Hiking Beacon Rock

JoAnna had never been to Washington State so we headed over to hike Beacon Rock. It was mentioned and sketched in Lewis and Clark's journals.
It was a good hike. The trail has been well maintained and isn't really hard.

The views were amazing and we weren't at the highest point in the gorge.

Grandma Cindy and Patrick, then with Hannah and Grandpa Ray down below.

Patrick and Hannah.

JoAnna.

A video on the trail.

All of us at the top before heading back down.

Oregon's Capital Salem

On the trip, we went to the capital of Oregon, Salem. Hannah had done an Oregon State project at the end of the school year. We had a great time making a cookie of the state for all the kids in the class to eat.

The roses and the cherry trees were beautiful.

Hannah and JoAnna.

Patrick and JoAnna.

Beach Combing

We spent some time at the beach, but it was not the same kind of beach as we have in Georgia. The main difference being you can swim at the beach in GA.

We had a lot of fun looking in the tide pools and listening to the waves.

Hannah was the early riser in the bunch. Hannah and I would head out early in the morning and go walk on the beach. One morning we drove down to Agate Beach and found an agate which is a translucent rock. We had a great time walking on the waters edge.

The beach scape is so different and so peaceful. As JoAnna would say, it is peaceful because it is to cold to be out there.

Joyce's Retirement Concert

One of the reasons for our trip to Oregon was to attend my high school choir director's retirement concert. We had a great time and got to catch up with a lot of old friends,

The former students performed with the current students. I don't think that the kids grasped how important Joyce was to all of us. Former students traveled from all over to be there.

We all got to say a few words about Joyce, and while talking to a former student, she mentioned that she was in elementary school and Choralation performed a Disney Spectacular for them and she knew right then that she wanted to be in that choir. It meant a lot to me because I was one of the students that sang in that program.

We blew the kids away with our signature attitudes and dedication. We cut a fool so bad, we had everyone in tears laughing. At the same time we were singing our hearts out. It was like old times.

Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

Yaquina Head Lighthouse is the tallest on the west coast. While we were up at the top a volunteer told us that the light of every lighthouse has to be at the same height in order to be seen 20 miles out at sea. I commented at how much shorter Yaquina Head was to the ones on the east coast, and he reminded me that this one is on the bluff so only needed to be built up a little where the ones on the east coast are at sea level and have to be taller.

Stairs Going Down

View from the deck at the top.

We hiked up to the top of communications hill behind the lighthouse.

Irises were growing wild on the way up communications hill.

View from communications hill Yaquina Head.

Stairs down to Cobble Beach.

The entire beach is lava cobbles. In the winter they said that the ocean brings in sand that covers the beach and then in the summer washes it all back out leaving the cobbles.

Seals and sea lions sun on the rocks just off the beach.

The waves would come in and create a really cool sound as it went out and passed through the rocks.