Over the Fourth of July weekend, my family and I went on a short backpacking trip on the Oregon Coast Trail, starting in Downtown Seaside, and ending in Cannon Beach. We spend one night at a hiker camp, and another night at a campground close to town. Guided by the Far Out app, with the Oregon Coast Trail downloaded, we were able to see real-time availability of amenities, check for trail warnings, and plan our trip with precision. It also helped us to gauge the distances between to locations with altitude and distance calculated, making break planning a breeze. The Oregon Coast Trail spans the entire length of the state of Oregon, so we hope to use the map for southern segment exploration later.
This momentous hike marks our first family backpacking trip, and the kids crushed it! We covered 15 miles, and 2500’+ in elevation gain along the Coastal Trail where we took in the salty ocean air, and through the trees along the ridge line, caught glimpses of the famous Northern Oregon Coast rock formations. At times the trails were muddy and overgrown, but most of the route was clear and lined with ferns. And to our delight and disgust, we saw a few enormous banana slugs.
In the evening we were mostly left alone by the mosquitos (thanks, Sawyer Picaridin Insect Repellent Lotion), but the hiker huts were a rodent hot spot with lots of mice scurrying around all night. It was gross and unnerving, but ultimately we were also a little too tired to care. We would have pitched tents the first night but there were so many dead trees around the tent pads, and as we were plotting our evening, we heard a tree fall not too far from our camp site. On that windy night, the huts made more sense.
The incubation period of the bubonic plague has passed without infection, thankfully. As you can imagine an anxious person would, I read everything I could find about the plague in Oregon after we connected to a cell signal — it was a serious concern for us when we lived and camped in Arizona, but not so much in Oregon. A relief.
This stretch of coast line really is world class, I encourage anyone with the time and means to visit the area! The Coastal Highway 101 offers many of the same views from the road, with many small towns to stop and enjoy coffee, souvenirs, or fish and chips.
After we collected our car from Seaside (a short bus ride away from Cannon Beach) we followed the 101 to the Tillamook Cheese Factory and enjoyed some tasty samples while taking in a self-guided tour. We grabbed a meal from their food court and then meandered down the 101 back toward Eugene, stopping here and there to take in some sights and sounds. Upon returning to Eugene, we talked about how enjoyable it is to return from a camping trip to a neighborhood that looks only slightly different from the woods we visited, and appreciated once again the duty assignment we’ve been handed this time around. We love Oregon.
This Thanksgiving, rather impulsively, we booked a cabin with a river view in Northern California and invited some Army friends along. Original plans involved camping, but weather reports were shaping up to be very cold. A pivot to a VRBO rental was the right move for a gaggle of kids and some dogs. Our riverfront accommodations weren’t exactly close to the National Park, but it had a big kitchen, space for two families and two dogs. And a hot tub. Driving a little further out to the Redwoods was worth it.
Meeting equidistantly with our Southern California friends made the most sense, and how lucky we all are to have the most beautiful National Park between our respective cities.
Thanksgiving cooking was a breeze in the fully stocked kitchen, and kids were never underfoot with 5 acres to explore. Imagination led them to build their own fortress out of found wood and mossy materials. Eating, walking, talking and relaxing filled the day.
Black Friday was spent outdoors exploring the Grove of the Titans. I am still falling short on words to describe the sense of awe brought on by Redwoods the size of 10 school buses standing end-to-end (we estimated as much). Growth beyond any reasonable expectations, these trees towered over the forest, blanketing and darkening the forest floor. Ferns sprawled across the ground like the prairie grass of the Plains States. Green beyond imagination, with sagging moss and fallen trees, the Grove of the Titans (aptly named) showed us the truest grandeur the Earth offers.
Words cannot describe, and photos cannot capture the scope and magnanimity of this forest. Though I tried. I implore one and all to visit this incredible place to restore your sense of wonder and appreciation for the vastness of the world around us.
Our recent trip to Québec included several days in Montréal. We were pleased by the slower pace of Québec City, so the transition into the bustle of a major city was a bit of an adjustment. Lodging downtown was helpful as we were able to walk across the street from our hotel to a metro station, and could find other amenities and attractions in walking distance. In Old Montréal we ate crepes, rode the ferris wheel, and browsed the local shops.
Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal hosts a daily program of music with a spectacular lights called Aura. Isaac snagged tickets, and we huddled into the cathedral with hundreds of others. Imagine a laser light show coordinated to organ music. It was pretty amazing, though not as powerful as the Cirque du Soleil CRYSTAL performance on ice, where we were perpetually on edge by the precariousness of the stunts and astounded by the perfection of the choreography. Nearby patrons were likely annoyed by my constant “Wowwww!”s. Isaac repeatedly used the gasp he reserves for only the most perilous situations. Our physiological responses to the acrobatics were an amusing byproduct. The entire show was pure pearl-clutching stupefaction.
