Back to Oregon! Yep, some may say we are crazy (we are) and some may think we are nuts (we are) but let me tell you, we are not BORING!!
Yes, we went back to Oregon three weeks after our last trip but this one was a little different. Mom, Lucas and Axel flew to Portland to meet Grandma & Grandpa J who were out touring Oregon with Grandma & Grandpa A. Grandma J had to end her trip short because of work and that's where we stepped in to join Grandpa J. He had his truck, airstream and plenty of time on his hands. Daddy had to stay home for work because school had started.
Grandpa J picked us up in Portland, OR and we headed straight downtown to spend a few hours eating and visiting loved ones.
Pie Spot for something new to try. Masu Sushi lunch with Karissa. Salt & Straw ice cream and park play time with Cousins Henry & Duncan and Aunt Jen. Drive to Bend to meet up with Grandma & Grandpa A at the ranch. Day one was action packed!!!
Bend, Oregon is one of our favorite locations because of the numerous cool places that surround that area. Grandma & Grandpa A have a membership to a place called The Ranch...or at least, that's what we call it. It's a great place to camp, swim, play mini golf, paddle boat and meet new friends. It's also a wonderful base camp for other tourist activities like visiting the local lava flows and other hot spots! These were some sights Grandpa J just had to see...
SMITH ROCK
We took the Grandparents in and around Smith Rock so they could get a good feel of those rock climbs we gravitate too. It was fun to show them the climbs we had done and the famous one on the cover of Mike & Marks book...The Rock Climber's Training Manual!
LAVA BUTTE
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| Lava for miles and miles |
BIG OBSIDIAN LAVA FLOW
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| Mom sure is strong!! |
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| Axel, have you been training?? |
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| All of this rock was a mixture of obsidian and pumice which I guess is all made of the same volcanic material but cooled differently. Either way, it's amazing!!! |
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| There's Grandpa J and Lucas on the bench taking in the scenery. |
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| We all thought the rock in the background looked like the Millennium Falcon |
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| Black obsidian is beautiful and extremely sharp. |
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| Lucas looks pretty darn strong too. |
Axel found a few treasures but there are strict rules that do not allow any rocks to be taken. This one was a hard one for him to swallow but after talking about it, we decided to take lots of photos so he could remember his super cool rocks.
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| Then he found a secret hiding place for next visit. :) |
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| Yes, very sharp! |
DEE WRIGHT OBSERVATORY
We took Grandpa J to the Dee Wright Observatory and had wonderful cool weather for hiking around. It's such a spectacular place and the best part...you have to stop by the Sisters Bakery for cinnamon bread and other wonderful treats!
MT. BACHELOR
We decided to go have lunch on Mt. Bachelor which required a lift ride up. It doesn't take you to the top but you get amazing views and it does take you to the snow.
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| The Sisters and Broken Top |
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| Axel on the lift loving every minute! |
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| Lucas was soaking it all in too. |
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| Grand parents were riding up behind us |
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| The views were tremendous |
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| After lunch we took a hike up to the snow. These Florida boys needed to be introduced to the cold, white stuff again. :) |
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| Snowball fight was must!! |
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| Axel loved to watch the mountain bikers ride up with lift. He especially liked the special mounts for the bikes. |
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| Looking at Mt. Bachelor's summit |
THE RANCH
Here was our home base for the week.
Heading home. We had a long drive ahead of us but we needed to get started. School was starting soon and we needed a few days to prepare.
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| Trail Break...a little roadside stop along the way. |
Grandpa J got us home safely! We had a wonderful time and really enjoyed the time spent with all of the Grandparents (we missed you Grandma J)!!
Some favorites!!
