Cannon Beach

Last Saturday began our first official weekend in Portland. The sun came out {This was such an event I felt like it should get it's own sentence. And when I say "the sun came out" I actually mean "the sun's light was partially visible through the clouds and I wasn't getting wet"}.

Since the mountains are sitting under a pile of snow {perfect for ski bunnies}, we drove 60 miles in the other direction to the Pacific Ocean and the insanely charming town of Cannon Beach. Cannon beach, the beach this time, not the town, has the third tallest haystack {this is a rock, not a giant pile of straw} in the world so we took a little stroll to take a peak. These first pictures were all taken at 130 in the afternoon. I can see how you could get confused and think it was sunset. Nope. Welcome to the Pacific Northwest in December.

Signs like these are new. Goodbye severe thunderstorms and occasional freezing rain. Hello tsunamis, earthquakes, and the occasional volcanic blast. Good times.

And this picture doesn't fit with any of the others, but honestly, how great. There was actually a bench separating the two that was blank.


The best part of Cannon Beach was completely random and unexpected. We happened to come to town on the day of their Lantern Lighting Ceremony. The library was hosting the town folks, all 50 or so of them, for hot cider and homemade treats, then we all gathered in town square, sang carols, and two exceptional fifth graders lit the lantern. It was magical. There was actually a moment where the town Grandpa led us all in a song he had written. Seriously, I felt like I was in a Lifetime Christmas movie.

And then the sun actually set and we headed back toward Portland, filled with Christmas cheer and thinking that drives to Cannon Beach may need to be a regular thing.