Sunday, August 1, 2010

Oregon or bust!

We got home from Yellowstone on Monday, July 26th. We left for Oregon (minus Travis) on Tuesday, July 27th. Yes, we are beginning to love our expedition and each other! I have no idea how Sam slept like this in the car. In fact, after I pulled her out of this crevice, she ended back up in the exact same location! It must have been comfy!Approximately 13 hours and 800 miles after we left, we arrive at Multnomah Falls in Oregon. We did hike up to the bridge in the picture. Nash ran nearly the entire way. I think he need to stretch!

On our way up to the bridge, we saw this on the trash can. I thought it was a poop at first. Then I got closer and realized it had antenna. After seeing the antenna, I thought it was fake. And then I saw it move! It completely creeped me out! I thought the slugs in my flowerbed were bad! Holy cow!! Part way up the trail I actually stepped on one that was a bit smaller than this. I told Zack it was like stepping in dog poop but it rolled instead of squished! Grosses me out remembering it!
After stopping in Portland and visiting Powell's City of Books (the COOLEST book store EVER), we headed for Mt. St. Helen's. Apparently we hadn't been in the expedition long enough! :) This big foot statue is made out of ash and cement. It is the second version because someone burned the first one (made of carpet and other flammable materials) down. The kids thought he was pretty cool. The reason we stopped at this site on the way up the mtn is that there is a house that was 3 days shy of being moved into when the volcano went off. It's now 5 ft lower in the ground, water is still inside it (as well as all the furniture) and the log that went through the front door is sitting just outside it. I didn't get pics of the kids with it so I'm not posting a pic of the house unless there are requests!
You have to cross this bridge on your way up the mtn. This bridge is something else. It's so long and it's a long way down too!
This stop is a bit closer up the mtn. You can't see the volcano because it was overcast that day and hard to capture in pictures unless I zoomed way in. the kids were looking at the volcano through the telescopes.
This is the last stop on the mtn before you get to the observatory that is 5 miles from the crater. I was able to get a good pic of the volcano here because we were lots closer. The trees here were insane. I'm sure they're petrified because of the ash. I can't believe how they look like they were just exploded by dynamite and still look just like that 30 years after the explosion!
This is at the observatory that is 5 miles from the crater. I wish we would have had more time here but we got there just in time to watch the last video they were showing and then they were closing. It was really cool inside and had an actual tree that was destroyed in the blast that they carried off the mtn and set up in the lobby.
We have visited the rose gardens at Avery Park.

We visited Avery park itself. Caleb absolutely loved climbing all over the train.

We went down to the waterfront park where the kids were the happiest I've seen them in days! Who am I kidding - they were in the water and not in the truck. It was the happiest they've been since before we left for Yellowstone!
My brother got his new tattoo. He got it done while we were at Avery Park and the waterfront. I think it turned out really good and actually quite like it.
We went down to feed the ducks and stopped at the park along the way.
It was funny when we got there. The ducks saw us coming and knew we had some bread and we were swarmed! Caleb kept chasing the ducks saying "Duck, mere!" He just wanted to pet one so badly!

We've been to dinner at a place that is a parent's nightmare and a child's heaven. Think Chuck E Cheese meets Hardy's. Yes, Caleb is saying, "Cannonball!" as he jumps into the balls. The boy cried and cried when he had to leave. When they came out to eat their pizza they only lasted all of 5 minutes. I think they might have eaten 2 bites of their pizza. Sure glad I ordered that!
We've invaded Ashlee's apartment and made ourselves quite comfortable here.
On the 30th we headed to Newport. The 30th was Travis and I's 11th wedding anniversary. I figured we spent it 976 miles apart. It's the first anniversary we've spent apart. I guess I'm glad I could do it in style. Too bad he had to work!
We've visited a few covered bridges.
We went to the aquarium and the Hatfield Marine Center. The kids were in heaven here. They didn't want to leave!

Sam & Caleb are inside the fish tank in this picture. Caleb thought it was so cool that he could get so close to the fishes.
Samantha inside a giant shark.
Caleb at the touching tank. The kids got to touch star fish and anemones, an eel, and a fish that looked like a halibut (flat with its eyes on the side of it's head).
We've been to the bay front and seen sea lions (which smell not so nicely for all the water they "bathe" in!)

We went to the Yaquina light house.
We went to the ocean where we could have stayed forever. Caleb did somersaults in the sand after watching his brother do them. Samantha apparently joined in later because her hair is chuck full of sand. We put together a piece of the beach to take back home to grandma Terri. We even found a few pieces of coral and crab shells.

The water was SO cold!

I told you he did somersaults!
We've been hiking at Silver Falls and made a 3 mile loop.
Ashlee was nice enough to take turns packing Caleb with me.

And today we also went shopping at the outlets. We timed it perfectly because this weekend was their sidewalk sale.

Tomorrow we're off to the zoo. Monday morning however, we must head back to reality. We haven't decided if we'll detour to Crater Lake on our way home yet. Guess we'll see how much we like the expedition and each other by then!

Days 2-4: Yellowstone

We stopped at Old Faithful on our way to our campground in Island Park. We came back and hit it again on our second to last day.They are happy because they had ice cream! ;)
Checking out some geysers.
Mammoth Springs and the dormant cone geyser.
More often than not someone other than Caleb was in the stroller!
We had to stop and see the petrified tree.
Upper Falls in the "Grand Canyon of Yellowstone." Caleb LOVED the "big water."
Spasm Geyser with the spaz himself!
This elk was HUGE and people were getting way to close for my comfort!
My boys checking out another geyser. Caleb just couldn't get enough of the water. He screamed every time we pulled him away from a geyser - even though we told him we were going to go see more!
The Dragon's Mouth geyser.
The Lower Falls in the "Grand Canyon of Yellowstone."
My view for most of the trip!
Couldn't help but catch this one.
A big buffalo in West Yellowstone the day we were leaving.

We saw lots of buffalo and elk. We even saw 3 bears & 2 cubs. Much to Trav's disappointment, we didn't see any moose. I couldn't catch any of the bears on my camera. I was told a few days after we left a Griz attacked 3 tents and killed 1 person in the Montana part of Yellowstone. That is why I slept in a trailer thank you very much! The kids had a blast at Yellowstone and it was sad when it was time for us to leave. We didn't end up getting home until just after midnight since we stopped in Jackson on our way home. We didn't even have any major fiascoes! I guess that only happens when we travel with Trav's parents! ;) I took over 100 pictures while we were in Yellowstone but I tried to just post some of the ones with us in them. I have pictures of just about everything though! Perhaps when I get home (still in Oregon) I will put them in a smilebox slideshow. The only bad thing about our trip was that they were doing road construction from Madison to Norris and there were 30 minute delays on the road. That was a good time, let me tell you!