We just spent a wonderful weekend with Merrick's family at a cabin on the shores of Lake Quinault, Washington. We didn't know what to expect, but were pleasantly surprised by our gorgeous views and our quaint little house. We spent our days hiking, swimming, unicycling and playing lawn games. We spent our evenings around the campfire or playing games. I can't speak for anyone else, but it seemed to me that everyone had a great time.
From our house it was just a little longer to drive up the coast, so that's what we did. The kids loved driving over the bridge in Astoria.
Isaac checking out his new digs.
The lovely view from our deck.
It was
hot warm when we arrived on Friday, so once we were unpacked we wasted no time and jumped right in the lake.
My girls spent a lot of time wandering around on the shore climbing rocks and collecting drift wood.
Dinner on the lawn.
And another round of swimming before the sun set.
"Uno!" (Sorry, I know this is blurry, but I loved capturing Claire's big cousins playing so sweetly with her.)
We knew the weather was going to change, and had prepared for a rainy weekend. It was pretty amazing to watch some clouds roll in over the hills and others seemed to form right above the lake.
Saturday was rainy, but not cold. We opted to spend the morning hiking and exploring. We visited two of the worlds largest trees, stopped at the Quinault Lodge for a quick peek, and checked out the tiny mercantile in the town before heading home for lunch.
Isaac sitting in the biggest tree in Washington - the largest in the world outside of California.
The kids - trying to wrap themselves around this tree - the largest Sitka Spruce tree in the world. (The largest Sitka Spruce used to be in Oregon - right off highway 26 - but was blown over in a wind storm in 2007.)
The Lake Quinault Lodge was beautiful.
After lunch we got back in the lake. It was drizzling on and off, but the kids didn't seem to mind.
We kept the campfire burning all afternoon, which was a nice place to warm up a bit before diving back into the lake.
After dinner we swam out to "the whale," which was actually just a big piece of drift wood, but it was in the shape of an orca and somehow anchored in place. The kids took turns climbing on and off the slimy wood and claiming to be "KING OF THE WHALE!"
Isaac spent his time warm and dry on the shore or on the dock. We dipped his toes a few times, but he wasn't really missing out, and most of the time we were swimming he was napping.
On Sunday we packed up and headed home. I thought it would be fun to head to the beach all together, but was sorely disappointed by the Washington coast line. It was just ugly and dirty and blah. So instead we parted ways and all started the journey home. Once again, we stayed along the coast, this time caravaning with Merrick's folks. Once we were back in Oregon, it was time for a break, so we stopped in Gearhart and played on the "real" beach for a while. The girls ran and dug and drew and collected all sorts of things.
Claire and I were collecting sand dollars when a sneaker wave got us. I stayed dry, but she got knocked over and turned around and upside down... all the while holding tightly to her treasures. It would have been scary, but I was standing right next to her and had no problem scooping her back onto her feet. She was soaked, and a little cold, but still smiling.
So on that note, we headed back to the cars and made our way home.
