Oregon coast...to CA

Great trip...driving along the Columbia River across WA and OR all the way to the ocean...Astoria, and then a long drive on scenic highway 101 all the way down the Oregon coast into Northern CA. We took 12 hours to drive a 5 1/2 hour drive because we took all the old scenic byways and turnouts and lighthouse stops....incredible! Nick graduated...and his speech was by far the best...but i'm a little biased, had nate and kamie's open house in our yard and it worked out great and was fun, then i went with my mom and dad and sister cammy and her two kids on this great little mini trip. In Crescant City, CA i found a hotel on the beach near a lighthouse and beautiful rocks (which we climbed by jumping and scaling to get to the ones further in the water and up higher and watched the sunset over the water up there) the owners of the hotel said it was the only hotel in all of CA that close to the ocean. of course, i slept on the balcony that night....but it was pretty cold and the lighthouse light would swing around and shine right in my eyes and the fog horn would go on and off and the ocean was crashing and of course i was much too happy to sleep....i just smiled and enjoyed! that coastal drive is just amazing and breathtaking! we saw so many things that others might miss by driving quickly through and not taking the extra roads...we even found a gift shop at this house on the cliffs above the ocean....literally if you could jump out the windows, you would go over the edge. i don't know how they stay in business...it was a small road and we just happened upon it. had so much fun watching my niece and nephew enjoy the ocean and everything as only kids can do...fun to watch my niece dance in the ocean every time she got in and roll in the sand...and both kids scramble up rocks and dig in the sand. {i miss my kids being younger}