A Day at the Beach

Along the Columbia River is a vintage little fishing town named Astoria, and in that town is a humble pub that brews their own beer and makes killer burgers.  It's hard to find if you're not looking for it, easy to miss, tucked away along a dead-end side street down near the docks.  We've been taking Aaron to the Wet Dog Cafe for Father's Day for the last six years, since I was round and ready to burst with Andres, a prequel to many future Father's Days.  We've always looked forward to the trip, stopping in for their and bacon cheese burgers and award-winning IPA brews.  The trip is then usually rounded out with a jaunt twenty minutes further down the road to Seaside, where we stroll through the quaint shops, go down to the beach and get our feet wet in the ocean.  On our way out, we stop at the little creamery and have a vanilla cone.  Nothing big and fancy, but the Papa gets his beer, the kids get their ice cream and we all get time together, building on our own little family tradition.  This Father's Day, however, we were flat-out broke, and had to wait a month before we were able to give Papa his much-deserved Wet Dog treat.  But, oh boy, it was well worth the wait.

Aaron and I with Andres at Fort Steven's Beach, Father's Day 2006, just after our first visit to Wet Dog in Astoria.

The goal is always to be in the car by nine, and this morning we didn't make it until a quarter after ten.  The fridge was empty, and the boys were cranking, so as Aaron gassed up the car for the trip at Chevron, I snuck in to get the boys their first-ever gas station breakfast of mini powdered donuts.  At first they didn't know what to think of them, the white powder was sort of messy, and they had never seen donuts so little.  But, upon their first taste, it was love, sheer love, and they nibbled in silence in the back seat as we set off for Astoria, their lips coated creamy white, their eyes sparkling with joy.

I love Raph's expression.  Is this not sheer adoration, here?  Oh, little white donut, how do I love thee?

"These are awesome, Mom!"

We made it to Astoria just in time to hit the cafe with the lunch crowd and Papa got his long-desired beer and burger.  Then, with bellies full, and Raphie fussing because it's nap time and there's no nap in sight, we loaded up to hit the beach.

Before we got the water, though, we thought it would be fun to visit the aquarium first.  Andres loved the aquarium in Newport last summer, smitten as he was with the shark tunnel, and although the aquarium in Seaside is tiny, it still had some fun features like the fully-intact Gray whale skeleton, sea lions you can feed, the gorgeous vermillion colored Giant Pacific Octopus, and dime-sized hermit crabs that scuttle across the palm of your hand.

But the coolest part was that amazing octopus.  They're one of the most clever creatures in the sea, and we caught this lovely lady dancing along the bottom of her tank.  She put on quite a show for us, her long arms moving like ribbons in the water.

TO THE BEACH!

This is my entire world right here: my guys.

Once we reached the sand, Andres dropped to make castles and moats.  Had lavish cities, and elaborate characters instantly.  He found seagull feathers, crab legs, pieces of seashells, and brittle seaweed all playing parts in his drama.

The perpetual problem with Raph and water is that he's like a baby turtle, or some marine-speeding porpoise.  He smells salt water, spins his head around to the sound of roaring waves, and without any qualms or misgivings, he rushes into the water with squeals of delights and the biggest smile on his face, and to my horror submerges completely under.

He's like me in that way.  I have always loved water and especially the ocean, and swimming was never, ever an issue for me.  I don't know how old I was (8?10? 23?) when I finally realized (with much dismay) that my legs didn't actually conjoin into a fishtail in salt water like the mermaid on Splash.  Raph is that way.  He wants flippers and gills!  By the time Aaron or I rescue him, he bursts to the surface gasping for air and coughing up water, sometimes lathered in sand mud or wrapped like a mummy in seaweed, but there is his ever-present smile and eager, wild-looking eyes.  On this particular day Aaron played the goalie, keeping Raphael from being swelled into the sea.

Eventually AJ joined Raph in the surf. 

Both boys had birthday money from Aunt Jodie that they were able to spend at the toy store.

Andres found "Sharkie" right away.  Later he found a boomerang, like Sokka, a favorite cartoon character.

Look at that very content smile.  A yellow boomerang and a plush Great White to snuggle up with at night.

Did someone miss a nap?  At five p.m. Raph was just tanked.  He got a little car.  

After toys, we splurged at the Ice Cream Shoppe, then loaded up for home. 

Vanilla cream and salt water sand.  What a perfect cherub, my Raphael.