Life After Our First Mission: Family Cortez at the Oregon Coast

The Oregon Coast

Kyton Cortez

I’m writing this blog a little bit late because last Sunday we were on a three-day mini vacation with the Cortez’s and didn’t get home until Monday evening. We had a great time at the coast.

We left Portland following Kyton's and Simon’s doctor appointments. Because it was around rush hour we stopped at the Mongolian Grill for dinner. It worked - the traffic was tolerable. It was also the Hood to Coast relay race. They ran North of highway 26 and we traveled South of highway 26 toward Tillamook.

We settled in at Rockaway in Jan’s mobil home. It was cozy and roomy and ideal for the six of us. After playing “Go Fish” for a couple of games, we all went to bed.

Simon Cortez

The early risers, Simon and me, went for a walk on the beach. It was sunny and warm without even the slightest breeze. It was the beginning of a perfect day at the beach.

After Breakfast we packed a lunch and headed North. Our loose schedule would take us beach hopping, Seaside, Astoria and Fort Stevens.

As we passed Oswald Stake Park we made a decision to stop at Hug Point instead. It was beautiful at Hug Point and the kids got a lot of hugs. We explored the rocks, the falls and the waves before we loaded up the car and drove to Cannon Beach where we had lunch in the park.

Strolling the Beach at Hug Point

When we arrived at Seaside it was obviously crowded with thousands of Hood to Coast runners. We parked a half-a-mile from the festivities and walked along the promenade. We stayed briefly at the playground adjacent to the party and then walked to the games and rides part of town. We played some games and then rode the Bumper Cars and the Tilt-a-whirl. Dairy Queen was close by, and we had a treat before leaving town and driving North toward Astoria.

It was a wonderful day to climb the Column atop the hills of Astoria. The view was spectacular. We stopped by the Maritime Museum to view the “Coast Guard Rescue” in the window. We decided to drive the five-mile long bridge across the Columbia River to Washington.

Fun At Seaside

We stopped by Fort Stevens to play in the WWII Bunkers.

When we arrived in Seaside the traffic out of town South was stalled at bumper-to-bumper speed. The runners were all trying to get home before dark. We stopped by an Italian restaurant for dinner and beat the worst of the traffic.

The next day was cloudy with a threat of rain. We packed a lunch to eat on the Old Train as we rode from Garibaldi to Rockaway and back. The Tillamook Cheese Factory was the next event on our schedule. Dinner and Tillamook cheese and ice cream topped of the day. We also made cookies and smores.

The Column at Astoria

The next day, after cleaning the house and building sand castles, we drove to McMinnville to spend the rest of the day at the Wings and Waves water park. We had a great time there just as we did with the Cooks. Kae and the kids joined us there so Dakota and Emerson could have that experience with other kids. We played until they closed at eight o’clock. On the way home we stopped at Burgerville for a “drive thru” dinner.

These are great experiences for us. Thanks to all of you!