A family vacation to Mexico

In early February, we traveled to Playa las Tortugas (70 miles north of Puerto Vallerta) with the Rice family. It was a beach-and-pool vacation for Eli and his friend, Elliot. As you can tell from the photos, the boys couldn't get enough of the water and sun...

At the coast

Every day we were at the coast, we took Eli to the sandy beach that was only about 1 mile away. There was a trail that went from our house, which overlooked rocks and the waves (and tidepools filled with sea anemones), straight to this beach that went on forever. Michael and I ran there almost every day. Eli played in the sand, learned that sand doesn't take good (it tastes yucky, in case you didn't know) and he put his feet and hands in the water, which was freezing.

The day after the Oregon Coast Aquarium, we went to the Sea Lion Cave just north of Florence. It is the largest ocean cave in the world and it is home to many many sea lions that make weird farting-like noises all day. It was quite impressive, although Eli acted as though it he had seen it all before.

We also saw Haceta Head Lighthouse, but unfortunately we couldn't take a tour because those don't start until mid-March.

We drove up to a trail overlooking the ocean one evening and we watched the sunset from a little stone "castle" on the hill. Gorgeous.

We went out to eat in Yachats on Saturday night and heard a band. Eli was entranced. He just sat and stared at the two singers/guitar players and sometimes bobbed his head to the music. Hmmm.... might be a musician in the making.

Overall, it was a fantastic vacation and Eli has already asked us to go back to the coast. (OK OK, not really, but Mama would like to think so....)