Christmas Ornament Countdown: 17 Days until Christmas

There is just something about the huge redwood trees in California.  They are just so impressive and I am sure they looked even larger to little Reagan and Anderson as they walked through them (click here for a video)  Anderson just watched the video of himself walking around the trees and he acts like he remembers it.  Wonder if I could get some redwood trees to grow here?  

Here is the post from that trip.

Tara's List

Here is Tara's list of 10 things that she wants to do/accomplish in the next 10 years (Robby's list is coming soon-so I have been told!)

1. Climb Half Dome in Yosemite
2. Run a marathon (no hurry on that one though!)
3. Learn to swim (no, I can't swim, yes, that's right, I can't swim)
4. Zip line (hopefully at Soaring Colorado) (doesn't it sound fun? I just need all of my kids to weigh 50+ pounds and quite a bit of cash!) (completed 7/20/10-no kids this time since we celebrated our 10th anniversary sans kids)
5. Train ride through Canada (I don't know anything about Canada but it sounds fun!)
6. RV through Utah (which would help me accomplish goal #10)
7. Read a book every month (that may be a little much-maybe I should just say read more!)
8. See New York City in Christmas time
9. Pick apples and make apple pie (Completed half 9/30/10-picking apples outside of cottage in Bar Harbor, Maine)
10. See most of America's National Parks (we have seen 31 out of 58 so far)

• Acadia National Park 5/04
• National Park of American Samoa
• Arches National Park 5/10
• Badlands National Park 4/05
• Big Bend National Park
• Biscayne National Park
• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park 5/10
• Bryce Canyon National Park
• Canyonlands National Park 5/10
• Capitol Reef National Park 5/10
• Carlsbad Caverns National Park 7/10
• Channel Islands National Park 9/04
• Congaree National Park
• Crater Lake National Park 5/08
• Cuyahoga Valley National Park
• Death Valley National Park 2/11
• Denali National Park and Preserve
• Dry Tortugas National Park
• Everglades National Park
• Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve
• Glacier National Park
• Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
• Grand Canyon National Park 7/03, 4/10
• Grand Teton National Park 5/07
• Great Basin National Park
• Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park 3/07
• Guadalupe Mountains National Park 7/10
• Haleakala National Park 12/04
• Hawaii Volcanoes National Park 12/04
• Hot Springs National Park 3/09
• Isle Royale National Park
• Joshua Tree National Park 3/09
• Katmai National Park and Preserve
• Kenai Fjords National Park
• Kings Canyon National Park 9/04
• Kobuk Valley National Park
• Lake Clark National Park and Preserve
• Lassen Volcanic National Park
• Mammoth Cave National Park 3/07
• Mesa Verde National Park 7/10
• Mount Rainier National Park 5/03
• North Cascades National Park
• Olympic National Park
• Petrified Forest National Park 4/10
• Redwood National and State Parks 5/08
• Rocky Mountain National Park 5/10
• Saguaro National Park
• Sequoia National Park 9/04
• Shenandoah National Park 5/05
• Theodore Roosevelt National Park 4/05
• Virgin Islands National Park
• Voyageurs National Park
• Wind Cave National Park 4/05
• Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
• Yellowstone National Park 5/07
• Yosemite National Park 5/02, 9/04
• Zion National Park

11. Take the kids to a Rainforest Cafe (okay, it is a bonus but it is something we can do soon!); (completed-instead of Rainforest we did visit the T-Rex Cafe in Orlando (2/10))

National Parks Visited

We are on a quest to see all of the National Parks, so I thought I better mark which ones we have seen.  So far we have made it to 39 out of 58 of them.  (There are more than 380 different sites operated by our National Park System and another night, I plan to list them.)

