Tag Archives: Travel

June 19, 2017

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I kept seeing those days getting marked off on the calendar and June 19th was inching closer. With each giant X Henry drew, my anxiety and excitement grew.  Was I crazy? I swung between “this is a horrible idea” to “this will be amazing” until the day finally came and the car was packed. We left on a Monday morning not to return for six whole weeks. That is a long time away without the comforts and safety of HOME and my partner. Once you get on the road though, something inside you just changes.

Our first week on the road took us from Oregon to Wyoming with stops in Boise, Craters of the Moon NP, Arco, Yellowstone NP, Grand Tetons NP, Dubois, and Rock Springs.

I will say more about these beautiful spaces we passed through another time. This bit is about the places my mind passed through. Anger. Resentment. Love. Jealousy. Joy. Disappointment. From the first day I started counting the time and miles until I saw my Dad. 16 days. 2500 miles.

I grew up with two broken people as parents. Neither one of them healed or even on a path to figure it out. After my parents spilt when I was seven, my mom took first place for most disappointing parent. I kept her there on that pedestal until my dad passed. She bore most of my anger and bitterness and caused so much hurt that I just never took her down. She has her own story for another time. This trip is how I started to see that my dad was broken too. I never thought he was perfect, but I had cooked up quite the nice and neat story in my head and made him the hero. I had erased memory and altered history to make it so. Because honestly I had to in order to survive. To live through the really hard parts of my mom and her disease.

Week one of this trip was filled with an onslaught of conflicting feelings and memories. I started to see cracks in the story. Lots of “holy shit” mumbled under my breath. Things happen when you become a parent. You start comparing your parenting to that of your childhood. You start reliving memory. You often have to reparent a very under cared for part of yourself in order to properly parent your own child. I saw more of the ways that my dad was not the character I wrote him as. I also had to start preparing for the very real in person goodbye that would happen soon.

This is the real stuff of life. We are not all pretty pictures in scenic places. There is a real life that happens behind the scenery. We are anxious parents vigilantly keeping our kid safe and free at the same time. We are daughters grieving what we thought we had. We are adventurers who would sometimes rather be home. Tucked away.

This first week, I saw my son bloom. Seeing the great wide open through his eyes broke me clean through. I knew then that I would never stop breaking for him. I would never stop healing either. Not until the work was done. This long drive to say goodbye was a big first step.

Every warm ray of sunshine and inhale of sweetgrass is etched in my mind, from Portland to Rock Springs. Favorite moment of that week. Sitting in some grass on the sideline at the local Friday night rodeo in Dubois, WY. Listening to the sounds of strangers and hearing my kid laugh at the craziness of it all.

Craters of the Moon NP
Craters of the Moon NP

What Really Happened…

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Nearly five years ago I posted about a wonderful idea for an adventure with my then six year old son. We would take a large portion of the summer to travel slowly down to Texas(where I grew up) and back again. I had all the intentions of posting weekly about our adventures and it being a type of diary of that trip if nothing else.

Here is what really happened though. The more I started planning that trip and then the first day of the journey came, I realized what the trip actually was for me. It was a chance, the last one, to go and say goodbye to my dad. My dad’s health had been on the decline for many years and visiting him or really having any relationship with him had been complicated for even longer by his wife. All of this hit me when that first bit of empty road with nothing but hills for miles stretched out before me. I felt it in my gut and my trip suddenly became so much more than I had designed. It became a slow crawl towards a goodbye. It became miles and days of inner work and questions and anger mixed with the joy of discovering beauty and nature with a six year old Henry.

What I would love to do after all these years and so much processing(especially in the last two years) is really talk about this trip and my dad. I also want to share what it is like to spend six weeks on the road with a very insightful and inquisitive kid. Tomorrow marks the third anniversary of my dad’s passing and so this has felt like the time to finally start this project. Maybe some others will read this and find solace or maybe this is for me and my family. Either way I am ready to write.

I still miss my dad. I still struggle with all the complications of his loss and the lack of closure. I am still really mad at all that he did to hurt me. Grieving is hard.

There and back again.

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Okay, I have been dreaming. I mean big dreaming. For a long time. I love planning road trips. Especially long and challenging ones. This little bit of sand idea in my head has been kicking around for years and has finally formed a pearl. This summer I am going on a road trip with my six-year-old boy for six weeks. We are headed to my native Texas and back. Taking our time to explore.

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Along the way we will see fifteen national parks/monuments. On the list are Craters of the Moon, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Dinosaurland NM, Rocky Mountain, Capulin Volcano NM, Big Bend, Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands, Saguaro, Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Lassen Volcanic, and Crater Lake.

I could not be more excited to get on the road with my boy. I have tried to instill in him a love for adventure since he was very little. In part dreaming of trips like these and also in the hopes that it creates in him a love of nature and the beautiful world we live in.

