We made our way to the beautiful Long Beach Peninsula a few weeks ago. It's just over the Columbia River from Astoria and it was a part of the coast we hadn't been to before. It was beautiful, expansive, quiet, grassy, not windy, and it felt very different from almost all of the coastal towns we've been to in Oregon.
We did our usual exploration of the beach and flew our kites and roasted marshmallows and then we tootled around the little town. It was over-the-top touristy (which I love) so we rode the bumper cars and the carousel and took a carriage ride and ate fish tacos and too much ice cream. And of course you can't go to Long Beach without going to Marsh's Free Museum. It really is an odd place filled with so much stuff you think your head will explode. It's like part coastal gift shop, part creepy fun house. The kids were delighted and disturbed by the taxidermy (I'm not showing any of it here because the pictures are just gross) and they thought the dusty carnival games were hilarious.
But you know something I didn't like about Long Beach? So much so that we probably won't be going back? They let cars and trucks drive all over the beach. All the time. I was pretty much watching the sunset with one eye and with the other eye, watching the party-goers do donuts in the sand and hoping they wouldn't lose control of their stupid trucks. I really did hate that part.
In spite of all that, we had an amazing time together. The kids were good little travelers and I think more than ever, they were interested in all of the sights. I will always remember the lush, grassy path down to the shore. I think Michael will remember his early morning walks with Arden, looking for shells. Perry will remember digging moats in the sand. And I'm sure Arden will remember the funniest part of the whole trip, when Michael found her sleeping in the bathtub, the bathmat wrapped around her little toes, as she found a quiet place to rest, away from a snoring Daddy…
