Day 8, Sight Seeing

We rented a minivan today so we could go sightseeing. We went to the Cape Meares lighthouse. It was a beautiful drive; the roadways being lined with trees so thickly that you could barely see the sky above. I was so excited to see the lighthouse and imagined all the breathtaking photo ops I would have with the kids.

We also saw the octopus tree which was really quite amazing but it needed a tree house. This was a tree that was definitely made for Swiss Family Robinson. I guess since it was some sort of state monument that we would have to enjoy just looking at the tree and it really was pretty cool.

The lighthouse was nestled in a well maintained park. We were able to look through telescopes to view sea life below. The lighthouse itself was small, but interesting. There were things I wouldn’t have ever thought of that involved visiting a lighthouse… climbing 40 feet straight in the air on a 3 foot wide spiral staircase into a small room where the only place to walk was a narrow walkway around a fragile lens that was not supposed to be touched. Now add five children. Yup, we got right back down and began to rethink our lighthouse tours for the trip. Maybe the lighthouse thing is more for older people, not little ones that want to do a blowfish on the historical monument. We decided to change our plans.

We went back to the cheese factory for lunch then to the RV Park for a nap. While we were at the Cheese Factory, we got a nice sampling of their yummy fudge for us all to share… a decision we came to regret later.

Later we visited Munsen Creek Falls. It was another gorgeous drive followed by a short hike to the falls. The vegetation was amazing and was obviously a self sufficient eco-system. After we worked up an appetite on the hike we decided to head to a resaraunt called “Pirate’s Cove”. It was right on the bay in the small town of Garibaldi, Orgeon. We had been told that this was the place to go for fresh seafood. After our last experience, we just hoped for food we could recognize. We were not disappointed. The clam chowder by itself (obviously loaded with butter) was worth the trip. We enjoyed crab, shrimp, scallops, crab cakes and even oysters (cooked). Those of us who liked sea food were in heaven. However, S still looked miserable. Even though his plate was plain Fettuccini Alfredo, he could hardly bare the sight and smell of the seafood.

The kids, having loaded up on fudge while DH and I slept, were bouncing off the walls – literally. In the course of our meal, in which DH and I wrestled the whole time with at least one child, we had an ice cube fight, oyster shells hidden in peoples water, B shouting at something, kids hiding under the table, two bathroom trips, a salad dumped over the booth to the other side and so much more. It wasn’t a shining moment for the Penrod family. Feeling on edge, we shepherded the kids back to the car and headed back to the RV Park. As four children (S refused to sing) joined in a never ending chorus of “this is the song that never ends."

Eventually, their energy waned and they drifted off to sleep. As I covered them with blankets while they slept, I remembered how I ended up with 5 of these little people. Who can resist such sweetness?