Up and at 'em.

If you're ever visiting the Oregon Coast - check the tide tables. I cannot emphasize this enough. I originally planned our entire vacation around low tide - until Tim was asked to be assistant scout master and, as luck would have it, would be spending that very week at scout camp. Be that as it may, I rescheduled, making sure we would have at least one day with morning low tide at a reasonable hour. Friday it was! In order to hit Haystack Rock during low tide (7:31 a.m.) I woke the kids up at 6:15, crammed a cinnamon roll down their throats and drove to Cannon Beach. We had a good hour and a half of exploring this natural gem - made only slightly distasteful by the fact that Lily started wiggling and grabbing herself within 2 minutes of our arrival (and the bathrooms were, of course, a good 10 minute walk away). It's very possible that I allowed my child's bathroom needs to take a back seat to my own need to stick to the schedule. Heck, low tide doesn't last forever, folks. It sure made for a fun run back to the loo after an hour and a half of agony! She made it - I've never been more proud.

Anyway, Haystack Rock looks something like this:



You may recognize it from Goonies. Here's how it looks close up:



Can you see the migraine behind my weary little eyes? Yep, I'd been up for two hours in the middle of the night with a screaming headache and still marched the whole family down there at 6:30 a.m. Perhaps that may lend some perspective to why I have no sympathy for so-called "urgent" potty needs. Haystack Rock or bust, people!



The tide pools were simply teeming with life. Sea stars, hermit crabs, anemones, sponges.







There was a fair amount of tourists, too. Couldn't get a good shot without one crossing into the picture.



And, to think that in just a few hours, all of this would be swamped by crashing waves. Glad we came.



We spent the rest of our day sleeping, eating, playing games, watching movies, reading. A relaxing end.