Three times in the past year. That’s how much I love Cannon Beach. We went last September, back in March, and again in July. And I’m already looking forward to going again. I’m not sure what it is about the place that draws me back. But whatever the reason, it’s always a nice escape from everyday life. It. Never. Ends. That’s our saying around here. And super fitting after I just sorted all the clean laundry, only to have more laundry to put in the washing machine. I need to have the washer free in about two hours—when Baby gets home from wilderness school, in the rain… even more laundry. I have a thing about laundry sitting in hampers. Same with dishes in the sink. In Cannon Beach, there is no laundry or dishes.
This will mostly be a picture dump. Because we’re sticklers for routine—we stay at the same hotel, visit the same places, and hang out on the beach in the same places. Although, we went crazy and added two additional places this trip: High Life Adventure Park and Ecola State Park. Let’s start with those, and then the picture dump.
High Life Adventure Park
We pass this place every time we go to Cannon Beach. I don’t remember if it was there when we first started going. Maybe it was? All the drives feel the same. The kiddos had their sights set on going this trip. And since we were staying an extra day longer than we usually do, we had ample time to fit a visit into our trip. Blaise and Laine are old enough to hit the main course. Saige and Baby are in the younger age group; the only available option for them is the lower course. It worked well. Two and two. Maive enjoyed hanging around the place, playing cornhole while the other kiddos adventured.
Blaise isn’t a huge fan of heights so I’m quite proud of him for taking on the course for the entire two hours. Laine is our dare devil and was all over the course, checking off all the challenges. Saige is our cautious one, so being down low was perfect for her. She made her way around the course a few times, taking her time being careful. Baby is a wild one, and was all over the course in a zippy fashion. I imagine this will be something we add to our Cannon Beach routine trips.
Ecola State Park
This has been on my list for a few years. I really wanted to check out the hiking trails. There are short trails—a mile or so—and longer trails into the 20-mile range. We settled on a 2.1-mile trail, 4.2 miles roundtrip. We parked at Indian Beach and headed South toward Ecola Point. My original plan was to park at Ecola Point and hike north to Indian Beach and hang out a bit before heading back, but it worked out. The trail is very well-maintained and gave me some of my favorite hiking elements. Like interesting trees, mushrooms, and roots galore on the trail. And bonus, ocean views!
Next time I’d like to park at Ecola Point and hike down to Crescent Beach.
Picture Dump
Cannon Beach!
On the way home, we stopped in Astoria for breakfast and the Columbia River Maritime Museum.
Museum kiddos!
Until next trip! One is on the books for next May. Hopefully another one, sooner.
Jumping Raccoons 