If a Cirque du Soleil troupe travels to your area, do not miss the opportunity to catch a show. We saw the Beatles LOVE show in Vegas many years ago and had a similar experience, we left the show feeling as though we had just been flung into orbit, so surreal a show!
The Pointe-à-Callière Museum provided an amazing overview of the history of Montréal, to include an archeological labyrinth through the basement of the building (an old bank) and a pirate ship play area for children to discover some of the maritime heritage of Québec. Many timelines of life in Montréal, nodding extensively to the importance of Canadian First Nations were also on exhibition. I personally loved the transparent floors with miniature city timeline dioramas, the sewer walk, and the exterior balcony with 180 views of the Port of Montréal.
In 2023 I spent a lot of time watching videos on TikTok; time well spent because it became my secondary source for tourism and restaurant recommendations for Québec. Traveling over Christmas meant we had to work around business and restaurant closures for the holidays, as such, we were grateful for a robust Chinatown district to fill our tummies on Christmas day with savory hand pulled Chinese noodles from Nouilles de Lan Zhou and sweet Chinese pastries and Boba Teas. We made multiple trips to Pâtisserie Coco, their coconut cream rolls and ninja panda cookies were other worldly!
We also had animal-themed steamed Baos, and delicious milk teas. Any single restaurant we sampled in Montréal would have lines out the door in our Texas town.
The Biodome called to us, and we answered. The family crowds were thick with strollers and winter coats, so I opted out of the suffocating humidity of the tropical zone, but found the tundra area to be quite comfortable and amusing with a dozen or so diving and flapping penguins. The Biodome houses a wide variety of animals from different climates, all culminating in a large multi-level atrium with tide pools and woodland animals. The kids loved the tide pools with starfish and sea anemones.
Strolling the underground city was interesting but the weather was fair enough to enjoy walking outdoors. Rue Ste.- Catherine provided ample entertainment options, including a movie showing on Christmas day, where we saw The Boy and the Heron. Boxing day crowds were intense, but we made it through to Decathlon, my new favorite sports store, where I bought cushy wool socks, and Woody snagged an inflatable camp pillow and a new synthetic winter jacket, all for bargain prices. I came across one of these stores in Guadalajara, and now I make a point to drop in to any that might be in my travel areas (they have no stores in the US, sadly).
We tried Montréal style bagels from St-Viateur, which proved to be denser than we expected, but delicious nevertheless. Deli sandwiches from Schwartz’s were a must, I was told, so we checked out that restaurant, too. Every suggestion we received was solid, and I am so glad people are so open with their travel tips. Thanks especially to everyone who suggested Gibeau Orange Julep; incredible poutine and delicious orange-cream beverages.
I was also *blessed* by an amazing brunch poutine at Gaspar Brasserie Française: eggs Benedict with cheese curds atop a bed of breakfast potatoes. The hollandaise sauce was so flavorful and rich, I’m still dreaming about it. We had 10 days to sample all of these wonderful places. Ultimately I felt like we were very hungry caterpillars eating through pastries, salads, poutines, noodles, crepes, and sandwiches. I imagined this experience as die-cut pages of a board book, featuring our silly caricatures munching through the pages from cuisine to cuisine, culminating in very stuffed, very sleepy people boarding an airplane and flying off to a warmer climate. We are back to normal routines, thankfully!
The McCord Stewart Museum featured OGilvy’s mechanical Christmas displays featuring the toy creations of Margarete Steiffe (think Christmas department store window displays on a large scale), as well as an interactive modern art projector installation with iterations of early Montréal sketches and abstract overlays. We spend a spell of time playing with our shadows.
In retrospect, our journey to French Canada enriched our palates and enlightened us to French Maritime heritage and First Nations history. We picked up a few words in French, developed a small rotation of inside jokes, and despite walking 75 miles, we returned home a little soft and over-nourished. The kids returned to school and told their friends “bonjour-hello we ate rabbit” and bragged that they were truly conditioned to winter weather. They must not remember living in Alaska, because Québec had rather mild weather, topping out at 40F and dropping down to 20F, my favorite range of temperatures. I’m crossing my fingers for temperatures to drop a bit more here in central Texas.
I hope everyone can create an opportunity to visit beautiful Québec, but be sure to bring comfy shoes and stretchy pants, because the streets are ripe for strolling and the culinary scene is incredible.
Yea Yea Pueblo 