Our youngest son and his wife moved to Vancouver, Washington in the middle of the pandemic and this was our first time visiting them in their new home. We had been up here once before, for their wedding. The week of the wedding we did have time to see a few sights, like Mt. St. Helens, the Portland Rose test garden, and Multnomah Falls! This time we got to enjoy some other sights, but also just enjoy time with them, playing cards, going to church, and walking around the beautiful neighborhood. At this time they are actually living in her grandparent's home - who moved to an Assisted Living center last summer.
Friday we walked around the neighborhood, and I was in awe of the beautiful flowering shrubs in the yards, in addition to Van Fleet park with amazingly tall trees! They just don't grow that tall in sunny Oklahoma! My DH had a co-worker to meet up with in Portland so we drove across the river to Oregon and while they talked I shopped at IKEA. Then we went to the grocery store and I bought some food to make "horsey-douver night" as DH likes to say. I had a good time in the kitchen while everyone else had to work. It was a good evening, eating and playing cards together.
Saturday looked like good weather - translation: SUN - and so we headed out to the coast, which was about a 90 minute drive. How nice to live so close to the ocean! Our daughter-in-love noted the sights and her memories along the way. She had traveled to many of these small towns to play school sports, and her family had made many a trip out here to camp. We got to walk around Cannon Beach, a cute little town and also the named beach, see Haystack Rock, walk around Hug Point and eat at the Tillamook Cheese Factory! Not only can you see the cheese production and assembly area from a viewing platform, they have some really delicious ice cream!
Sunday we weren't going to church until later, so we were able to walk Van Fleet park again, then we worshipped and ate at a neat place called McMenamins (we had also gone there the morning of the wedding). It was kind of drizzling rain, so afterwards we thought we'd just chill, but it cleared up and I was anxious for another hike. We decided to go to Beacon Rock and get some exercise! It was about a 30 minute drive away. Turned out to be perfect weather - 50 degrees with a little breeze. Last time we had hiked Beacon Rock it was August and it was a tough hike in the summer heat. We ended the day with another card game.
We packed a lot into our trip and our kids were so gracious to let us come and stay with them! We've never really had kids that lived away from us for very long, so it's still a novelty. It was neat to see where they are living and experience a little of their world.
