Day 22: Umpqua Lighthouse State Park

My night is restless, not because a bear is coming, but because David is suffering. I suspect he has a stomachache, and he is crying. It takes an hour for him to calm down, and it is already 5 o'clock. We sleep for another 2 hours, then he wakes up again and wants to be entertained. After breakfast, we pack everything and set off. We have 3 1/2 hours ahead of us. The route goes through pine forests along rivers. Some parts are used for agriculture, but there are hardly any people where we are traveling. We pass through small towns, but there are only 7 of them. The closer we get to the coast, the busier the roads become. It's Sunday, and many campers are coming towards us. The children sleep a lot and are relaxed, so we continue the journey. We stop shortly before our destination for lunch and shopping. The sun is shining, but there is a wind. We are looking forward to the sea. We are 5 kilometers away from the Pacific Ocean and Umpqua Lighthouse State Park. We wonder what is hovering deep in the trees, clouds or smoke? No, it's fog. We look for a spot by the sea. Erik wants to dig and swim. But swimming is out of the question. It is cold, foggy, and windy. We put on our long clothes and find a spot in the sand. The children dig and enjoy themselves. After a while, we take a walk on the beach and climb the big stones at the pier. Only Rene with David moves forward, Erik and I are too slow, so we quickly turn back. There is a lot of driftwood on the beach. Especially at the dunes, big tree trunks gather. We balance on them. In the dunes, there is an area designated for beach buggies and motorcycles. We look at the vehicles. There are no rental options here, but it is certainly expensive." + "

When we arrive at the lighthouse at half past 4, it is already closed. A tour costs $8 per person. I doubt we would have looked at the tower. We arrive at the campsite on time. We are right above the lake. We admire a blue bird that watches us while we eat. I am cold and tired. I won't grow old today.