Oregon - Day 7: Site Seeing

After seeing all the animals we wanted to stop at this cute Jam gift shop that was along the way.  We wanted to find a gift for our neighbors who are watching Koda for us.  We found some sugar-free jam that we thought that they would like.  We also hoped to find something else to add to it at another shop somewhere.  They are such great neighbors, Max and Dona.

We also found some other fun things for the kids.  They each picked out their souvenirs for the trip at this store.  Tyler got a cute sea turtle statue with three little turtles on little stands.  Josh picked a purple dolphin to go with his boy dolphin he said.  Megan picked a mama crab with a baby crab.  I then just picked out a grab bag for Allie that had $11 worth of stuff for only $6, but it was a surprise what it was.  It ended up having a cute little elephant stuffed animal, a fun frog, and another squishy frog.  So that was a fun bag of things.
Once we got to Bandon we stopped at a restaurant for some lunch.  It looked like a popular place so we were hoping that it was really good.  It was pretty good and we were glad that we stopped there.  We knew that we wanted more ice cream while we were in Bandon but we were not ready for ice cream so we decided to drive around and check out Bandon.
We found a cute light house that I wanted to take a picture of for Grandma Margie and Tyler was so good to get out of the car and pose for me.
After our drive we were ready to go back to the cabins.  The kids wanted to play with their cousins.  So we stopped and got us some ice cream.  We ran into Papa G, Gabe, Boyd, and Kevin when we got there.  They had just gotten done with their fishing trip and stopped to get some ice cream on their way back to the cabins.  It was pretty funny.  Good times at the ice cream shop!

Oregon - Day 7: Wild Animal Petting Zoo

We knew we wanted to go to the wild animal petting zoo that is outside of Bandon, so today was the day that we went.
We had never been before but had heard about it many time from my siblings.  Since they had all done it in the past they chose not to come with us, so it was just our little family.

We got there a little while after it opened and it wasn't too busy.  It is a zoo that has animals rooming around.  Animals like deer and goats.  They just walk right past you.  You can buy food to feed them, but we decided not to do that.  We didn't want the kids to get hurt by the hungry animals trying to get fed.

Beside the roaming animals they also have animals that you can pet at different times.  They had a couple different spots that they have baby animals come out for you to see up close and you are able to pet them.
The workers are very specific about how and where you are to pet these animals.  They really want to keep the animals safe and happy and the people who are petting them.

Tony and I took turns petting the animals and taking the pictures.  Tyler and Josh did really good to pet them and they really liked it.  Megan was much more hesitant to pet them.  She kind of had an attitude this day so I am not sure if she was just having an off day or if she was feeling scared of the animals.  Either way, it's understandable.  Their were a lot of different animals.

I really wished that I would have paid better attention to what the animals were that we were petting.  I know their was a bear, we also petted a skunk, a fox, a ferret, goats, deer, donkey.  We also petting a few animals from the cat family but I don't remember which ones.  I think one was a links and a few others.  I was way too excited to pet them to pay attention to what they were exactly.

Allie got to pet a few animals too.  It was harder for her because she didn't understand all the rules.  Their was one little cat-like animal that the worker dude had walk across our laps and I had Allie sit next to me and as soon as the animal went to walk across her she pushed him off.  Then the worker said we were done and had to go.  Not go from the park but done with that animal.
Obviously he can't have kids doing that.  I felt bad, but she didn't harm him at all.  I should have known that she would have done that, but I didn't really even think about it.  I was at the end of the line so I didn't get to pet it, but it sure was cute.  The other kids got to pet it, so it all worked out.

Some of the animals that we got to pet were being bottle fed while we petted them.  That was the case with the bear.  It was so cute and fun to watch him drink from a bottle.  Megan was nervous to do it, but she did.  The bear was not very soft at all.  Most all the other animals were very soft.

Tony took Allie in to see the bear and she did not care to pet him at all.  He got her close to his back but she was not wanting to touch him.  So Tony had his little turn petting the bear and then we went off to the next animal.
I thought it was interesting that they told everyone to pet the animals in down strokes and not to scratch them like you would a dog.  I guess that is instinctive for people to think all animals like to petted like a dog.

