Day 7: Wildlife Safari and Redwood National Park

Today was a great day! We started the day by attending the Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon. This place was worth every penny. You stay in your car to have wildlife come up to your window and cross right in front of you. Dad even got the giraffes to stop walking and look when he played a giraffe mating call. After the car ride, we went inside to the petting zoo and the tiny animals.  Following the safari, we crossed the border into California just in time to have lunch at In-N-Out Burger. After that, we drove to Crescent City. We explored Jedediah Smith Redwood National Forest and walked the Grove of Titans Trail. This trail was done so well and was appropriate for us all. Awesome way to end the day! 

Day 6: Whale Watching and Seal Caves in Florence

This was the only day that involved rain, which was a huge blessing as it was expected to rain for most of the vacation. The rain was just a nasty mist that occurred during our whale-watching boat ride. The kids were excited for this adventure, but unfortunately, the whales were not interested in being seen. We were able to see one from a distance, but it was not ideal for the boat ride. Following the boat ride in Depoe Bay, we stopped at their famous lighthouse and the black rock beach. We then drove to Florence, Oregon, where we saw constant smiles from the kids at Sea Lion Caves. The reason is that we were able to see a giant gray whale swimming for over an hour in a circular location near us. We also visited the Sea Lions Cave, where we spotted over fifty sea lions interacting with one another, playing, and sleeping. Great day!

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.