7-25-2026 Fort Stevens, Oregon
Went through Longview. The metal recycler plant on the Washington side of the bridge has a big fire going. Something in the scrap pile went up and the whole thing was engulfed. Tall black angry clouds of smoke, and that peculiar smell that metal gives off when burning. Probably best not to breath that. In after 4pm and setup. With it being family camp we packed a lot of stuff. The truck felt noticeably heavier than normal. I certainly we packed entirely too much stuff.
7-27-2026
Took the camper off the truck and drove around the park. This place is big. Significantly bigger than any state park we’ve been too. Saw the shipwreck on the beach, went out to the jetty and watched the cormorants and pelicans. Walked around the battery. Went to the historic site and couldn’t walk any more.
There are hundreds of acres of land here. There are hundreds of camping sites. All the camping sites are smashed as close together as possible. Not the greatest camping. It’s good for family camp though. There’s so much to do in, around, and near the park.
7-28-2026
Keltik won a tour of the bird rescue sanctuary thing. We all went and got a personal tour. They rehab birds and small mammals. Interesting. They had all kinds of birds there. The star of the show is a cormorant that has a bum wing. Really sociable.
Drove into Astoria for lunch with the kids before Keltik and Garik needed to get back to their lives. The buildings and old houses could keep me entertained for a long time. So much to look at. Garik drove Keltik back to Portland and then broke down. We helped him problem solve over the phone and get the car to a shop. Bad battery.
7-29-2026
Lazy day at camp. Went nowhere did nothing. Verizon cell signal here is very bad. Did some research on e-scooters and e-bikes. Mobility is a real problem for us these days. I should really commit to something that helps us.
7-30-2026
Dad drove us to Longbeach to check out a whisky bar. Not as good as it had been apparently. The pictures show a massive wall to choose from. Reality was a very limited selection. The boys found fish and chips, and then we had ice cream. Josiah drove us back to camp.
7-31-2026
We’ve been eating really well. Venison, Smoked leg of lamb, salmon with pesto, chicken and beef kebabs. We are burning a lot of wood cooking, and the fire keeps the evening chill off, but the weather here has been really nice. We are just far enough from the beach that the wind os stopped by the trees. It rained a little the first couple days, but it’s been sunny and warm otherwise. It’s only about 68 degrees or so, but in the sun it feels very warm.
We are talking about splitting up the family camp next year. A few days here where Matt and family, Keltik and Garik can join, then picking up and spending a few days at Ike Kinswa where Shelly and family can join us. The logistics of reservations may be a challenge.
8-1-2026
Drove into Seaside for the afternoon. Fish and chips, and a little walking around. Hard to wedge the truck into many of the parking lots.
8-2-2026
Packed up slow. Took the kids a long time to catch up on washing dishes. Out by about 12:30 and drove up the coast through Raymond. Nice drive. Traffic began to suck in Olympia and didn’t get any better. Not looking forward to work tomorrow.