Robertson Family REunion 2021 | Oregon Coast

​I grew up in California, just 30 minutes from the Pacific Ocean. But visiting the Oregon Coast for our bi-annual Robertson reunion meant getting to experience the Pacific Ocean in an all new way. And while both beaches have something unique to offer, now the Oregon Coast will always remind me of treasured memories with family- Grandparents, cousins, and siblings all together under one roof, and my own little family nestled happily amongst them.

It may have been July when we arrived at our Beach House in Lincoln City, Oregon, but northern coastal weather meant jackets and boots, and salty, wind-swept hair- a welcome respite from the hot summer weather that most of us had left behind. We left bathing suits behind and geared up for tide pools, deep sea fishing, and a hike through a conifer wilderness that felt miles from the neighboring sea.

We made the trek up to Gearhart Beach to hunt for Sand Dollars, and walked within the Devil’s Punch Bowl at low tide. We explored the tides at Black Pebble Beach with the Yaquina Head Lighthouse looming over us. 

The girls were good sports, though Emma didn’t like to be cold and Annie didn’t like to get wet :) We collected shells and rocks and driftwood, treasures that made it all the way home and into Annie’s display of treasures. We walked around town, bought salt water taffy from a local candy store, and we wore ourselves out with adventure. We were sandy ALL the time, but we were together, we were exploring, and we were happy.

It all just leaves me grateful for a family that makes such a effort to be together, to have experiences like these together, and to have such treasured memories together. Oregon Coast, Northern Minnesota, Yellowstone, the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee- However big the family gets, and however spread out we may be, there is a pull that draws us back together and keeps us close until the next time.

More Memories

• Annie and Emma wanted to listen to our My Little Pony Spotify playlist on repeat any time we were in the car on this trip. Needless to say, that is now the soundtrack to these memories.
• We tried to visit Multnomah Falls at the Columbia River Gorge, but there was absolutely no parking. We settled for Horsetail Falls and grabbed a fancy little lunch at Sugarpine Drive-in. The food and clientele were both much cooler than we felt, and the girls hardly touched their super fancy grilled cheese, but the menu and location were a lot of fun-- Next time we attempt Multnomah, we'll definitely get Sugarpine again!
• At Devil’s Punch Bowl, it was Annie who insisted we make the trek down to the beach and into the Punch Bowl. She was a real trooper, but more than that, her insistence and excitement were out of character to her otherwise cautious ways. So the picture of her, beaming, arms outstretched in when we made it into the bowl is even more meaningful to us, because it shows her adventurous side and the pride she had in her own accomplishment.