Years ago, ten to be exact, B and I went on a month-long road trip that started this blog. One thing that I loved about that trip was all the people from different places we met and saw along the way. Sometimes being in one place too long you start to feel unraveled from the tapestry of the world. You ask how am I really connected to those far away? Meeting people on the road weaves you back in and you start to see the whole picture again. You hear their story and what brought them and you to this same point in time. I cannot wait for Henry to meet new people and see old friends and family.

B and I are so lucky to have a jobs that allow us to follow our dreams.  I can do my work on the road while he gigs on the weekends. The big plan for B is to finish another album while I am away this summer. He will have a quiet house to make noise in with no interruptions.  Midway through the trip he will fly to meet us in Austin. We will show Henry where we lived and feel in love and were married.  In truth, the roots of where he comes from. These trips are never without their challenges. There will be days where both of us are done and homesick. But I hope to remain focused on the positive and rich experience of it in the end.

 

Seven Wonders Video

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So my sweet husband put together this video of our trip. It includes some shots from other visits to the Seven Wonders of Oregon as well.  I would highly recommend this fun trip to anyone. Or even just hit up a few at a time.

https://vimeo.com/197438907

Seven Wonders – Part Three

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Wallowa Lake and Mountains
Henry and I
Throwing rocks in water
Perched
B in the wild
Hurricane Creek
Lord of the Flies
THE PANCAKE
Wallowa Lake
Us
Rowena Crest
The Snake!
learning
Columbia Gorge
Camping attire
Mt Hood
Mt Hood

So. Morning came on day seven.  I wanted to bottle the air. The mountain, hickory smoke, and lake smell was heaven.  We walked down to the Wallowa Lake Lodge and had breakfast. We were there on opening morning for the season. The tourists would not arrive for another month so really it was perfect. Not many of the places open on the lake, but also we were alone. We had the German pancake with the Marion berry syrup. I would gladly drive the five hours to this lake tonight just to have this pancake in the morning. Yeah, it was that good.  The view of the lake from the dining room at the lodge was peaceful and even Henry was quiet and reverent (of course the coloring book helped).

We set off exploring after breakfast. We did a fun hike along Hurricane Creek. Henry threw loads of rocks in the water. B and I relaxed and listened to the rushing water. We headed into Joseph after for some lunch.  We stopped by the Jennings Hotel.  B and I supported the Kickstarter for this wonderful renovation some months back. Greg, the owner, is still fixing the place up room by room. It is coming along so beautifully and B and I cannot wait to schedule our next getaway there. Consider scheduling a nice getaway here in the off season and really sink into the beauty of the Northeast Oregon.  B and I fell in love with this town and the Wallowa Mountains and have been daydreaming of moving there ever since. It is one of the few places I have found in my travels that already feels like home the minute you show up. Somehow it remembers me.

Leaving Joseph the next morning on day eight was hard. I was not ready to go and I was also ready to be home after such a hurried pace.  We had another long day of driving ahead.  The drive through the Columbia Gorge(#6 on the list) was refreshing. The landscape changes so much from east to west.  I kept thinking of this quote as we drove along the river for two hundred miles or more.

“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.
I am haunted by waters.”
― Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It and Other Stories

After reading up on and visiting so many historical sites in Oregon. I was struck by the rich history here. The beautiful history of the native peoples are the harmony in the way they lived with this wild land.  The history of settlers, desperate and persevering in the journey west. Would I have been strong enough?

We arrived early evening at Memaloose State Park. Set up camp and had a nice dinner by the river. It was too hot for a fire, but once the sun went down the breeze and the view was worth it. That night we all slept like the dead and awoke to the blazing sun on day nine.

After a quick breakfast, we headed to Rowena Crest. May is when all the wildflowers are in bloom so I wanted to get this hike in now and early before the day really heated up. Turns out we were too late for the heat. By about fifteen minutes in we were already sweating and wondering if we should turn back. The view at the edge paid off though and I am glad we pushed through. We had planned on doing another hike, but instead headed for the air conditioned Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center. Henry and I spotted a big bull snake on our way in and the center lady came out to move it out to the grass(not without Henry getting to touch it first though).  At the end of the day we headed into Hood River to cool off and have dinner at one of the restaurants near the water.

Day ten started early. We headed up toward Mt Hood(#7 on the list).  Lots of slow driving in order to really enjoy the view.  We made our way around the mountain and stopped at Trillium Lake. It was a clear day so the Hood was really showing off.  There was a guy with this amazing lens taking shots and video of Hood. He let us take some looks and even let us use the lens for a few close up shots of the mountain. Henry of course threw more rocks in the water and talked to the ducks. We made the rest of the drive home in quiet. Henry fell asleep and B and I were lost in thought. This trip was such a beautiful experience and the perfect way to celebrate forty years of living.

Seven Wonders – Part Two

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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.

Seven Wonders Of Oregon – Part One

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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.