Hug Point

There are so many different beaches to stop at along the Oregon coast.  You might think that most of them are the same, but so far, I've found that each beach is different, each has it's own unique characteristics.  Hug Point was a beach we often drove past, but hadn't ever stopped at.  This June, after visiting Niagara Falls, we decided to check it out.

There was plenty of space and sand to run around on, great for playing and wading.

 

And there is a small creek that spills over the rocks onto the sand.  We enjoyed climbing around that for a bit.

But my kids love to play in the sand, digging and building, so we found a spot to settle down and rest a while.  The kids played and Ethan and I laid on the beach, listening to the waves and staring into each other's eyes.  Haha, just kidding, our eyes were closed because sand tends to fly when the kids are digging and building. 

You know, I quite often miss having a baby.  The baby stage has definitely been the favorite for me, and well, my baby is 5!  Hardly a baby!  But as the kids played in the sand and Ethan and I just laid on the beach, I had to admit that while I miss having a little one, it certainly is easier doing all these things without one.  I don't have to worry about anyone eating sand, or wandering into the water, or getting too cold, or touching the dead seagull laying on the beach.  I remember being at the beach during that stage of life, with many little ones, constantly counting to be sure I had them all.  Now, we parents just lay on the beach while the kids play. If we fall asleep, it's not a big deal.  They all know to stay close.  And though I do still worry about the youngest a little, he talks so unceasingly that I know where he is at all times, even with my eyes closed.  Yes, I miss it, but I know that part of life is adapting to change.  "To every thing there is a season".  This season is different, but it's good.

Niagara Falls

One thing Ethan and I love to do is going down a road we've never been on before.  The kids aren't much for car rides, but Ethan and I, we will convert them.  There are so many pleasant sites to see and new things to discover.  This summer we discovered Meadow Lake Road - for those of you that are local, this road lays directly west of Carlton and you can take it all the way to the coast.  It's a very lovely drive, and if you have the time, you should turn down a dusty forest road to the Niagra Falls trailhead.  You'll see two falls for the price of one hike, and a fairly short hike at that, only two miles there and back.

 Banana slugs.  You gotta watch out for these any time you go hiking around these parts!  You definitely don't want to step on one of these fat, slimy things.

A view of Niagara Falls from the trail. 

Niagara Falls plunges over the basalt cliff at well over 100 feet tall.

Pheasant Creek Falls is a segmented fall, also over 100 feet tall.

Always keeping an eye out for slugs.  The bigger, the tastier!  Just kidding! 

This slug is doing a high-wire act.

Two trail cuties.  

This was a fun, easy hike. The one thing I didn't like was that, although there was one picnic table near Niagara Falls, there really is no place to hangout and eat lunch . . . especially if there is someone already occupying the picnic table . . . which there was.  Other than that, it was great!  And hey, at this point, you are already pretty close to the coast, why not head to the beach.  We did!

Colors

Life is certainly colorful with Libby around.  So much passion, so much zeal for life.  She's a friend to everyone, this girl.  She's colorful in every way, inside and out.

See the hair elastics around her wrists?  She's always wearing them.  She calls them her "colors".  She can have three, she can have twenty, but they are always there.  And that smile?  That is usually there too.