A global pandemic + a record-hot Arizona summer = perfect timing for the Fullers to introduce a new baby. After a full six months of being housebound, baking in 100+ degree weather, living in isolation (save Cait and our moms who we could not have done without!), and transforming into a total germaphobe, I was beginning to feel crippled by my anxiety and decided we needed a change of scenery. We were craving cool, cool weather (can you blame us), views of the ocean, and a lot of privacy. Something like… the Oregon coast. Rach had visited her good friend in Oceanside last year and my mind kept going back to the images she sent me of wide, open beaches and her in sweaters and coats. It took a bit of finagling to get Jake to agree to my plan but in the end, we found ourselves squished into our packed-to-the-max Jeep (couldn’t go without three coolers of snacks or the baby bathtub) — me in the backseat with a 2-month old, Jake in front, ready to take on 22 hours at the wheel.
After three days on the road, we reached our first stop in Oregon: Depoe Bay. The house we rented was part of a smallish, yet beautiful master-planned community. With its Nantucket-style homes, quiet streets, and direct beach access, the neighborhood was right on the money. We spent most of our days walking in the (almost cold!) weather we had dreamed of for months… and that alone was worth the trip.
The beach in Depoe was a little more rough and windy than we expected, but we still ventured out a few times for buddy to have a look.
We didn’t try to squeeze in too many activities while in Depoe (we’ve learned our lesson when it comes to overplanning with a baby), but highlights included: our first meal in a restaurant since February (we went to Tidal Raves, which was fantastic, and Benny was an angel), a trip to Yachats which is an adorable town about an hour south of Depoe (got hooked on cider at Yachats Brewing and had the world’s largest Tillamook ice cream serving at Topper’s), and visited Cape Perpetua (just the lookout as I still don’t trust my klutzy self to hike with the little guy in a carrier).
Our itinerary was lighter than what Jake and I would have done in the past, but it was more than I expected to do given my anxieties over Covid. Let me tell you, it felt A-MA-ZING to live (even a little) again. I realized that yes, getting out into the world means assuming some risk, but the trade-off of me regaining some of my sanity and well-being was more than worth it.
We also saw a huge change in Benny during our trip (almost from the get-go), and I credit our little adventure with his biggest jump in development yet. It was a small miracle (and a huge relief) to witness a kid who had BARELY been sleeping during the day to all the sudden become a pro napper. He was also incredibly adaptable, letting us tote him around anywhere. (Though maybe that’s because he was busy catching up on 2 months worth of missed naps?!) Regardless, when he was awake, we noticed a big difference in his alertness, focus and tracking, smiling, ‘talking,’ and really, just his overall happiness. He also went from being a tummy time flop (literally couldn’t get his head off the ground) to favorite – he loves being on his belly so much that he learned to roll just to be able to get there himself.
I’ll just top off my proud-mom-moment with a few pics of the prodigal son. (Hah!)
And then a few last shots of Depoe:
Onto our next destination! Rachel’s friend Susan was wonderful enough to open up her home in Oceanside to us. One word: VIEWS. Views, views, views, from every single window in the house.
It was magical to enjoy this gorgeous scene from the house (and its many decks and balconies); it was also amazing to experience it up close. The beach in Oceanside was MUCH different to that in Depoe. Wide and flat, it was so much more conducive to long walks with the stroller. It was also the perfect place to take a ‘few’ family photos for our future Christmas card. (A likely excuse… I’ll have 5 more tripod shoots by then.)
Uh, side note – notice Benny asleep in every photo? He slept the ENTIRE time. If that’s not a miracle, I don’t know what is.
Susan’s house wasn’t terribly far from Cannon Beach, which we decided to check out at the weekend. Problem was, it was Labor Day weekend, so it was way more crowded than I would have liked… but it was still very much worth the drive to see the super charming town and the famous Haystack Rock.
If I thought going to a restaurant was a treat, seeing friends after 6 months without was…. pretty indescribable. Thank you, thank you to Mr. Ballgame and his hot new wife for getting Covid-tested for us just so we could squeeze you tight. <3 Cheers to the boys….
The night after our little rendezvous on the beach brought heavy, heavy winds… and the start of the fires. We didn’t really take note of (or at least place much stock in) the changes to the air quality the following day, but in hindsight, we missed some big clues that the situation was going to get ugly. Here’s a photo that we took in Pacific City the day after Labor Day — no edits:
Creepy. I also think back to our last excursion in Oceanside – a short trip to Bayocean Peninsula – and how eery that felt. Rach had told me visiting this area was a must-do as it was the epitome of the wide, solitary beach that I was looking for out of this trip, so we made it a priority to go on our last night in town. It was just as she described it, but the increasingly thick layer of smoke in the air made us feel a little unsettled. (It didn’t help that you had to walk about 10 minutes through tall grass just to reach the beach, that we were the only ones there, and that the sun was quickly setting.) We managed to snag a few photos and hightail it out of there before we found ourselves in a scene from Dateline, Secrets Uncovered. (Still would highly recommend visiting – just under different circumstances!)
Few more pics of the boys in our favorite spot at Susan’s, taking in the views. (Yea, that vast white background below is actually the gorgeous beach scene… I just have yet to learn how to mesh dual exposures.)
We had planned on leisurely departing Susan’s house on Wednesday afternoon but that quickly changed as the skies went from gray to red and the smell of smoke started to seep into the house. The fires all the sudden got very real. We said a quick prayer for those in Oceanside and all along the coast, and hit the road to go inland before I got any more panicked about Benny’s tiny lungs. The skies started to clear after about 25 minutes of driving, and by the time we got to Hood River, we were looking at glorious blue overhead again.
We had reserved a room at Sakura Ridge for a few nights, and I don’t think I could have been more excited. Not only is the lodge part of a working farm with sheep, goats, and alpacas, but it’s also an organic pear orchard. Throw in the fact that it’s absolutely GORGEOUS and meticulously maintained, and I was in heaven. We had planned on visiting a few wineries the next day, along with some fruit stands and u-pick locales, a lavender farm, and a cider tasting room — does it get any more perfect? Sadly, we woke up on Thursday morning to the news that the innkeepers had decided to close in light of the fires and any potential damage, so our plans will have to wait until our next visit. But – we did have one really beautiful night at the lodge. I took as many photos in that one short, sweet night as I did the previous two weeks of the trip. We will be back to finish our stay!!
Thank you to our hero Jake for indulging us in this trip and making the long drive safely. Next time we fly!