Day 5: Little Oregon Towns

Today involved a lot of little fun Oregon towns. We started at Seaside, which was a super cute town with an arcade, carousel, and family-friendly boardwalk. It was also the Pacific endpoint of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. After leaving Seaside, we went to Cannon Beach, where we saw Haystack Rock (the actual taping location of the "Goonies"). We didn't stay long because we knew we would spend a lot of our time in Tillamook. Tillamook Creamery was a huge hit, offering a chance to learn about their famous dairy products and sample some amazing food. The last stop was Kiwanda, which was a top favorite for the boys because it had sand dunes. The boys ran all around them, pretty much surfed the sand. The views were spectacular as well. 

Day 4: Portland, Oregon

We spent the day in Portland. We began by going to the Science Museum because they had a Jurassic World Bricks Expedition. It was on Kallen's bucket list and did not disappoint. Although the Legos were awesome, the highlight was the fossil exhibit, where the kids got to touch a real triceratops' vertebra, not a 3D-printed one. Following the museum, we explored the town, walked through the shops, and ended the day at the largest bookstore in the area: Powell's Bookstore. For Elyse and me, this was a heavenly place. It was massive, with discounted books, making us love the place even more.

Day 3: Mount Rainer

Today we drove from Seattle to Mount Rainer.  We spent most of the day exploring the beautiful scenery and the National Park. The hike was a little slippery due to the melting snow. Kallen and Dad went up further than the rest to explore the highest level of the mountain. Following Mount Rainer, we headed south to Portland.