trip to Oregon -- Gleneden Beach

We arrived at the coast on Saturday afternoon and checked in to our timeshare condo where we would spend the week. The accomodations were great -- each family had their own unit with two bedrooms, two baths, a full kitchen, and a family room. We all had a great view of the beach. There is just nothing like being able to look out at the beach whenever you want to, and hearing the roar of the surf. I love it.


The condos are built on these bluffs overlooking the shoreline. It's not really as precarious as it looks in this photo! (skewed perspective from down below) As you walk down the stairs to the beach, you see many warning signs about how climbing and digging on the bluffs precipitates their erosion.

Despite the warnings, there were carvings everywhere we looked. Mostly just people's names and dates, but also interesting things like this face.

And even Spongebob -- man, he's everywhere! While the carvings were interesting, it was sad to think about the bluffs gradually getting smaller and smaller.

Of course I had to coerce Marc into a beach self-portrait. I had totally forgotten how cool it is on the Oregon coast -- so different from the others I've been to. It was in the low 60s and very windy, so we needed sweatshirts or jackets most of the time.

the water was frigid! (not that that would keep them away, but it did limit them to wave-jumping -- no swimming at this beach)

The big kids spent a long time making their own tide pools. Since Gleneden Beach doesn't really have any shells (isn't it interesting how different beaches have such different characters?), they gathered agates, rocks, crab legs, and the like.

Eva was more interested in sand castles, and she definitely kept her distance from the surf!

Marc's parents, our generous benefactors.

Marc, showing off his glaringly white legs. Not too different from his white jacket!

We went to sacrament meeting on Sunday. Boy were there a lot of interesting musical numbers in that ward! When we returned to the condo, I broke out this puzzle that I bought at least ten years ago and which was still shrink-wrapped:

It was awesome! It's a jigsaw puzzle that is also a crossword puzzle. The crossword clues are on the back (not that they helped that much), and the completed jigsaw shows the crossword answers. I love doing puzzles, but never do them because they take up so much room. And because I become obsessed with them and can't do much of anything else. I spread it out on the bar, and Max and Michelle would come by and help me from time to time. It was the perfect vacation activity -- I'll definitely do that again on future trips.