how i spent my summer vacation

We returned yesterday from a week-long trip to the Oregon Coast for a family reunion which was bookended by weekends in Seattle and Portland. The flights were long (and it was hard to not think that we could be in the air for less time AND go to Europe if only we'd headed East instead of West), but I cannot even begin to describe how fun this trip was. I always love going to the Pacific Northwest; after countless summer vacations spent in Oregon, the place feels to me as familiar as home. We packed a lot into the ten days we were away from Brooklyn, and I still have a lot of recovering to do here at home, but here are some (okay...a lot of) highlights of our trip.

(Fair warning: long post ahead)


In Seattle

• We spent our first weekend with Blake's grandparents in Issaquah. It was lovely spending time with them. I also got to meet several branches of Blake's extended family for the first time, including his Aunt Janet, his Uncle Mark, and his Aunt Shauna.
• We flew in on the 4th and headed almost directly to a picnic at Lake Sammamish Park. Fried chicken and chocolates retrieved from the back of the freezer (and to Grandpa's great surprise) never tasted so good.
• We went on an excursion to Pike Street Market, which was complete with views of fish throwing, treats from the bakery, a thousand different samples of nuts, jellies, and cherries, and a photo-op on the golden pig. The crowds in the marketplace were so big, they gave busy NYC streets a run for their money.
• Also went on an excursion out to see the Chittenden Locks, which connect Lake Washington with Puget Sound. It was fun to watch the water level in the locks go lower and lower so that the boats could pass from one body of water to another on even ground (err...water). We also watched a few fish struggle up the fish ladders, as well as a beautiful great blue heron just hanging around at the water's edge.
• We got lost in downtown Seattle trying to meet up with Blake's cousin at a burger joint. We finally found them and lunch was delicious. Entertainment for the meal was provided by a decidedly very drunk man having an engaging conversation with an invisible companion at a sidewalk table in front of the restaurant.
• We took a serene ride on the Fauntleroy ferry to meet up with my aunt and uncle on the other side of the Sound, who we'd be hitching a ride with down to the Oregon Coast for the family reunion.

At the Oregon Coast

• The drive from Washington along Highway 101 was winding and, were it not for the colorful sprays of purple hollyhocks, white daisies, tall yellow dandelions, and flowering blackberry bushes, monotonously green. Coniferous mountains rise majestically on one side of the road while the blue-gray Pacific Ocean, with its white foam-peaked waves, flows away out on the other. The air smells of salt spray and campfire. It is so beautiful.
  
• Family, family, and MORE family! Our family reunions are not your typical Saturday BBQ in the park sort of reunion. We have them once every 3-4 years, and they are always held for about a week in a variety of different locations (past locations include the Oregon Coast, Yellowstone and Bear Lake, Nauvoo, and a lake in Minnesota). They are a BIG deal and always worth the trip. A sizeable chunk of the newly-married cousin crowd were sadly missing due to internships and other obligations. This year's reunion, however, marked the first appearance of the "4th generation": Garrett and his two second cousins, Rees and Lucy.
• This reunion was the second we'd spent in Rockaway Beach (the first being our initial reunion back in 1991). Like I'm sure we did seventeen years ago, armed in our matching screen-printed green shirts, we took this tiny coastal town by storm.
• A visit to Rockaway is not complete without a visit (or several) to Flamingo Jim's. Flamingo Jim's (or Flamenco Jim's, as my mom liked to call it) is more than your run-of-the-mill coastal gift shop. Okay, so that's a lie. But we all fell in love with it at the first Rockaway reunion, and now can't go home until we've sifted through the sea shells, sweatshirts, postcards, and other kitschy items, and picked something out to take home with us. Garrett's favorite item (which did not come home with us, despite the fact that it gave him endless pleasure) was a ceramic garden gnome. He instead is now the proud owner of a sand dollar and a starfish.
  
