The Oregon trip in words.

O.k. So my parents, siblings, spouse, kids, dog and self went to the Oregon coast. A favorite of my family, we went at least once or twice a year when I was a kid, not so much as an adult with children who don't like to go anywhere. Even though we heard the occasional "how much longer?" (understandably since the 6 hour drive morphed into a 10 hour ordeal) the kids were really good. The husband was good too, vacation seemed to suit him.
The house we rented was nice and very close to the stairs down to the beach. My husband not being much of a beach person much preferred going shopping which suited my son just fine. D got quite  a few new bionicles and a bionicle book. (obsessed?!-yes., He spent his own saved up allowance.)
On one of our drives(to Salem) I spotted a funnel cloud forming, it was exciting and scary I couldn't get a picture. It looked like it touched down in the hills.
M and I took the kids to the Aquarium where they have cool tunnels you can walk through and be "under the sea" and a touch station where D fed an aboloni  some kelp, definitely a highlight for him. The Aquarium Village was closed, it's still off season I guess.
We stayed 5 days and took the long way home (13 hours).
It was a good time, very relaxing even though I came home sick and was left with all the post trip clean-up.
Glad to be home but I sure wish that open ocean was still only a stones throw and a few dozen stair steps away.