Chasing Zoie: Summer Vacation

There is a little something wonderful about summer vacation. Being in the sunshine, barbecues, family around almost every day, and our annual trip to the beach. The trip to the beach is probably my favorite part of summer.

I am lucky enough to live in the inland northwest where we are surrounded by beautiful lakes and rivers. And when I saw surrounded; I mean there are over 30 lakes and rivers within an hour drive of my house. I love where we live! (in the summer... winters are a completely different story)

As much as I love our area and where we live, I am also a lover of the beach. Every summer we try to plan a trip to the Oregon or Washington Coast. This last week we packed up the trailer with all of our sand castle and camping gear and headed out to Fort Stevens, Oregon with the girls. Fort Stevens was one of the first military forts in the western part of the US. It thrived during World War II and now... It's a campground just a short mile from one of my favorite beaches :)

Part of the Fort Stevens Historic Site where they offer tours of the old bunkers and military base.

We spend the mornings drinking coffee and swatting off mosquitoes. Then headed off to the numerous beaches in the area to search for sand dollars and other shells. We spent afternoons exploring other towns and beaches nearby. There are lots of hiking trails to hidden beaches and a ton of wildlife to look at.

If you haven't been to Tillamook or aren't lucky enough to live in the Pacific Northwest where you can get the Tillamook dairy products, I am OH SO SORRY! Tillamook makes THE BEST ice creams, yogurts, and cheeses. I am not biased because I live here and get to eat it either... It's a little more expensive to buy and I still pick that off of any shelf in any grocery store. It's richer and creamier and I can't get enough.
If you are ever in the area, be sure to try something. :) We visited their factory and sampled cheese (not that I haven't tried them all before) and bought ice cream cones and fudge and blocks of cheese for later. It's just something you have to do when visiting the area. Choosing an ice cream cone from their 36 flavors is not an easy task however.

Have you ever seen The Goonies? One of Steven Spielberg's finest! If you haven't seen it... Rent it! Now!
It was filmed in Astoria, OR and Cannon Beach, OR. Cannon Beach has Haystack Rock which is probably one of the most distinct and recognised landmarks on any West Coast beach. It's also my favorite beach to visit on our Oregon Coast trip.