Go Fly a Kite: A Cape Lookout Camping Adventure

Last weekend, my brother and I had our annual (well, we do our best to make it annual) sibling camping trip at the Cape Lookout State Park yurts on the Oregon Coast near Tillamook. We decided a few years back that it was a good halfway point for both of us to travel, and that February was a good time of year for us to make sure we could schedule it into life. With exciting new additions this year like my brother and sister-in-law’s soon to be baby nugget on the way, my adventure partner who my brother had yet to meet, and the kites we had decided needed to be involved on the last trip, it was bound to be an action packed weekend of fun.

I think their Aunt and Uncle are some of my kids’ favorite people in the world, and they have spent many an hour sledding, having fun, and just playing together on trips over the years. On our last trip to Cape Lookout, they noticed all the people flying kites, and said they would bring some the next time. True to their word, the kites came along, and Dan and Kat were just as giddy about them as the kids were. As soon-to-be parents, I think they are going to do a great job.

We caught some excellent kite flying breezes on the public beach in Pacific City out in front of Pelican Brewery. 

And caught some great evening breezes as well out on the Cape Lookout Beach.

The breezes were so excellent, in fact, that we had the good fortune of observing a group of  folks parasailing from an overlook onto the beach. It was wild watching them ride the air currents in great, wide circles over our heads, finally settling down gently on the beach with their huge, rainbow colored contraptions. It didn’t look like something I would ever want to do, judging by the way my stomach drops in elevators, but it did look fun.

We spent a lot of time on the beach, whether kite flying, walking or running from waves, and managed to fit in a little agro-tourism time with our traditional visit to the Tillamook and Blue Heron cheese factories. There are few things quite so enjoyable as spending time together with family, playing around… 

Engaging in silly shenanigans…

And being outright goofy. Especially on clear, warm, February days on the beach.

My partner is quite the camp cook, and treated us to some of his famous fajitas for Friday night dinner, and peanut butter pancakes for breakfast. These fine meals were enjoyed by all, particularly my sister in law who in her first trimester of pregnancy, has developed a deep love for peanut butter.

This trip reminded me once again how siblings are a real treasure in life. They’re with you through your childhood, through thick and thin, squalls and smooth weather. They know all about you, how you got to be that way, and understand you in a way no one else really could. Even at this stage in my life, I get a huge kick out of having real grown-up camping trips with my brother. After all the countless family vacations and camping trips our parents took us on, and adventures with their siblings and families, it’s a good feeling to carry on the tradition and do the same thing with our own families. I’m looking forward to next year with baby nugget on board. When I watch my brother playing in the waves with my son, I get the feeling that being an Aunt will be a whole new grand adventure in life.