Back in November, Lindsay organized a surprise birthday party for Angelo at the cute, retro Sou’wester Lodge in Sea View, Washington. The lodge is just 20 minutes away from Astoria, my favorite Oregon vacation destination nestled on the edge of the Columbia River. Lucas and I made a mini-weekend getaway of it, staying the night in Longview and the next day, enjoying a Sunday drive up and down the coast, from Canon Beach back to Olympia. The weather alternated between rain and outright downpours all weekend.

First stop, of course, was the Astor Column in Astoria since Lucas had never been there. It’s still one of my favorite spots in the Pacific Northwest, over ten years since I first climbed its steps.

We walked around town for a while before returning to the lodge for The Big Surprise.

We stayed in a cute 1940s cabin, while other friends stayed in adorable vintage travel trailers. So cute! I want one!

Surprise from the balcony. Sarah has a plethora of rad photos on her blog from the party. Check them out!

Arrington and China found a seal skull and spinal column on the beach near the lodge. Of course, it became a center piece. Gross/ fascinating. Also, totally illegal to keep have sea mammal remains in your possession, we later discovered.

Sea View! The ocean was angry. The rain was cold. The beach, however, is super sandy! Already dreaming of summer…

Lucas being a good sport in the rain.

Canon Beach. I think we stayed a total of five minutes on the beach. The rain was pelting us sideways and sand was blasting us in the face. Just enough time for a photo.

On the way back up the coats, we stopped at a tourist trap to feed some captive born seals at a leaky, dingy “aquarium.” I felt bad for the seals but man, they are gluttons for fish and I’m absolutely sure they’re fed well.