Friday, May 29, 2015

We're home!! We left Stephanie Inn around 9:00am and decided we would drive to Port Townsend and take the ferry to Coupeville and then we would drive about an hour tomAnacortes and get our ferry. The drive across the Columbia and up through the timberlands and coast of Washington was wonderful. For the last third of the trip we drove along the west side of Hood Canal. Gorgeous sights! We caught the 5:30 ferry home and it took about an hour to get everything unloaded and put away. The Thule is still on the car as I just didn't have the energy to take it off tonight. We had a great time watching Joe play, visiting with Thomas and Will and Jack, staying at Thetherow, driving to and spending time at Crater Lake, and then driving to the California coast. The coast drive from Crescent City south to Eureka goes through some stands of Redwoods and has some spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. The best way to appreciate the Redwoods, however, is to visit a grove like the one we walked, Stout Grove, not far from Crescent City. Those trees are truly magnificent and HUGE! We drove the Oregon Coast from the California border to the Washington border On Hwy 101. We never got tired of seeing the ocean, which is extremely cool in Oregon! Last night we stayed at the Stephanie Inn in Cannon Beach. Another awesome place where you walk out of your room onto the beach and marvel at the expanse of the Pacific Ocean! The drive we took today from Astroia to Port Townsend was not one we had done before and Hood Canal doesn't take a back seat to anyone in the "awesome beauty" department. The best view of the day,of course, was our own Guemes Channel. We had a fabulous time, but it is always nice to come home. Looks like tomorrow I'll be cutting lots of grass... Next time I write one of these it will be on our trip to Florida. Stay tuned!!

Thursday, May 28, 2015

As I sit here watching darkness fall on the Pacific Ocean at Cannon Beach I know it has been a really good day! We are in the Stephanie Inn at Cannon Beach. It's a wonderful place that hosted us for a wine and beer event from 4:00 to 5:30pm today, and is just finishing hosting an evening cocktail from 9:00 to 9:30pm. Rose and I both had a Hazelnut, Irish Whiskey, chocolate concoction that puts Bailey's Irish Cream to shame! We arrived here from Newport about 12:15pm and our room was ready so we checked in and then went downtown Cannon Beach for a walk around town. we bought Ellie a sweatshirt and Caity and Krit t-shirts that I know they will love! We got back to our room about 2:00pm and walked the beach for about an hour or so. It is flat and hard and easy to walk and wonderful!! We had a wonderful time!! We ate dinner at the beer and wine event in that we had a bunch of cheese and veggies in addition to the beer I had and the wine Rose had. Pretty sweet!! I am now eating nuts that were served with the evening cocktails...protein you know! We are not sure what we will do tomorrow. I'd like to get to Mt St Helens. We've never been there and it is on our way home if we go I-5. Or, wecould take the Washington Coast version of 101 and go all the way around the Olympic Peninsula, which we have never done. We could then take the ferry from Pt Townsend to Coupeville and then home...might be fun...we'll see how we feel about what we want to do! Can't see the ocean now but I can still hear it. Might be time to sign off and get some sleep. More tomorrow...maybe...

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

What a day we have had! Left Crescent City around 9:00am to drive south to Eureka. Two reasons for this: we would be driving Hwy 101 south through some. Ore Redwood National Park and also the fact that Eureka had the closest Costco and we were counting on getting really good prices on alcohol. The drive was as beautiful as we imagined with various treks through stands of redwoods and spectacular views of the Pacific. Costco was a major disappointment as they really had no different booze that our Costco...so I just bought a big bottle of Makers Mark... Our friends Jerry and Susan Posten had told us about a grove of Redwoods near Crescent City and to visit with the information center to find out how to get there. So, we did. Directions were clear and cautions were given. "If you hav an RV you won't be able to fit through the narrow road and redwoods crowding the road. It is, at most a one and a half lane road." "If you are hauling a trailer don't go at all." "The road is almost all gravel for 6 miles to the grove." We were Happy to tell the ally nice guy that we neither had an RV or a trailer. We also assured him that narrow roads and dust wouldn't affect such seasoned travelers as us... Well, I've never been on such narrow roads! Rose, who never complains about traveling(at least not since she told the girls to lie down on the floor of the back seat when she was sure we were going to go over a cliff in Glacier National Park), claimed she was getting a stomach ache. About a third of the way up the mountain we encountered a guy going the same way we were, guess what, towing a trailer. He was stopped as it was clear that he could not fit through the narrow opening in the road just ahead. He had pulled off to the side as best he could but there was NO PLACE for him to turn around. He may still be there. He must have missed the sign at the entrance to the road that warned against towing a trailer on that road. The narrow, dusty road was difficult and fun to travel and we finally arrived at Stout Grove. It was all it was advertised to be and more. We took a trail through the Redwoods for about a half hour. It was flat and well kept. No bugs. No heat. No humidity. Just enormous trees! I had imagined how big these trees would be but I was shocked at their actual size. The big ones were 250 to 300 feet tall and I walked around the base of one and by my pacing the circumference of the tree is at least 27 yards!!! Joseph will have to figure out the diameter but I am here to tell you it is BIG!! What a wonderful experience!! These trees are at least 700 years old! I have some really good pictures that I will send out soon after we get home. After the Grove we decided to head north into Oregon. I had asked Siri for liquor stores in OR and she gave me one called All Star, which was in CA and a mile ahead. Got off, went in, and was stunned at the prices...Old Crow 15.99, Angels Envy 36.00, Larceny 19.95, etc. I didn't go too crazy but did. Up four cases of Crow...😀 The drive up 101 on the OR coast is one of the most spectacular pieces of road ever. The next curve presents a more impressive view of the coast and ocean than the last. It's a road everyone should take at least once in their life. We got here to Newport about 8:30 and are glad to be out of the car for a while, although the car is super comfortable, and it is getting great gas mileage... Off tomorrow to the Stepahnie Inn in Canon Beach for some. Beach walking and beach fires...we hope... More later...

