Scott and I honeymooned in Oregon, he grew up there, and it’s just plain gorgeous. So we decided to make a full week’s vacation out of a four-day reunion.

Even though I had traveled by myself with Mackenzie to CA only a month before, Scott and I had all four hands and both laps full juggling her on the flights. She’s so much more active now!

Unfortunately, flying proved too exciting for her and she hardly napped. We arrived in Portland a little bit wary of what that night would bring. (I’ll go ahead and spoil the surprise: pain. Lots of pain.)

We stopped at Trader Joe’s and stocked up on healthy food (hummus, whole wheat lavash, fresh fruit and green beans) then headed to Salem to stay with Scott’s life-long buddy, Chad.

He had procured a crib for his bachelor pad in anticipation of our arrival. How cool is that?

We had a fabulous time gorging on sushi and playing frisbee in the vacant lot across the street.

Monday morning we stopped at our favorite breakfast place ever for corn-flake crusted french toast. Hey, don’t bash it until you try it. It’s fine dining.

We met Scott’s sister (+husband and cutie pie toddler) and mom at a nearby park for a few hours of play time.

We bade the family adieu and drove to the Tillamook Cheese Factory, where we let Mackenzie look at the yummy, fatty blocks of cheese… then we jumped across the street to a Farmer’s Market and picked up a huge bag of fresh cherries to munch on instead. (Ok, ok, so we also indulged in some “squeaky cheese”. And ice cream.)

Then it was off for our one night “3rd honeymoon” in Cannon Beach. We stayed at a fantastic hotel complete with:

a communal cookie jar stocked with homemade cookies

a shampoo station for dogs coming back from the beach

and a rad chandelier in the “breakfast nook” that we gazed up at while munching on their homemade granola.

It was right on the beach (2nd from the left in the photo above) so we spent the evening strolling on the sand.

Scott and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Mackenzie tolerated it (she was captivated by the ocean, but it was cold enough that we rendered her immobile by excessive bundling).

She really was happier than she looks in the photos.

Promise.

She even fell asleep for our sunset walk back to the hotel. (Tragic.)

The next morning, we ate some fresh (as in warm and soft and the best, most delicious ever) salt water taffy and visited the beautiful Ecola State Park.

We pulled up to Bella Beach for the reunion and then the real party began.