We took a trip to the coast! We celebrated our 5 year anniversary this August and we wanted a special way to mark the occasion. We booked an ocean view AirBnb in Lincoln City in August. I will start by saying we will never go in August again! Everywhere we went was so crowded AND the Airbnb was really expensive. We had a much nicer time when we went last year in September.
Day 1 – Travel Day. We departed at 1pm hoping to have everyone sleep in the car for nap time. Which 2 out of 3 children did! We had a really nice drive there. We stopped once at a rest stop to stretch our legs and feed Gal. I packed Uncrustables and chips for everyone else that we ate while driving. We also brought a few DVDs that I checked out from the library before we left. Upon arrival we unpacked and got settled. We got pizza for dinner the first night from Tye Dye Pie. I went to pick it up and it wasn’t ready and the pizza place was 100 degrees inside (possibly more. Idk it was so freaking hot.) Then the cook and cashier were having a fight the whole time which was super awkward to listen to. After dinner we intended to go to the beach and watch the sunset but it was crazy windy and none of us had sweaters or pants on (Gal was the most unhappy with the situation!)
Day 2 – Beach Day. We ate sugar cereal (beach tradition!) and pizza for breakfast then went to the beach. The boys loved it and had the best time. Gal wasn’t impressed and I spent most of my time trying to make her comfortable. I finally put her in the baby carrier and wrapped blankets around us which settled her down. After the beach we came back for lunch which was more pizza. (we ordered way too much the first night. Which my husband said it was too much but I didn’t listen.) We then had nap time. After that we thought it would be fun to “go out”. It was not fun folks! First we tired to go to the outlet mall which was packed. But we had to park anyway for a diaper change. Then we thought “oh let’s go to a restaurant!” We drove by Pelican Brewing and the parking lot was also full and there was a steady flowing of people going in but not coming out. Then we thought “well surely Mo’s isn’t busy.” What fools! The line was 30 people deep. And that was only what we could see from the outside. We finally decided to go to the worlds smallest grocery store. It was then that Bud knocked a glass jar of jelly off the shelf. We’d all hit our limit and I said “we never should have gone out in public!!” I made the smart choice to grab a bottle of wine at checkout. We got stuck in traffic somehow on the way back. Once home we got DoorDash take out and played in the side yard our Airbnb had.
Day 3 – More Beach Time. After Gal hating the beach the day before we decided that my husband would take the boys to the beach solo and I’d stay back with Gal at the Airbnb. This was a big reason I wanted a house as close to ocean view as we could get. I figured I’d be staying at the house a lot with Gal and it gave us quicker beach access for fast beach trips. My husband did great with the boys and said Pal made friends with a boy a few years older than him and that family helped him manage the boys which I thought was so sweet! I had coffee and FaceTimed Maddie while Gal played on the floor. We had nap time and then we all went back to the beach. I was able to avoid any crying from Gal by getting her in the baby carrier right away. We had a great time until Pal fell in the water and was “soaking wet” as he repeatedly said. We went back to the house for a warm bath for all and then had dinner which was the leftovers we had from previous nights. Played some more in the side yard and watched a show then off to bed.
Day 4 – Travel Day. We got up and ate breakfast then loaded the car. This travel day was so smooth! We didn’t even stop once. Gal slept the whole time and the boys were happy to watch a show and munch on snacks.
Things we learned!
1. Don’t go in August! Like I mentioned it was so busy and I wish we had just waited and gone in September. We could have avoided a lot of crowds and probably gotten a cheaper rate in our Airbnb.
2. Bring warmer clothing! Last year when we went it was during a heat wave so when packing this year I was very focused on that. I only packed one pair of pants for the boys and really light jackets. Thankfully our Airbnb had a washer and dryer but that meant I was constantly washing their clothing so they would have something warm to wear to the beach. So pack more cold weather clothing even if it is August!
3. Pre-Order Groceries. We brought a cooler with a few essentials with us (milk, coffee, yogurt) and a bag of dry foods (cereal, grab old bars, pouches, chips). I wish we had planned a grocery pick up for our first day so we could have avoided the grocery store situation on day 2.
4. Don’t forget medications! I left my thyroid medication at home and didn’t realize it until the next day. I got really tired the following days. So double check on the important things!
5. Next Anniversary Trip Will Be Solo. For this being an anniversary trip my husband and I didn’t spend that much time together. We divided and conquered most days. It was a nice family trip but just not too much time the two of us. Our 10 year anniversary will just be the two of us!
6. Nap Time Travel! This was our first trip traveling during nap time and it made for a great car ride. I also ran the boys hard before we got in the car.
7. Get a Special Toy. This was the second year that I bought a special sand toy for the trip! Last year I got these construction trucks. This year I got matching garbage trucks for the boys. They loved it!
8. Not something we learned but should be noted. It’s very hard to remember to take pictures with 3 children!
Sister Hack 