Northward to Home! (Travel Series Part 5)

After two weeks on the road you'd think we'd take the fast lane home but nope, not us. We chose the most scenic route, since really, the journey IS the destination. 

The drive up Highway 97 was relaxing and beautiful--no comparison to I-5! But much to our surprise, we arrived at Crater Lake National Park to find SNOW everywhere! It was a challenge to find a campsite that had enough ground showing to pitch a tent and park the Boler. Unfortunately, all the melting snow meant mosquitos were abundant. They swarmed us as soon as we stepped out of the car! Afraid they'd pack the girls off, we opted to eat dinner in the nearby lodge/restaurant. And after we ate, we lingered in the comfortable, mosquito-free dining room until bedtime. I'm pretty sure we weren't the only ones seeking refuge that night.

Holden awoke from her afternoon nap to find snow! She exclaimed "It's like Christmas!". 

The temperature on the mountain was definitely on the cool side. The next morning we ate breakfast in the car, due to the pesky mosquitos, so we got an early start to see the lake.

The lake was amazing! 

The snow was even a bigger hit! Holden was soaked through to the bone, but could not stop playing in the mushy stuff. I should have packed her snowsuit! 

We continued northward on 97 into the heart of Oregon, and stopped at Tumalo State Park in Bend.

In one day Holden went from making snow angels to making mudpies! What a life!

A mud treatment, followed by a dip in the creek--a preschooler's Spa Day!

Camp in Bend was peaceful and spacious. We were lucky enough to camp next to a family with a little girl just a bit older than Holden. They made fast friends and played well together.

We didn't stay long though, the open road stretched out before us as we headed into 

Washington State.

The girl's took their usual afternoon nap together as we pulled into our last stop of our journey, Millersylvania State Park, just outside of Olympia. 

Much to Holden's delight there was a great swimming lake at the campground.

Even Iona put her toes in, with sister's help of course. 

To continue our family tradition, we all gave impromptu performances at the campground amphitheater. 

 

Northwest Trek, located an hour or so east of Olympia, was our destination for the last full day of our roadtrip/camping adventure. From the tram ride we were able to glimpse bison, elk, sheep and other creatures of the Pacific Northwest. Iona, smiley as ever, enjoyed the ride and Holden was captivated by the large animals peering back at her.

On a side note, it was freezing! We again had to bundle up like it was a winter's day.

 
After the tram ride we strolled the trails of the park. I especially enjoyed the raccoons and beaver. There were skunks, wolverines, badgers, wolves, coyotes and bears too. Oh my!
I'd recommend a sidetrip out to the park if you're in the area.
 

The other reason we stayed in the Olympia area for two nights was so that we could see our dear friends Kate, Evan and Makenna. The girls are a riot when they're together. The littlest one, Iona, just tries to get a hold of anything or anyone, hair mostly, and pull. Holden, being the oldest, thinks everything is hers and likes to be in charge of everyone else and she cannot by any means hold still for longer than 4 seconds. And Makenna, the darling one year old, is soaking it all in, learning to walk, learning to talk, learning to avoid the littlest one and trying to catch up with the oldest one, she's just a sweetheart. It was good to get them together again and juggle them around as we tried to have adult conversations with our much-missed friends. 

Our last day on the road we pulled over at a favorite produce stand in the Valley.

We were so close to home we could taste it! Or maybe that was the chocolate ice cream we were tasting. Anyway, it was a treat and a celebration all mixed together, 

like peanut butter and chocolate, my favorite!

We are thankful for hot water, nearby bathrooms, bug-free sleeping arrangements and laundry facilities. Oh, and of course, we are thankful for our safe travels, friends and family and our 

memorable journey.

Home sweet home!

California with Friends and Family! (Part 73...well, it feels like that)

After 6 days on the road, we happily entered the land of redwoods and In-N-Out Burgers, 

sunshine and sand!

Yay California!

After a night in a hotel in Redding, where temperatures soared above 100 degrees, it was great to set up camp in the shady redwood forest. 

What made it even better was that we met up with dear friends, and Holden's Godparents, Claire and Peter. And they brought Lucky, a sweet camping buddy.

Claire spoiled us with a yummy homemade dinner--it was great to be among friends.

We had raccoon friends too, who left their finger prints for us to find. We think they got away with some lettuce and a bell pepper, they're probably vegetarians.

Holden attended a Ranger Program and learned about banana slugs. Oddly enough, Holden has always really liked banana slugs so this was perfect for her.

Claire & Iona having breakfast.                         Peter & Holden exploring the forest.

Michael's sister Michelle and her husband Doug came for a long-overdue visit.

And the next day we made a quick trip to the beach in Santa Cruz...

...before meeting up with Michelle, Doug and cousin Ashley for lunch.

Back in the forest, Iona enjoyed hikes in the backpack.

We explored trees and creeks.

Mornings were cold, so we warmed up with hot beverages and winter hats.

At the amphitheater we started a new family tradition of giving impromptu performances. Holden is a natural performer so watch for her on the big screen one day!

Holden was trained in the art of marshmellow roasting and s'more preparation by her Godparents. It was pretty close to a religious experience I assure you.

She was especially excited to take her s'more apart and find the chocolate inside.

Our first trip to the beach wasn't long enough so we decided to go back for another sand-filled day.

Back in March of 2010 we took a similar roadtrip to California with Holden and we visited a magical place called Happy Hallow. Well this trip wouldn't have been complete without another visit and this time Holden, being much taller, got to ride on more of the rides. She was quite ecstatic!

This particular "ride" was a bit challenging for her but with Daddy's patient help she was able to get around the whole track without injuring herself or any other drivers.  :)

What made this Happy Hallow experience even better was meeting up with Gamma and Grandpa Bob. They drove over from Arizona and it was great to spend several days with them.

The next day we visited with Michael's grandparents. It was wonderful being surrounded by family.

Iona enjoyed meeting her Great Grandparents.

It was difficult to say goodbye, but we had to hit the road again. 

We drove to Lassen National Volcanic Park where we paid an exorbitant amount for gas. Thank goodness we got relatively decent gas mileage, even while pulling the Boler.

Lassen was beautiful; dry, sunny, open forests with no mosquitos.

It was only a short hike to the nearby lake, where we found Canadian Geese and giant pinecones.

Holden played contently by herself in the forest behind our campsite. It was easy to spot her with her orange hat and lack of underbrush. Perhaps in the picture she was thinking of all the amazing sights she had seen on our journey thus far. Or perhaps she was pretending to be a bump on a log. Who can know the mind of a three year old?

We were in California for a week. It goes without saying, but here's where I say it anyway, it was a great week and we are fortunate to have such loving friends and family in our lives. We miss them already.

Next post(s) will wrap up our great adventure with our return trip to Washington.