Mt St Helens from one of the many viewpoints along the highway. I was really surprised that it was so green. I expected desolation and destruction, but I guess the eruption was nearly 30 years ago, and new life is now abundant.

Grandma Jane getting some quality time with baby Alex.

Aunt Corky getting her quality time with little Alex. He seemed to have no problems getting comfortable in Corky's arms to take a little nap.

Just a few miles from our rental house in Neskowin lies Cascade Head. On our last day on the coast, we decided this area with Nova, Paul and Paige before heading inland. What a good idea! This short hike has a huge payoff at the end. The first section takes you through beautiful old growth forest, which is great....But the best part is when you leave the forest and find yourself standing on the edge of the world. This picture was taken looking South along the Coast at the empty beaches towards Lincoln City. We made a promise that day that we would find some way to explore those beaches on our next trip to the Oregon coast. Thanks for inviting us along Nova, Paul and Paige!

Paige stopping for a snack along the Cascade Head trail.

I thought this was a cool picture when I took it....but wasn't really sure why. When I showed it to Oneea, she said, "Oh, that's basically a self portrait of you, only you're not in the picture!" I think she summed it up perfectly...crazy beautiful scenery, calm waters, and a camera bag.

The Blue Pool (aka Tamolitch Falls) Our first real hike on the trip took us to the Blue Pool which is along the McKenzie River. It is truly an amazing spot that is so unique that I really can't compare it to any other spot that we've visited. The pool is fed from below by water that flows through lava tubes and porous lava rock. We hiked two miles on a nice, easy trail to get to this natural wonder. Once we set-up the baby tent and got situated, I took off around the pool to climb down to the bottom and take some pictures. The lighting was a real challenge because some areas were dark, other areas receiving direct sunlight. So rather than get a picture of the entire pool, I started working on some reflection shots since the water was so calm. This picture was one of my favorites because it shows the color of the water (Where the sun was hitting), and shows the reflection of the tall trees that loom a hundred feet above the pool.

Oneea and Alex hanging out at the Blue Pool. Oneea was great as she watched over the kids while I got to explore the area and hike down to the water to take some pictures.