Suzanne sells seashells by the seashore

We have returned from the seashore! From Seaside, Oregon actually, and it was quite fun. The last time we took the kids to the beach, Suzanne was 3 months old. This time was a lot of fun and Kirk now has something good to write about his summer vacation...

Monday was a beach day. Suzanne liked the ocean, but she liked digging better. She also spent quite a bit of time eating the sand. I guess something is missing in her diet like clam shells or sand dollars or kelp. Kirk went straight for the waves. If you find a red ball with yellow stars bobbing in the waves, that's ours. We lost it the very first day...

Tuesday was a town day. For those of you not familiar with Seaside, it has a rich history as a tourist attraction. That is a nice way of saying that it is kind of a tacky little town with odd things to do. Actually, it is much nicer than it used to be, but the bumper cars are still a must-see. In fact, Grandpa Frank probably had more fun than anyone on the bumper cars.

Then we had a traditional Hunter/Brown family meal at the venerable Pig-n-Pancake. My mom and I would go here every day, but my sister believes that one trip is enough. They have umpty-bazillion kinds of pancakes--how can one visit possibly be enough?

We even managed to squeeze in Suzanne's first ride on the merry-go-round. About half-way through the ride she quit clutching cousin Hilary's neck and decided it was a fun thing.

The next day was excursion day with a trip down to Tillamook to go to the Naval Air Museum and the famous Tillamook Cheese Factory. Needless to say, the cheese factory was the highlight as it involved tasting, one of Suzanne's favorite activities. If you're ever there, don't hesitate to try the Wild Huckleberry ice cream. The other berries pale in comparison...

Thursday was a shopping/rain day. Mom and I took the kids up to Gearhart to a lovely cafe called Pacific Way Bakery & Cafe. The crab and artichoke ravioli was so good I nearly snorted it down. Suzanne had a grilled cheese panini and thought it was wonderful. From Hwy 101 north or south, take the Gearhart City Center turn. Go to the first stop sign and park. Don't worry, there's only the one stop sign so it's easy to find. When you hit the ocean, you've gone too far...

Gosh, I'm getting hungry again as I write this travelogue. I will end with another wonderful Greg Brown picture, Kirk at Sunset...