• A trip to the Oregon Coast is also not complete with a stop at the Tillamook Cheese Factory, where you can load up on delicious cheese samples and ice cream in any one of a variety of different flavors. Seriously, if you haven't partaken of the goodness that are Tillamook dairy products, you need to. This year's cheese tour also included a stop at the Blue Heron French Cheese company, also located in Tillamook. Here we stocked up on more samples which we may or may not have fed to the goats kept out front.
• Beach combing isn't always successful, but Blake found a whole, medium-sized, unbroken sand dollar, and my sister, Katie, found a tiny one in perfect condition.
• With the exception of some strong winds, we had perfect weather all week long. Normally it rains during most of our stay, but we had sunshine all week.
• Watching Garrett interact with his 10-month-old second cousin, Lucy, was priceless. He'd burst into a grin every time he saw her. (And then he'd take whatever it was she was playing with.)
  
• During our Closing Ceremonies, I won the Bargain Hunter award for my skills at the Seaside and Lincoln City factory outlets. Seriously -- I cleaned up. But I was on a mission: it's hard to find clothing in NYC for prices I'm willing to pay. I mean, it can be done, but it's a real challenge for someone who doesn't especially love shopping and who has to tote around a small child. Blake won the Jacques Cousteau award for his skills in beach combing way out in the surf -- and consequently getting quite soaked. Garrett won the Seagull award for his perfectly on cue imitation of a seagull call (some might call that noise whining).
• I played Wii for the first time, and doing so taught me that I'm as crappy a tennis player in virtual reality as I am in real life, but, on the plus side, I'm still a good bowler.
• Despite the fact that Garrett turned into a clingy Mama's boy when surrounded by adoring relatives, and despite the fact that for most of this crib-less trip he slept on the floor in the closet and didn't sleep as well as any of us would have liked, he did make great strides on the mobility front. He pulls himself up on furniture without thinking twice and is starting to cruise alongside it. He's become a fast crawler, but his half-crawl/half-scoot movements make him look like a gimpy, crippled baby. It's hilarious, and I have video footage, but you'll have to stay tuned for that. Oh, and he also learned how to climb up stairs.
  
• We gave my Aunt Bethany a baby shower, which we were able to keep a surprise until the very last minute. She's expecting identical twin boys this fall.
• Surprisingly, Garrett's first touch of sand and freezing cold sea water didn't phase him. After his birthday cake frosting fiasco, I was preparing myself for the worst.
  
• Other beach activities: kite flying, beach walking (and treasure-hunting for the three-year-old), a talent show (Garrett showcased his ability to roll a ball back and forth; we showcased our ability to help him), and lots and lots of lounging.

Tangent, Oregon and Portland, Oregon

• After the reunion, we all headed down to Tangent, OR, to attend my cousin Joseph's Eagle Court of Honor. Of course the major highlight of the evening was the actual awarding of the Eagle, but my own personal highlight was watching Garrett burst into a loud fit of giggles as he crawled around on the floor at the back of the room with his cousin, Lucy.
• While at my uncle and aunt's house in Tangent, I took Garrett for a dip in their swimming pool. He was in heaven, which only confirmed my desire to take him swimming here in NYC.
  
• We slept in Portland at my grandparent's house. During our stay my grandpa took us on a driving tour of downtown Portland, in which he showcased some of the memorable buildings downtown, as well as the apartments and hotels where he retrieves quarters from laundry facilities as a small side job. The drive also included a trip to see Ramona Quimby lived on Klickitat Street, as well as panoramic views of the city from up on Rocky Butte.

We flew in yesterday and are now trying to convert ourselves back to Eastern Time after enjoying a stint of Pacific Time (a three hour difference is a lot to get used to). I rode in my first NYC yellow cab coming home from the airport. Our driver was incredibly kind and didn't charge us for the extra miles and toll when he accidentally took the wrong exit and ended up crossing the Verrazano Bridge over to Staten Island. We've unpacked, grocery shopped, and laundry is waiting for tomorrow morning. It's good to be home.

We did take pictures -- lots of them -- which I'm assuming that some of you are eager to see. You can see them either by clicking the "july 2008" link on the upper left sidebar, or by clicking here. Enjoy!