Ringing in the New Year with an outdoor adventure is a good way to start things off, so we ventured out to the coast to spend the first days of 2015 yurt camping, dune sledding and playing on the beach with friends.
We began our New Year’s adventure sharing a 30-foot deluxe yurt at Umpqua Lighthouse State Park with some old friends. We have been camping together with our kids for many years now, and it has been fun watching them all grow and change. Even though it was a bit chilly outside, the skies were sunny and clear, allowing us to enjoy our view of lovely Lake Marie from the front porch of the yurt over a morning campfire.
Baker Beach, just north of the town of Florence has been a long time favorite spot with dunes, creeks and tidal marshes to enjoy.
We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day to get out in the sand and soak up the sunshine.
From the looks of it, we were not the only ones who had been out enjoying the dunes that day.
The kids all occupied themselves with their own pursuits. My daughter was content to go find a quiet spot to sit and watch the waves, while her friend was content walking along the creek collecting shells.
My son was all over the place running, climbing and jumping around the natural playground of sand and water.
He and his young friend had a fine time engineering some dams in the stream.
Other folks apparently had a similar idea of a good way to celebrate, as we saw a lot of silhouettes pass by against the backdrop of the waves.
The second night of our trip, we traveled farther north to Carl G. Washburne State Park and visited another favorite beach at the mouth of Big Creek. The windswept hills above the shoreline are very dynamic and sometimes inspire spontaneous outbursts of interpretive dance.
Time spent at the ocean has a quality of renewal about it, and after this adventure we were feeling thoroughly recharged and ready to jump into the new year. While we can never really know what the year ahead of us holds, I would like to think 2015 is brimming with possibilities and countless adventures. Some good hikes and a finished greenhouse would be nice too.
Here’s to a new year of possibilities, grand adventures and quality time in the outdoors!
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