They had a couple big lions and we were able to watch them move around for a bit.  We noticed that none of the roaming animals were roaming by the lions.  The workers had to take one of the roaming animals out for some reason and it was squealing and the lions got very interested in that noise and came right to the fence.  We thought that was pretty funny stuff.

It took a few hours to walk around the whole park and to pet all the animals that they brought out at different times.  It wasn't super huge in size but more special because you get to pet these wild animals that you would never get to other places.
We all washed our hands really good before headed out to the car.  We all enjoyed seeing the animals and look forward to doing it again in a few years.

Oregon - Day 6: Crab Feast

What do you do after you go crabbing?  Why you have a crab feast!  Tony and I don't really eat crab and none of our kids do either.  So a crab feast is more for hanging out with family then it is for eating for us.
The rest of the family's brought a Papa Murphy's pizza to bake and share for dinner to go with the crab.  Honestly most the people in my family don't eat crab so it's kind of funny that we always have all this crab and only a hand full of people who actually eat it.

We were the first family at my grandpa's house for the big crab feast.  My dad and Kevin were there getting things ready.  Kevin started cooking some crabs and my kids thought that it was pretty interesting.  Once a couple crabs were cooked and cooled Kevin showed my kids how to break open the shell to get out the meat.

Kevin let each of the kids use the hammer thing and hit the crab legs.  It made the juice squirt out of it and the kids thought that it was just so much fun.  I had fun watching them.
I am glad that they were at least interested in the crab this year.  Last year I couldn't get them to even go near the crab, so this is definite progress.  Maybe one of these years we will be able to get them to eat some.  Maybe.

Kevin showing the kids how to crack open the crab.  Megan thought it was loud.  Josh and Tyler were all ready with their little hammers to hit the crab.

Tyler just got squirted with some crab juice from Josh's crab leg.  Josh thought it was pretty fun hitting the crab.

Allie and Megan playing in the sand rail.  Who needs it to run when you can just play all over it?

Tony and Allie checking out the crabs from afar.  Allie wasn't a big fan of the crabs.

Papa G watching the kids in action.

Oregon - Day 6: Site Seeing

After Allie took her nap and we all ate lunch at the cabins we decided to go do some site seeing.  We stopped at the "other" candy store.  Cranberry Sweets is a fun candy store that has lots of samples, but the actual product is really expensive.
Tony and I got the kids some taffy's and us some special chocolates.  It is a must to stop at this store while in Coos Bay.
After that we headed into Coos Bay more and went to the boardwalk.  Tony went into this little food boat that sells sea food to see if they had halibut.  They did but it was pretty expensive so he didn't want to get it.
After we walked around the boardwalk we decided to go to a Mexican restaurant for dinner that Tony had found on line.  It had the best reviews so we thought we'd try it out.  It was pretty good food and had a whole back room that our whole family could fit in if we all went together.  So good to know for next time.  After dinner we went to my grandpa's house where they were going to have a crab feast.  We don't eat crab so that's why we had Mexican.

Oregon - Day 6: Crabbing Off the Docks

You have to go crabbing when you go to Coos Bay, it's tradition.  So we took the kids to the docks and found them some life jackets.  They have life jackets for the kids that you can borrow and it makes you worry just a little less to have your kids on the docks.

It was colder on the docks then we thought it was going to be.  Because of the cold Allie and Megan didn't last very long.  They were able to see some nets brought up and see the crabs coming out of the net.  Uncle Boyd even caught a really big one while they were watching.
It's kind of funny because I asked Boyd to stop so I could get a picture with him holding the big crab and as soon as I was done the crab reached around and pinched his finger.  Lucky for him he was wearing gloves or that really would have hurt bad.

So Tony took the girls and Tyler back to the cabins while Josh and I stayed at the docks.  I like watching them pull the nets and seeing the crabs all scatter around the docks.
Josh liked watching the crabs in the bucket flight each other when they are first put in the bucket.  The kids would all chant "crab fight."  It was super silly.

Josh and I last about an hour more before we were ready to go.  Betsy and Wendy were also ready and so we hitched a ride with Wendy back to the cabins.
Always a good time on the docks.  Last year Megan hung out on the docks with me and this year it was Josh.  Maybe it'll be Tyler next year.  So many memories.