Adventures... That's what I like to call every trip I go on. Some are small, others are big; some are pre-planned, while others are last minute. Each one is unique in its own way.
This particular adventure was a bit last minute. While looking at the calendar for Christmas Break, I realized the whole family was off school and work during that time. It was the perfect opportunity for some much-needed family bonding. Sounds great in theory, but two weeks at home with no plans and cold weather would surely make us stir crazy. So, I figured, let's get out of the house and do something fun the weekend between Christmas and New Year's Day.
We waited to say anything to our daughter until the day before we left. We decided to present it as super last minute. Mid-day we asked her if she wanted to go stay in a hotel with an indoor swimming pool. The obvious answer was yes, now? Tomorrow?! Yes! You better get to packing, we will be leaving very early in the morning!
We were up and on the road at 4am Friday morning in an effort to miss all of the big city traffic while traveling down I5. We cut over to head west in Olympia, WA so we could drive down the coastline to reach our final destination. Taking this route added extra travel time and slower speeds, but the views were totally worth it!
Our first major stop was in Seaside, OR. This cute coastal town has a lot to offer between lodging, shopping, and expansive coastline views. There is even a carousel in the "mall". I say this in quotes, because it may be called a mall, but it is not the typical grand scale sized area we typically think of. It is small with a few shops, a place to get coffee, and one spot to grab a bite to eat. We stretched our legs, got some coffee, and a few souvenirs before walking out to see the ocean.
Back on the road again. Next stop, Tillamook, OR. If you like cheese and ice cream this is a must stop location. At the Tillamook Cheese Factory, you can take a self-guided tour to see where they make the cheese, how it's processed and prepared to be shipped out to stores. When you're done there are pre-packaged samples you can grab. This then leads you down to the gift shop where they have a plethora of various cheeses, ice cream, pizza, souvenirs and so on. Don't forget to grab a bag of the "squeaky cheese", these cheese curds will squeak when you chomp on them at room temperature! There is also a dining hall where you can get a cone with fresh ice cream or an amazing grilled cheese sandwich.
A skip down the road, well a "short" 2-hour drive to finally make it to our destination. At this point we had been on the road for 12 hours, including our stops. We arrived at our hotel, it is dumping rain, and the wind is howling. I park and dart inside to check in. We go through the typical check-in details. Wi-Fi password, breakfast times, check out times, and pool hours. Immediately after informing of what the pool hours are, the front desk attendant then tells me, the pool is broken, empty and closed… indefinitely. I wish I could have seen the reaction on my face. Why did you bother to inform me of the pool hours if it is closed?! My heart sank. What am I going to do? I immediately get on the phone to see if the hotel next door has any availability, they are full, their elevators are broken, and their pool is closed for annual cleaning and refurbishment. I then called multiple other hotels in the area to be told they were either fully booked or they only had outdoor pools which are currently closed for the season. This is the moment in which I realize I have to break the news to my 7 year old daughter that we won't be able to play in the pool that she has been asking and talking about for the last 6 hours. She is devastated, 12 hours in the car and no pool. I’m mad, my husband is furious, and my daughter is upset. This trip is not starting off well. We make some more phone calls and find there is a local recreation center, with an indoor pool and will be open to the public tomorrow. Emotions are calmed.... for now.
The next day, we sleep in, take our time and enjoy breakfast at the hotel before heading across the street to check out "Pirates Plunder". A cute pirate themed shopping area, where you can acquire some neat trinkets. It's not very lively during the winter, but in the summer everything is open. Still definitely worth a stop and some fun photo opportunities.
After some shopping, my daughter starts asking if it's time to go to the pool yet. We head back, each some lunch and get ready to go to the recreation center to get in a little pool time. We arrive, go in and ask to go play in the pool. However, we were turned away because they were currently over capacity for the day. At this point, my daughter is in tears. The one thing she was looking forward to the most and denied yet again. I'm racking my brain, how can we turn this double bummer around. I remembered as we drove over, there was a kite store on the corner. The weather was currently perfect for it! The rain had stopped, and the wind was blowing, but not too hard. All three of us picked our own kites. A unicorn, a skull and crossbones and a small pocket kite. We had an absolute blast, getting them in the air, watching them fly and holding on tight so they didn’t fly out of our hands! We then played in the sand and watched the waves crash for a couple hours.
The sun was starting to set, and it was time to get cleaned up to visit the Newport Historic Bayfront. This area is full of shops, restaurants and Ripley's Believe it or not!. As soon as we parked and got out of the car, we could hear the barking of the sea lions trying to get comfy for the evening. Of course, we had to take a peek and snap a picture! My daughter found their grunts and barks absolutely hilarious. Her laugh brought a smile to everyone’s face.
We walked over to Ripley's Believe It or Not! World of Adventure and Louis Tussaud's Wax Works. Did you know this is 1 of 3 locations on the West Coast? I hadn't been in years, and it was completely different from my last visit. My daughter had so much fun, she asked if we could do it again as soon as we finished, as well as the rest of the trip!
We finished our night with some tasty meals and fine-crafted beers at Rogue Public House. It was a perfect way to finish a day that had a rocky start.
The next morning, after we got up and had breakfast we walked over the Oregon Coast Aquarium. It took us less than 10 minutes to walk from our hotel to the ticket gate. We spent several hours here checking out the sea life. We even got to touch sea anemones, starfish and sea urchins! Walk through the Seas of the Deep, a glass tunnel where you can see various fish, sting rays, and even sharks swimming all around you! If you have kids don't forget to find the playground, so they can burn off a little steam and excess energy. At this point we are starting to get hungry, so we opt to go back over the Newport Bridge to the Historic Bayfront for a late lunch/ early dinner at Mo's Seafood and Chowder. This is the original location of this small chain local to the Oregon Coastline. A must-stop for my family while out there visiting. I had a cup of their famous Clam Chowder and some grilled shrimp. I finally got my daughter to try shrimp for the first time ... She stole the rest of my meal and we even had to order an extra skewer! I'd say she's a fan now too!
After eating we checked out all the shops along the bayfront, bought some tasty treats, and even found some birthday treats for our dogs back home! Now it was time to head back to the hotel and start packing things up. We had to start our return journey in the morning.
We could have saved a few hours on our journey home but opted to drive along the coast one more time. No rush to get home, we still had a few days before returning to "life". As we were driving, we were trying to figure out where we should stop to grab a bite to eat. My daughter requested shrimp! So, we stopped at Mo's Seafood and Chowder in Astoria, OR. We sat by a huge window overlooking the Columbia River. The river that divides Oregon from Washington. The view was perfect, and the food was great as always.
If you're ever looking to explore the PNW, I'm your girl! The Oregon Coast is a sight to see. I have been up and down numerous times throughout the years, and it never gets old.
I wanted this blog to be real, and honest. Even as a travel agent, trips don't always go perfectly.... That's why I like to call them adventures! Get out and take those adventures!! Good or bad, long or short they create memories to last a lifetime!!
-Trisha Marsh
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