Okay. Day four! We headed Northeast toward Smith Rock State Park(#3 on the list).  What a beautiful spot. We had already visited this spot a few times as a family, so we gave ourselves a rest with trying to do any big hikes. It also felt like the surface of the sun that day. We opted for a short hike and then headed into town for a burger and shake!  We love Jody’s Drive In. Nothing like a cold malt after a hot hike.  Oh and you cannot miss stopping at the Alpaca Ranch.  We called it good for day four and headed to the KOA cabin.  Our cabin backed right up to a horse ranch and the horses were grazing the fence right by us. Henry nearly lost his mind with excitement. I may have been a little excited as well. They were so beautiful to watch as the sun started to go down.

Day five was all about the Fossils Beds National Monument. We stopped first at the Painted Hills(#4 on the list). The colors are amazing in person and really hard to capture properly. Just go there. But while you are there do not miss out on the Sheep Rock Unit. Go there and take the easy Islands of Time Hike(kid friendly).  It was other worldly. The celadonite mountains tower over you and I have never seen anything like it. They had wonderful little stops for Henry with fossils still buried in the rock. It was another hot day and we were definitely ready for a break from the heat. We headed down the highway to our stop for the night. We reserved a teepee at Clyde Holiday State Recreation Site.  The teepees are right next to the river.  It was wonderful and very peaceful(once the cows went home for the night).  We had a nice campfire and s’mores.

Day six was a long drive day. We had to make it all the way to Joseph and the Wallowa Mts(#5 on the list). We did take some much needed stops for getting our legs moving. We stopped for lunch and education at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center just outside Baker City.  It has the most breathtaking view of the whole area. Fun for Henry to see all the history and fun for me since I did not grow up in Oregon. We learned more than I thought we would.  That night we rolled through Joseph and stayed at a little cabin near the south end of Wallowa Lake. It feels like a little village in the alps.  Snow capped mountains and cabins. The smell of wood burning in the all the fireplaces. The night fog rolled in around the tall firs. Magic.  Part Three posted tomorrow.

Headed out!

Highest point at Cape Perpetua

Cape Perpetua

Toketee Falls

Crater Lake

All smiles

Relaxing on Diamond Lake

My first post of the year! This will be the first of a three parter. My favorite memory from 2016 was our Oregon road trip. I talked about planning it in an earlier post. The thought was to do something really great and memorable for B and I since we turned 40! So we took up Travel Oregon’s list of the Seven Wonders of Oregon and planned a 10 day road trip.Here is part one:

First day of any trip is always equal parts stress and joy. I am the packer/organizer so the whole morning before we leave(lets be real the whole week before) is my mind going over lists and double checking EVERYTHING while simultaneously barking orders at the boys. Every trip I think I will do all this the night before so I can be a peaceful, happy person in the morning. NEVER HAPPENS.  Needless to say we all made it in the car along with most of what we needed(something always gets left).

This trip called for easy places to stay. We were making stops at around 20 locations in Oregon and covering around 1200 miles in just ten days. So we chose to stay at places where shelter and bathrooms were provided. The first day we drove to the coast stopping in Corvallis for a food and coffee break.  One of the moms I first met when we started going to Door of Hope owns a wonderful shop in this wonderful little town. They are their own roasters and the coffee was perfect.  Anytime you are nearby check them out at Tried and True.

After we made it to the Oregon coast(#1 on the seven wonders) we stopped at the aquarium at Newport. This is a must see if you have a sea loving child like Henry.  He spent the whole time running from tank to tank and yelling “oh my word, look at this”. That night we stayed at one of the cabins at the Waldport KOA. They have a great little path that leads down to a beach on the Alsea Bay with a view of the historic bridge.

Next morning we packed and headed south with our first stop at Cape Perpetua. This spot has loads of trails and includes the highest point on the Oregon coast.  Henry loves the tide pools and watching the waves hit the massive rocks at the churns and spouting horn.  We earned ourselves a nice hearty lunch before making our way back inland towards Diamond Lake.

On the drive to Diamond Lake there make sure you stop at Toketee Falls. It is all downhill on the way to the falls so save some energy for the way back up. The falls are gorgeous  and carve out a massive wall of basalt. I could have spent more time here were we not on a schedule.  We ended day two at Diamond Lake Resort, a cute resort with loads of lodging options right on the lake. They have a restaurant where you can eat all your meals and boats to rent if you like to fish or just want to cruise about. Our main reason for staying here this time was it’s proximity to Crater Lake(#2 on the Seven Wonders).  Crater Lake National Park has limited access in the winter time and no lodging until summer season so we were glad to find this wonderful place.

Day three started with a hearty breakfast and loads of sunshine on the drive up to Crater Lake.  I was so excited to take Henry here as it is my favorite place I have visited so far.  There is something so magical about it and seeing it covered with snow was an added bonus.  After layering up, we headed for the rim. The view was amazing and did not disappoint. We had a nice family snowball fight and I built Henry a BB8 snowman.

Little fact about me, I love talking to strangers at places like this and hearing their stories. This day was no different and of course I befriended the cute old man in Wrangler jeans named Joe. He took a couple of shots for us so we did not have rely on the selfie stick(no jokes-it is the only way I make it in any of the pics with my family). He has been passionate about photography since he was a teenager and it was fun to hear his stories.

After a bit, we headed in to the Lodge building and got some hot cocoa.  We all watched a film about Crater Lake and how it formed out of a volcano. Of course this was Henry’s favorite part. Once we arrived back at Diamond Lake we had a nice rest on the shore and enjoyed a sunset together while eating some dinner. Three days in and seven to go. Part Two will be posted tomorrow.