Lifes a Beach

     I have been wanting to take one last trip to the beach before I left for Alaska. So on the Sunday after my farewell Laura, Samuel and I headed to the coast. We didn't know which beach we would end up at, we just packed a bag got into the car and left. The drive to the beach was fun talking, laughing, and singing to one hit wonder 90's songs. The trip up there was pretty uneventful. We stopped in Longview to grab some snacks, when we were getting back into the car my sister Laura hit her head on the top of the door jam really hard and all Samuel and I could do was laugh. She was pretty sure that she had a concussion. We decided to stop in Astoria for dinner. We went all out and had Subway. Good times.

The Astoria Bridge at sunset

     After our gourmet dinner we decided that we would stay at Long Beach since it had been so long since any of us had been there (we used to go there several times a year when we were younger). As soon as we got into town we drove to the beach. It was so beautiful, the sky was full of stars and the ocean air smelled good. We drove around a little until we found a hotel. The one we chose was a little creepy, right up our alley. We talked a bit before going to bed around 12:30. Notice that I didn't write sleep. Because the only one that slept was Samuel. He fell asleep first which made it difficult for myself and Laura. So difficult for Laura that at about 2 AM she left the hotel in search for a 24 hour store to buy ear plugs. Unfortunately for her there isn't many places at the beach that are open until 10 PM let alone 24 hours. She said she fell asleep around 3:00. I tossed and turned most of the night before calling it quits at around 4:30. I stood out on the balcony and listened to the waves pour onto the shore. After about 30 minutes of that I decided that it was time for Samuel to wake up. I pulled his pillow from under his head and put it on his face. This was much nicer that what I told him I was going to do. Plug his nose until he was gasping for air. That was how our day started all up at 5:00. I was hardly phased, because being a father of twins going without sleep is nothing new.

  

The view from our balcony 

  

     Laura looked online and found us a little place to have breakfast. It was a cozy little place. People must know about the food because when sat down there was only a couple of other people there, and when we left there was people waiting outside. We all had omeletes. They were really good, so much food I couldn't finish.

Yummy breakfast

     After we had breakfast we wandered around for a while looking at the shops. We went in the famous Marsh's Free Museum. There was all kinds of weird knickknacks to look at. After we finished looking around we decided that we would hit the miniature golf course. I don't think that Laura and Samuel were very psyched on the idea, but you will see from the pictures that they both had a good time. 

 Laura started us off. The first couple of holes she struggled but she came back in a big way.

 Samuel was our score keeper

 Good advice.

 Look at that form.

 Samuel working the angles.

 She shoots

 and scores. The first hole in one of the round.

 Fore.

 The creepy golfer giving us the skank eye

 Laura showing us her hole in one

My hole in one pose 

 Samuel's hole in one pose

Getting friendly with the bear

     It was a fun round of put put golf. Laura started off with a couple of bad first holes. Samuel told her that we stop counting after nine tries. Laura was not pleased to hear that, so on the next hole she got a hole in one. After a couple more holes she got another hole in one. Samuel and I were beginning to think that we were getting hustled. Samuel ended up winning the round by two, come to think of it he kept score funny how he won. I came in second and Laura came in third. We all had a good time.     

     Before we left we decided to leave it all on the track. Riding on the go carts is one of the traditions that my family has done while visiting Long Beach. They aren't very fast and most handle like crap, but we still get a kick out of riding them.

  

Samuel and I listening to the same schpiel we've heard a hundred times

A leisurely drive around the curve

One more turn before the straight away

The race intensifies

The carts bog down so much in the corners it is nearly impossible to pass. Here is Samuel being a road hog and not letting me get around him. (Note: I started in front of him this is me trying to lap him).

      Overall this was a really fun trip and I am so glad that I had the chance to take it before I left. Thank you Laura and Samuel for a really fun time, it will be nice to look back on these memories when I am freezing up north.