View from House Rock, Samuel Boardman SP, Hwy 101, Oregon
COVID-19 has rocked our country and our world and made so many things impossible. Fall (in particular, the month of October) has frequently been a time in past years where we've taken time off and traveled both domestically and internationally (Tanzania, Ecuador, Japan, Hawaii), as Facebook has (somewhat cruelly) reminded me. Recently, I have been really grieving (among other things, including not seeing family) the inability to take a true vacation from the day-to-day grind/stresses and seeing and exploring new places which is really the thing I love to do most in the world in my "free time" (there are only so many books to read, shows to watch and exercising to do without getting a bit bored!).
Wanderlust. I work so that I have money to travel. But when you're a healthcare worker during a pandemic, you feel guilty about taking days off to...just stay home some more (and thus haven't). But we still sorely need breaks and escapes, for our mental/physical/spiritual health, and the brain (my brain) also really needs novelty to thrive.
There are far worse places to ride out a pandemic "at home" than the rural northern California coast. We are so blessed to live in a county with a low population density (approximately 135,000 people) and access to wonderful outdoor spaces (conducive for easy social distancing) including forests and beaches, with truly stunning scenery right in our backyard (and weather which generally allows us to be outdoors year-round, even if we get wet). Due to everything it has to offer, we've heard that, due to the pandemic as well as NorCal fires, more people are hoping to move this coastal way, which may make it more populated in the future and less of a "hidden" gem of a place to live than it previously has been. We're still lucky to currently call it home.
Pelican at Luffenholtz beach in Trinidad last weekend.
On a last-minute whim, we decided to go on a short road trip to Crescent City/ Del Norte County about 80 miles north of us (and realized that, having not traveled in a long time, road trips are way easier with both children potty trained!) to view some different beach scenery (even our lovely coastline gets a bit dull after more than eight months). We found a comfortable and private Airbnb rental right by the harbor and stayed well away from all other people, packing most of our own food (getting local take-out for one dinner) and bringing our kiddie potty so we could avoid public facilities. We brought our masks but hardly wore them as we rarely saw others, even when exploring outside.
On our first morning there, we watched three racoons bathing in the backyard pool and then escaping over the fence. We heard barking sea lions, which were either from the nearby beach or the local aquarium Ocean World, a block away.
The rental didn't allow pets, but when we inquired politely about the possibility of bringing our small dog with us, the owner allowed it, and Pep loved her time there (and was, as expected, very well behaved; she also came with us on all our outdoor expeditioning).
The nappers (I'm not one of them) had time to nap!
We had spectacularly clear fall weather, and on Saturday morning, we drove north to just across the Oregon Border, about 30 minutes away. The Samuel Boardman State Park, named after a famous conservationist and "Father of Oregon State Parks," includes some of the most stunning coastline there is anywhere with many jaw-droppingly beautiful viewpoints at which to stop.
Here we are overlooking Arch Rock
Hammer-shaped stick!
(Some) boys (and girls) are just drawn to making weapons!
We rarely saw other people but here we are COVID-style by Natural Bridge (I'm not sure why the light is so funky).
We spent the late morning at Harris Beach State Park outside of Brookings, OR.
Before the wind kicked up, it was lovely and warm, a truly spectacular fall day (and great for cartwheels!).
We made a brief stop at Brookings' Azalea Park's outdoor botanical gardens.
After Niall, Kelvin, and Pepper's nap, we hiked a little at Tolowa Dunes State Park north of Crescent City...
... and then finished the day walking from our rental house to the harbor to catch a classic sunset over the Pacific.
The "OG" family!
On Sunday morning, we made it out to Point St. George Beach, which was cold and windy (as you can see by my hair and all of our layers!). However, it was an incredibly clear morning, and we could even see the lighthouse six miles offshore (not pictured here).
Parkas & the Pacific
Off the Pebble Beach side, we explored some more rocky seaside.
Iver "holding" a seagull
(little brother of course wanted to try, too!)
The boys snuck out to a rocky island when the tide receded.
We passed a large herd of elk leaving town
Our last stop of the trip was McVay Rock State Recreation Site, which is a rocky beach south of Brookings (known for its sea glass).
The kids had a snack and then rock climbed and rock hunted.
some beauties!
brothers at the beach
It was such a restorative weekend--even two nights away from our own home provided a much-needed escape from our day-to-day stressors (and felt 100% COVID-safe)! While there is so much wrong with our country, so much pain in the world, and so much that I personally have grieved and fretted about this year, there is something about staring at the lapping ocean waves (and seeing your kids bound with unbridled joy on the sand), seeing blue sky, and breathing fresh air which is great therapy for the soul and has filled my cup for the near future. For these two days, I truly believed that everything will be okay, even if it's back to the grind and "real world" on Monday. Thank God for this beautiful Pacific coast, which has truly been our COVID haven this year!
