Cruisin’ Oregon: Nehalem Bay State Park

Summer...who knew it was a relative term? Sitting on the beach at Nehalem State Park wearing a sweatshirt, two giant beach towels and giant goosebumps, I learned today it is.









The wind whipping off the water serves only to compound the temperature issues. Brrrr... (Have I mentioned both the beach and water are warmer in Newport Beach, CA at the end of December than they are here mid-July?) So now I know, winter/summer both relative terms.


Our first night in the RV was pleasant, warm and peaceful. We woke up, made a big breakfast, cleaned up, and took our entire “house” with us to Tillamook (AKA: Mecca for the cheese-loving Barber boys). The drive to Tillamook along the Oregon coast is amazing. Mist swirling on top of mountain peaks completely covered in greenery. All I know is that if I am ever a cow, this is where I want to live (just wearing a giant sweater!) Each little beach town comes complete with adorable shops and it’s own unique character. Anything from a marina with a giant blow up crab covering it’s roof to a hot pink and green souvenir shop covered with flags. It was the most amazing 40 minute drive with all 4 of us “oooohhhh-ing and awwwww-ing” over every little thing.


We hit up the Tillamook Cheese Factory for a self-guided tour that of course ended (I mean, where else would it really end?) with a tasting bar and cheese-shop. The boys loaded up on Tillamook goodies, and had ice-cream and we were off.



Lunch sounded good (especially to the three who had just had ice-cream)- the dilema, do we stop for lunch or make it ourselves in the RV? Hmmm.... once we saw the restaurant with “the view” overlooking beautiful Tillamook bay, the choice was made and non-dairy oyster stew was eaten. (I love that they used a “non-dairy” creamy base for the obviously not vegan stew! But WOW was it good.)

The sun was out, the temperature was a high as it was going to get and the beach was calling for our two boys (Bill and I weren’t going anywhere near that ice-water!) They wore their swim suits, ran to the water, touched the water (Romney made it in up to his knees!) and ran out of the water, laid face first in the sun-warmed sand like reptiles trying to increase their body heat.



They played, they frolicked, they dug holes and then they froze and we all walked over the dunes back to the campground, where warm up showers were in order.









After we had all reheated, we finally got a bike ride in that was seen through to completion. A beautiful doe greeted us from 20 feet away from our bikes as we started the ride. She shocked Romney, who wasn’t quite sure if he should be nervous about that or not. (He chose not). It was a lovely paved path of a couple miles through a beautiful wooded area.






The top of the loop went by the Nehalem bay and we marveled at it’s beauty for moment before deciding to do the whole loop again.











The boys and I were cold and ready for some warmth and we played card games in the RV while Bill took off and rode to the end of the Nehalem peninsula. After his work week from Hell, he had earned that bike ride.











I braved my first shower in a public showering space and warmed up for the night. Dinner and a movie finished off our fun, but cold day in a warm and cozy way. We are all tucked in for the night and ready for our new adventure in Fort Stevens, OR tomorrow-- Where the high will be a balmy 66 degrees fahrenheit. Apparently Einstein was right, everything is relative.