 years ago.

We had great weather and beautiful sunsets.





And more dune jumping.

With sunsets, even.







Alot of the kids enjoyed the "Free Fishing" day in Oregon by trying to catch those fast little clams.

Its funny when Dad tries to get one.






The KOA had really nice facilities - and the pool was a big favorite.

It is nice with the kids to get them wet for a long time without the sandy mess. Going to the beach always brings expectations from the kids to swim, but Oregon's waters are cold and treacherous, so a pool is just the ticket.

And a new swimsuit is even MORE exciting!


The KOA also had a huge, jumping pillow. Better than a trampoline and not nearly as dangerous.

Not dangerous, that is, until 30 or 40 kids are on it at a time!

Or a couple Dads jump on...




Croquet was another fun time.

They spent more time posing for photos than hitting the stakes, though.






Most of the time was spent sitting around the campfire, eating and arguing about politics.

But that is good family time, too.

Be sure to show up early and don't leave your seat, because the good spots fill up fast!



Off for another game of croquet... and posing for photos...

With Ft Stevens so close, it was great to bike ride around.

Everything is within an easy ride - the beach, the lake, the sites...

and with the paths everywhere, the heavy vehicle traffic wasn't a big deal.

We did some fishing at Coffenbury lake, too. We didn't catch anything worth picturing... all the good spots were taken.

We saw alot of fish caught, though, and some of them were big (~15-16") so it is worth checking out in the future.

And then back to some more dune jumping.

And some more...

I guess with the video games run out of batteries, there is something else in the world to do.

Lots of things to photograph.

And then delete later on. How many pictures of a seagull do we need?

Digital cameras are great - and so is the delete key after the vacation is over!

This picture really sums up the trip - a big grin, a sunburn, a tired look in his eye, but excitement with his sticky handful of late-night fun!

Forget oil - we need more sugar and the world will continue to turn... only faster when powered by a 6-year old on s'mores!

After the kids passed out from exhaustion (or sugar coma), the nightlife came out.

Big, fat, and sassy, these coons were bold and picky.

Sunday morning came around with cooler weather and morning headaches from too much sun.

The KOA's cabins were very comfortable.

We loaded up the kids, got ready for church, and made the drive to the Long Beach, WA branch where we had an assignment.

The best way to end a great weekend as a family - real "quality" family time.