Beaches, Beaches, Beaches

Oregon Coast

One of the Johnson favorite summer vacation spots! So many summers we would make the long trek to the coast excited for the beauty of the waves on the rocks and the mystery of the tide pools. Oblivious to the chilly water all four of us daughters would plunge right in to the foamy waves after a perfectly thrown Frisbee as dad would challenge us. Somehow he could always toss the Frisbee in the perfect locations so each of us would have a turn at being victorious. Over the rocks and through the seaweed we searched for treasure and never came back empty handed. This was thanks to a crafty dad who made sure his girls were never disappointed. Behind our backs, he purchased bags of seashells, coral and even whole sand dollars. When our back were turned, from his disguised jacket, he would pull his stash of shells and chuck them ahead of us on the beach to await our discovery! We had no idea that such treasures were not commonly found so abundantly. Our friends back home never came back with such perfect shells, and WHOLE sand dollars!!! And we never questioned that florescent coral wasn't naturally found in the ocean!


But what fond memories we have of those perfect vacations. And, it instilled in each of us a love for water! Even through we haven't ventured out into the Oregon Coast waves for many years, somehow every get together we have seems to have something to do with water! Thanks for the memories and the shells dad!










In Florida, another generation falls for Grandpa's shelling skills! Jennie, Michelle & Justin found incredible shells on this shell-less beach! At least THIS time the flourescent coral and tropical shells of many colors MIGHT have actually come from this part of the world!





See how Grandpa secretly places the shells while no one is looking? Very sneaky and very fun!

On the white sand of Destin, Grandma and Grandpa do some serious burying of Ryan and Malia.

Grandpa's love of the beach is ingrained in his posterity. For most of us, there is no place we would rather be. While living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we always welcomed their visits because it usually meant a day trip to Destin Florida or Gulf Shores Alabama--or if we were really desperate, we even swam on the Mississippi beach just two miles away.

There is something magically calming about walking on a beach and no one knows it more than Dad, who loves it!