Oregon Coastal Dunes, one last hurrah before School.

Every Summer we make it a tradition to go explore someplace new in Oregon with Aaron and Emily

This year we chose the Dunes along the Oregon Coast.
They did not disappoint!  My kids were in love the moment we got there.
Miles and miles of sand, pristine sand and their imaginations.

We hiked the dunes several times, including once and night, navigating back using the GPS of our iPhones.  Handy little buggers.

Kaelan loved the way the sand felt between his toes and kept want to just feel the soft sand.

Ansel loved to pretend that he was crossing a long desert...

Calder loved jumping off the top of dunes and rolling/running down to the bottom.

Joe made it the whole way without ever taking off his shoes.  Crazy!

The kids loved finding creatures in the sand and following their footprints

Kaelan captured several "friend buggies" as he called them and let them hitch a right on him.  He was devastated every time he lost one.  They were his pets.  Too cute.

Some of the kids in the distance, just to give perspective of the enormity of the dunes...

Emily's parents and Joe's/Aaron's parents were with us as well.  Emily's parents love crabbing and went several times, bringing in a haul for us to enjoy as a meal.  The boys were fascinated.....

But not sure they looked edible...

Calder was loving being able to be up close and personal to a whole crab...

Ansel was definitely not sure about eating them..

But he was willing to help crack them open!!

Calder gearing up to partake in the crab feast!

After they ate.. and they DID! They all had to had a crab claw and it was Lord of the Flies with their crab topped sticks.  

There are some very cool lighthouses along the Oregon coast, and it is always fun to go check them out, since most of them aren't being used anymore.  They have been made extinct because of the nautical technology that we have now.

Kaelan looking up into the light portion of the light house

So Pretty.

The stairs we traversed

Lighthouses really are so pretty.

Levi and his buddy Ezra.

Levi loves the babies.

So fun!  I hope we get to do it again soon!!