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

We left Tetherow this morning about 8:30, found a Starbucks, had coffees and bacon, egg and Gouda sandwiches and left for Crater Lake about 9:30. Amazing scenery on the way to Crater Lake! The last 20 miles or so was a road almost encapsuled in huge fir trees. Amazing. We got to Crater Lake close to noon. Almost cloudless sky. The lake is spectacular! We have never seen a blue that is the color of the water. The lake was formed when a volcano erupted and the collapsed upin itself forming a bowl. This bowl is only filled with snow melt and rain water. From there we left for Crescent City, eventually taking US highway 199 through much of the Redwood National Park. I couldn't believe the size of some of the trees just by the side of the road. After we arrived at our hotel in Crescent City we walked down by the harbor and went into a harbor side restaurant to have a beer and shrimp cocktail. From there we walked to a Mexican restaurant not far from our hotel. The food was pretty good. We are both tired from the long day but are looking forward to tomorrow when we will find out just where we should go to best see the redwoods. I think from there we will begin to head home on 101 up the Oregon coast. We'll see. More tomorrow...

Monday, May 25, 2015

Memorial Day. Got up really early today as Joe's first game was at 8:00am. It was also a little chilly, about 48 at game time. The sun was starting to do its job at the end of this first game won by Joe's team 24 - 0! Their second game was at 10:00am against the team that was the number 1 seed in the whole tournament, which was comprised of 28 teams. Even though the weather warmed up the bats of Joe's team went cold and they lost 4 - 1. The team they lost to was very good and went on to win the whole tournament later in the day. After the loss it was time for the boys to head home. Rose and I and Jack and the boys had lunch before they left at the Deschutes Brewery in downtown Bend. It was delicious. Those boys can sure eat when they are hungry! After lunch Rose and I took a little trip to Sisters, OR., a little town about 20 miles outside of Bend at the base of the Three Sisters mountains. We had had coffee in our room that is brewed there and we liked it so. Ugh we wanted to buy some to bring home. It is a cute little town and we found the coffee. By the time we got back to our place it was almost 4:00 and time for a cocktail. We decided we weren't very hungry so we stopped at a Trader Joe's on the way back and got some cheese and crackers and a salad for Rose. I finished off the fruit and we had a nice light dinner. We were exhausted so we were in bed early, 9:00pm or so, and fell asleep right away. It was wonderful to be with the boys and watch Joe's team play. Joe did very well as for the five games here he had 10 hits in 16 at bats, scored 9 runs, and drove in 4 runs. I think all of the boys were pleased with how well the team played in this tournament. Tuesday we head for Crater Lake and from there to California. Weather is supposed to be fantastic! More later...

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Had a great day today. Breakfast this morning at The Victorian Cafe and it was wonderful. Then we picked up Thomas and Will from their place and the four of us took a ride to the Cascade Lakes area. The lakes were beautiful as was Mt Bachelor. We were at the field at 2:00pm for Joe's first game which they won 8 - 4. The second game started right at 4:00 and Joe's team won 11 - 8. They play again tomorrow but we don't know when. Jack will let us know later tonight when they play. The weather was perfect this afternoon for watching baseball, low 70s and not much breeze. Tomorrow we'll watch some baseball and then scout out the area some more if we have time. We may go to Sisters, OR as we have had coffee from there that we love. The area is spectacular! We'll also be packing tomorrow in anticipation of our leaving on Tuesday for Crater Lake. We are having a great time!

Saturday, May 23, 2015

We are back in our room at 10:00pm after a long but fun day. We got up this morning and took a shuttle to downtown Bend and had breakfast at a rally neat French place. I sent you a picture of Mom. After we ate we walked the town for an hour or so. There was a Saturday Market, not fruits and vegetables but crafts, and we didn't buy a thing. We the took the shuttle back to our resort, Tetherow Lodge, and got in the car and went to Bend Distilleries, where the Crater Lake vodka is made. We bought six bottles of the Hazelnut infused vodka so Rose can make as mane Kit Kats as she likes! Got back to the room to rest for a while before Joe's 4:00 game. His team lost 6-5 but he had a very good game with a triple and a single and two runs scored. He was pretty upset they lost but got over it quickly. We went to the place where Jack and the boys are staying with three other family's as Jack was making hamburgers and invited us to eat with them. We had a good time visiting with the other parents of kids on the team, and Jack's burgers were awesome! We left around 8:30 and got back here, fixed a drink, and went down to sit by the fire pit as the evening darkened. It got pretty cold, it is supposed to be in the low 40s tonight, so we came back to the room about 10:00pm. We're tired now and getting ready for bed. Tomorrow we may visit the Canyon Lakes area about 30 miles from here. joe plays two games tomorrow, 2:00 and 4:00 pm. He'll also have at least one game on Monday. It sure is fun watching the kids play ball! Tired now so off to bed. I hope to remember to write again tomorrow night...

Arrived in Bend last night a little after 5:30. The drive ended up taking an hour and a half longer due to some very hard rain squalls that backed up traffic badly. But, the countryside here is beautiful and we have a great room! We are eating breakfast in downtown Bend and Joe plays this afternoon at 4. I'll try to give a recap of our day sometime tonight...

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Hi, I'm just trying to activate my blog for this upcoming trip and the big one in December, and trying to see if I have it figured out.