We had a rest day today in Wheeler. There was some talk of Ruth and I going out on the bay in a kayak, but we hung out in Manzanita instead.

After breakfast, and second breakfast (a cinnamon roll from a coffee shop), we found our way to the bus stop back to Manzanita, the slightly larger town we rode through yesterday.

We were way early for the bus, which only runs a couple of times per day. So the kids ran laps, and eventually we went to explore the lot across the street with some water views.

In Manzanita, we headed to the city park for some quality playground time, then walked up the ocean coast towards the center of town. I dipped my toes in, and we talked to the kids about tides, sand dollars, and faraway lands across the ocean.

After lunch, Anne thought it would be a good idea to go to a toy store. Ruth told us about all the things she wanted. We followed up that tease with a more fulfilling visit to an ice cream shop.

We discussed how to spend the afternoon. In the end, we headed back to the room for some quiet time for everybody (except Ruth, who didn’t sleep).

On a recommendation from the innkeepers, we headed to the Rising Star Cafe, the other restaurant in Wheeler, for pasta night. Turns out it’s popular; we had to wait for close to an hour for a table. The waiter/host kept coming out to apologize. When we did get seated, the food came fast and was quite good. Ruth lost it, though. She was unhappy with the pasta she got, and wanted to switch with me. But I had already taken a bite, so it wasn’t good anymore. Really, she was just tired. Anne had to take Ruth out to calm her down, but they were able to rejoin us later. It was not the finest dining experience we’ve ever had.

Tomorrow we get back on the road.