Best of Brookings: Coastal views and Festival of Lights

We truly love our Pacific coastline and have enjoyed venturing up to Oregon from time to time. We had visited Brookings (just north of the border) most recently in 2020  and have been meaning to check out the holiday lights which we've heard and seen advertised. 

Our friends the Spellmeyers were up for a day trip and we left Humboldt on Saturday am to make the ~2 hour drive to Samuel Boardman Scenic Corridor north of Brookings.  While earlier in the week, the forecast suggested clouds and possibly rain, it got better and better and we were blessed with a spectacularly clear sunny fall day (with temps in the 50s).

We first stopped at Cape Ferrelo viewpoint and walked a lovely loop trail which had great views over the coastline.  Olivia was a trooper, carrying our little Pepper much of the way! 

Picnic lunch with a view

We headed a bit farther north to a couple of other view points as well. Both boys were apparently "tired" from the first hike. 

Arch Rock

We then stopped by the Natural Bridge viewpoint and Iver went on the hunt for some amphibians.

Aha!

We hung out at Whaleshead beach, where the kids had a ton of fun in the warm sun, sand, and playing ball. 

Kelvin went with the "bigs."

Gotta love "winter" in Southern OR!

Pepper even liked being out there

She also found some warm arms to cuddle in (Nana Maryann)

Ball sports

We headed to Brookings Harbor and waited to get seated at Zola's on the Water.

 
The kids messed around on the docks (even tasting the water - yuck!)

We had some delicious seafood (which the kids did not appreciate) and the spiciest wings either Kelvin or I have ever head (in what they called "stoopid" sauce).

After dinner, we headed to Azalea State Park for the main attraction-- Nature's Coastal Holiday Festival of Lights, which we've been hearing about for years but to which we'd never made it.

For a small coastal town, I must say that the display (which took between 30-40 minutes to wander through) was impressive! 

There were lots of sea-themed lights. 

The kids got these holographic glasses that displayed santas/bears on the lights...

... that the adults enjoyed, too!

The kids abandoned the "waiting for Santa" line in favor for a photo on the "Frozen" sled.

It's never too early for Christmas lights (and carols) once Thanksgiving is over, in my opinion! Bring on the (Christmas) holiday season!