Yaquina Head

The second day we headed to Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area.  It has amazing tidepools, an interpretive center, and lighthouse tours.  By the time we got there the next available lighthouse tour was four hours away!  We signed up and then went to look at the tidepools.

I wish the pictures did it more justice.  The pools were so colorful with sea urchins, starfish, anemones, mussels, chitons and many assorted crawling things with pinchers.

After briefly losing Sam, finding him and scolding him, we went up to the interpretive center and had a picnic lunch.  We then had time to closely explore all aspects of the interpretive center.

We all agreed that Ethan's outfit was the best.  If you look very closely you can see that he is wearing a vest that is sized for a toddler.  He was very much into dressing up.  Michael strategically placed himself in the back because the costume pants were ripped along the middle seam almost from bow to stern.  Sam also quickly lost the costume spirit, but he did humor us by taking the picture.

Finally our tour time rolled around and the kids started complaining (after watching the video tour of the lighthouse).  They decided it was going to be the most boring thing in the world, the tour guide was going to drone on and on about the floors and architecture, and they would have more fun back at camp.  I informed them we were still going on the tour but we did strike a bargain.  Every time the tour guide mentioned anything about architecture, the floors, and any war, each kid would receive a point.  For every five points I would give them a piece of hard candy.

The tour guide was a lovely young energetic National Parks ranger from Florida who started off talking about butts (the proper nautical term for barrel) of oil.  My kids were hooked.  After exploring the lower floors, we all headed up a circular cast iron staircase that was 150 years old and could only safely support six people per section.

We were able to go all the way up and see the lens up close.

Do you see how happy these people are?  That's because they thoroughly enjoyed the tour!  Also, they were each entitled to a cheap piece of hard candy.  They only earned one, but as I am a generous woman, I gave them each two.