Harris Beach 2011, Part I–Wed-Thurs, August 17-18

Our yearly trips to Harris Beach have been going on for more years than I can remember.  Landon and Davis have started to make memories there now too, and Landon told us on the way that he loves camping at the beach because it’s fun to sleep in the tent and because we have the best breakfasts.  I can’t argue with that!  Our trip to Harris Beach this year was missing some important family members – Becky and Nate and their family, and Camille and Bryce.  This isn’t the first year we’ve gone to the coast without some family members.  In fact, Shane and I figured out that this was his tenth visit to Harris Beach with my family, and 7 of those 10 times, we have been missing at least one family member.  We hope we can all be there next year!  It just isn’t the same without everyone there.

We arrived Wednesday evening.  As soon as we came out of the Redwood forest and saw the ocean, Landon and Davis were so excited to see the ocean.  Landon exclaimed, “Davis!  We’re to the ocean!  I can even smell the water!”  Once we arrived, we set up our tent, ate a quick dinner, and we walked down to the beach for the sunset.  (Dave and Liz didn’t make it until later that evening.)   

     

As soon as we got down to the water, Davis started picking up the muddy sand and threw it into the ocean.  This became one of his favorite past times anytime we were down by the water!  (last 3 pictures by Stacey)

We had a pretty good night all sleeping in our tents.  Mom and Dad agreed to sleep in the yurt with James, so we slept in our tent with Landon and Davis.  It was chilly as always the next morning, but we had hot chocolate to drink and some yummy croissant breakfast sandwiches. (Like Landon said, there’s always good breakfast at the coast).

   

Dave and Liz, as they are without children, were lucky enough to sleep in a little.  After awhile, Dave poked his head out, asking for breakfast in bed.  Davis obliged and brought him a few donut holes on a plate.

 

My mom always packs a fun little bag for the grandkids of fun items to play with at the coast.  Here are all of the kids with their bags (James was napping):

We then braved our swimming suits, loaded up, and headed down to the beach.  It is quite a trek with all of our stuff, and the fog cover was still pretty thick, but sometimes the cloud cover makes for a less windy/more pleasant day.  We lucked out though, because shortly after arriving down to the beach, the sun came out, and the wind stayed away, and it ended up being a great day at the beach.

     

 

Landon and Davis started throwing sand into the waves almost as soon as we got down there

   

James loved the water too and just wanted to stay and play in the waves.

   

   

Jake and Dave started almost immediately on a sand castle, and Liz helped with the finishing touches.

 

Dad taking a little nap, and all of our stuff down on the beach

 

Dave and Ethan in the small stream, and Shane playing with James in the sand

Stacey shot this series of pictures of Davis and Ethan lying in the sand.  They were there forever, laughing and playing with their hands in the sand.  They started in one spot, then left to do something else, but were back soon in another spot doing the same thing.

     

 

Wading in the stream with Landon and Davis, and all of us sitting around eating hot dogs for lunch.

After lunch and a little nap, we were getting warm enough to brave the water.  It was actually not too bad this year, and I got in and eventually coaxed Stacey to come in too.  Jake was promising all sorts of prizes for dunking our heads, but I didn’t quite feel like that much, but I did go up to my neck.

       

Some proof of Stacey and me in the water

 

   

The kids also had fun sitting on Dave after he was buried in the sand, and playing in the huge hole Jake dug in the sand.

     

We got back to our campsite in time to shower and have some yummy tin foil dinners, but not in time for another sunset that day.  We were all pretty exhausted!