HI everyone!
We've been thinking for a while about hosting the next Dotson Reunion for the summer of 2010.
How about the Pacific Northwest? If we choose this site in Astoria, it is only an hour or so drive from the Portland airport.
We have very temperate summers here and great state parks with cabins. There is one in particular, Fort Stevens (between Seaside and Astoria) on the the northern coast. There are a lot of historical points of interest in the area (besides the old fort) as well as the beach to play on!
Here is a link to the website giving all the details on the State park:
http://www.astoria-usa.com/fort-stevens-state-park.shtml
Here is a list of activities we could do if we did group camping on the coast. There is so much to do there, we would never have to leave the camp area if we didn't want to.
(group sites are available, where everyone can have their own private cabin/yurt and the prices are VERY REASONABLE!) That way, you can put the kids to sleep in the cabin, and then stay up as long as we want talking and playing together like we love to do!
*Kite flying
*Bike Trails
*Hiking
*fishing/clamming/crabbing
*playing on the beach, playing in the sand
*tide pool watching
*campfires at night on the beach
*beachcombing,
*fresh water lake swimming,
*Boating
*horse back riding
*wildlife viewing,
* historic shipwreck and a military historical area to explore
Activities we could do within a 30 minute drive: It might rain, and these would be good activities to do if the weather was a little wet; just remember, that the rain goes quickly and the sun usually comes back soon!
Here is a link to a website on Astoria, Oregon. The website has many links giving more information on the activities listed below:
http://www.astoriaoregon.com/
Climb the Astoria tower (really cool!)
Ride the free downtown historical Astoria Trolley
Historic Marine Maritime museum
Lewis and Clark Museum: Fort Clatsop (where Lewis and Clark wintered when they arrived at the Pacific Coast)
Beach hop to other locations: Cannon Beach, (where Lewis and Clark first saw the Ocean) and Seaside beach, and others
Climb a lighthouse
Go to an Aquarium
Check out children's museums or other science museums
Just so you know, Astoria is one of the oldest cities in Oregon. It is incredibly beautiful and picturesque and incidentally, it is where the movie GOONIES was filmed!
Here's another website to Astoria:
http://www.oldoregon.com/visitor-info/
Activities to do within an hour's drive:
Tillamook Cheese factory tour (free cheese samples! YUM)
Tillamook Forestry Center
LOTS more I haven't researched yet.
Possible Day trip opportunities:
Riding on a Ferry
Visiting Mt.St. Helen's Volcano
Portland Zoo
OMSI science museum/IMAX theater
Astoria is about a 2 1/2 drive from where we live in Dallas.
Okay, thoughts anyone?!?
Monday, April 6, 2009
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3 comments:
I think this is a great place to start the conversation. I looked into this option a little bit, and the flight for us will not be cost-prohibitive (hooray for living in the mid-west!), and the accommodations are inexpensive, too (about $30 a night for a cabin that sleeps 4-5).
I do have some reservations, however. The first is the weather. It seems that summer temperatures are generally in the 70s there--which could be a nice break for some, but will, of course limit water activities, etc. Also, I think the only real consideration I have (other than affordability) is that there be space for all of us to spend unstructured time together. I don't mind sleeping in cabins, but I would prefer an option that had a larger (indoor or covered/comfy) place where we could all gather and hang-out together. I'm thinking, women sitting on the couches talking, guys around a table playing games. This may just be me, though, and in the end I'll be happy with what we agree on.
Justin and I are in for anything. We will be leaving next summer sometime (hopefully after the reunion) for two years! So we were already planning a roadtrip to visit everyone--however if we can get to see everyone in one go that'd be awesome. So this is a thumbs up for us!!
I hear your concerns, Nita. I think I'd like to check this campsite out in person. It sound like they have the largest group site camping in the entire state of Oregon, and they have huge central areas between the areas for getting together...but that definitely does depend on the weather! Keep in mind, though, that in Oregon summer it does not get dark till 10 o'clock at night.
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