No snow = beach trip

After our whirlwind Christmas, our adventure continued with a trip to the coast.

Since we couldn't take Jill, Maroof and mom-in-law Donna snowshoeing, they opted for Cannon Beach. We decided huge breakfasts at Camp 18 would be a great way to educate Maroof on the ways of Oregon (since everyone thinks we're all lumberjacks here!)

And... the obligatory pictures with the carvings:

Then to the beach. It was Maroof's first visit to the Oregon Coast, and he took tons of pictures. He also commented how strange it was that a beach town was open in the winter (compared to East Coast tourist towns that are shuttered in the winter). We explained that the weather's not much different summer versus winter here :)

After visiting Haystack Rock, we did the short hike from Ecola Point to Indian Beach. It was a gorgeous day - so warm and calm on the day after Christmas.

 

Donna took a little tumble and ended up covered in mud. We knew someone was going to fall ;)

Because Jill and Maroof were due at dinner in Portland and we were running short on time, Brad and I left them to watch the surfers at Indian Beach while we speed hiked back to the car. We picked them up and had just enough time to get some taffy and caramel corn and drive to a couple more viewpoints.

It was so great to meet Maroof and spend some time sharing our beautiful state with him. Next time, hopefully we can get to Mount Hood.

:)