Vacation Bliss

Thom and I went on vacation for two weeks the last week of May through the first week of June.  We had a most awesome time.  Truly one of our best vacations ever.  Everything just went so smoothly, it was almost unreal.

On our way up to Oregon, we stopped in Morro Bay, CA, for two nights.  On a whim, and because it was a good price, we decided to go whale watching.  Our whale watching “ship” was a good sized pontoon boat.  I was pretty pleased with myself for not getting seasick on our way out to sea.  We were watching the horizon intently for any sign of whales spouting.  We saw lots of birds (seagulls, pelicans, etc.) along the way and lots of sea lions.  After going out to sea about six miles, other people on the boat started shouting “spout!”.  Me  - I saw nothing but endless ocean.

Finally, after being told the “spout” actually looks like sea spray, just higher in the air, I was able to spot a couple.  Then, wonderously, all aboard the boat, saw a mamma and baby humpback whale surface and dive back down.  The boat captain followed this pair for about 45 minutes, and I tried my darnedest to get photos.  I must tell you that taking a photo standing up in a boat, grasping the railing in hopes of not going overboard, and bouncing up and down over crests of waves is not real conducive to taking photos.  But, I kept on clicking in hopes of getting at least one.  You can see my photos of Morro Bay and my attempts at whale photography by clicking here.  I have to confess that I was getting very seasick and feeling very green on our return trip to port; and was ever so happy to stand on solid ground.

We continued on our way and stayed in Roseburg, OR for two nights.  We spent an entire day taking hiking trails in to see a variety of waterfalls.  Hiking was a beautiful experience as the trails wound through thick forests with beautiful wild orchids, huge ferns, greenery everywhere,  and a canopy of huge pine trees providing shade.  The waterfalls were all pretty much at full force and were just awesome.  If only a picture could capture the sound of the waterfalls . . . the sight and sound together are so powerful.  Click here to see photos of the waterfalls. 

The best part of our trip, of course, was seeing Jim, Becka, and the grandkids.  We had a terrific time.  Sophie Grace is a beautiful baby and sooooooooo mellow.  She melted my heart.  All the kids greeted us at the door when we arrived, giving us hugs and kisses and cries of “You’re finally here!”  My heart fills up and runs over with love just thinking of those kids.  We played games, went to the Saturday Market in Portland, and just spent a lot of quality time together.  It broke my heart to leave when the time came.  I will never get enough of being near them . . . surrounded by so much unconditional love and just sharing our joy at being together.  I am so looking forward to retiring and moving up to Oregon so that we can celebrate birthday’s and other special events.  Just babysitting is heaven to me.  Click here to see some pics of my wonderful grandchildren, son, and daughter-in-law.

We left Oregon and headed back home, staying in Winchester Bay one night.  This was a very small port town with campgrounds, lots of boats in its small port, and a smattering of  touristy shops which were all closed.  The high point of staying there is that it rained all night; and you all know how I love clouds and rain.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

We then went on to Crescent City, CA, where we stayed in a great place right on Crescent Beach.  We walked the beach for quite awhile in the evening and I found two whole (unbroken) sand dollars.  We only stayed there one night, but next time, we’ll be sure to stay longer.  It was just so beautiful, quiet, and peaceful. 

Now we are back home, and I’m back to work.  As always, I’m missing my grandkids and dreaming of the day I can be closer to them.