• Acadia National Park 5/04, 10/07, 9/10, 9/16
• National Park of American Samoa
• Arches National Park 5/10
• Badlands National Park 4/05
• Big Bend National Park
• Biscayne National Park
• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park 5/10
• Bryce Canyon National Park 9/13
• Canyonlands National Park 5/10
• Capitol Reef National Park 5/10
• Carlsbad Caverns National Park 7/10, 9/13
• Channel Islands National Park 9/04
• Congaree National Park
• Crater Lake National Park 5/08
• Cuyahoga Valley National Park 3/11, 9/18
• Death Valley National Park 2/11
• Denali National Park and Preserve
• Dry Tortugas National Park
• Everglades National Park 1/14
• Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve
• Glacier National Park 5/18
• Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve 5/18
• Grand Canyon National Park 7/03, 4/10, 9/13
• Grand Teton National Park 5/07, 9/13
• Great Basin National Park
• Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park 3/07, 7/15
• Guadalupe Mountains National Park 7/10
• Haleakala National Park 12/04, 8/17
• Hawaii Volcanoes National Park 12/04, 8/17
• Hot Springs National Park 3/09
• Isle Royale National Park
• Joshua Tree National Park 3/09, 9/13
• Katmai National Park and Preserve
• Kenai Fjords National Park
• Kings Canyon National Park 9/04
• Kobuk Valley National Park
• Lake Clark National Park and Preserve
• Lassen Volcanic National Park
• Mammoth Cave National Park 3/07, 6/15, 4/17, 9/18
• Mesa Verde National Park 7/10
• Mount Rainier National Park 5/03, 5/18
• North Cascades National Park
• Olympic National Park 5/18
• Petrified Forest National Park 4/10, 9/13
• Redwood National and State Parks 5/08, 9/13
• Rocky Mountain National Park 5/10
• Saguaro National Park 9/13
• Sequoia National Park 9/04, 9/13
• Shenandoah National Park 5/05, 7/15
• Theodore Roosevelt National Park 4/05, 5/12, 9/18
• Virgin Islands National Park
• Voyageurs National Park
• Wind Cave National Park 4/05, 5/12, 5/18
• Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
• Yellowstone National Park 5/07, 5/12, 5/18
• Yosemite National Park 5/02, 9/04, 9/13
• Zion National Park 9/13

Dennie Travel Recommendations by State

We have been fortunate to travel to all fifty states and have seen some pretty cool places along the way.  We always say, “There’s always something to see – even in Idaho!”  So we’ve started compiling a list of some of our favorites – these are the best of the best!  Some are attractions while some are places to eat.  Take a look and if there’s something we’re missing, let us know and we might just go visit!  You should be able to click on the individual places to learn more.

Alabama-
Birmingham-Pete’s Famous Hot Dogs
Scottsboro-Unclaimed Baggage Center
Huntsville-U.S. Space and Rocket Center

Alaska-
Juneau-Mendenhall Glacier

Arkansas-
Hot Springs-McClards BBQ
Little Rock-Clinton Library  
Russellville-Feltner's Whattaburger
Bentonville-Walmart Museum
Bentonville-Crystal Bridges

Arizona-
Holbrook-Wigwam Motel
Grand Canyon-Maswick Lodge Cabin
Grand Canyon-Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim Cabins
Sedona-Sedona Offroad Adventures
Clarkdale-Verde Canyon Railroad
Tucson-Saguaro National Park

California:
Multiple Locations-In and Out Burger
Klamath-Tour Thru Tree
Yorba Linda-Richard Nixon Presidential Library
Simi Valley-Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Los Angeles-Pink’s Hot Dogs
Los Angeles-Hollywood Sign Drive
Los Angeles-Randy's Donuts
Crescent City-Redwood National Park
Mill Valley-Muir Woods National Monument
Yosemite-Yosemite National Park
San Simeon-Hearst Castle
Big Sur-Highway 1
San Francisco-Alcatraz Night Tour
Los Angeles-Randy’s Donuts
Napa Valley-Oakville Grocery
Napa Valley-Picnic at Rutherford Winery
Anaheim-Best Western Park Place Inn-Mini Suites
Carlsbad-Legoland
Anaheim-Disneyland
San Diego-Sea World Dine with Shamu
Coronado-Moo Time Creamery (get the 10 scoops!)
Southern California-City Pass (ultimate theme park vacation)
Desert Hot Springs-Thousand Palms Oasis Coachella Valley Preserve
Joshua Tree-Joshua Tree National Park (Barker Dam Nature Loop
Sequoia-Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park

Colorado:
Durango-Soaring Treetop Adventures

Connecticut:
New Haven-Pepe’s Pizza
Orange-Pez Factory Tour

Delaware:
Lewes-Cape May/Lewes Ferry

District of Columbia:
Smithsonian Museums-all have back door entrances
Ben’s Chili Bowl

Florida:
Orlando-Disneyworld  (see Disney Recommendations by the Dennies)
Destin-Donut Hole
Pensacola-National Aviation Museum
Seaside-Food Trucks
Homestead-Robert is Here Food Stand
Key West-Kermit's Key West Lime Shoppe
Key West-Sloppy Joes
Everglades-Everglades National Park (Anhinga Trail)
St. Augustine-Downtown St. Augustine
Winter Haven-LegoLAND (best for kids 5-10)

Georgia:
Atlanta- The Varsity
Atlanta- Georgia Aquarium
Atlanta-World of Coca Cola
Atlanta-Stone Mountain

Atlanta-Hattie B's Hot Chicken (local chain)
Savannah-The Lady and Sons
Warm Springs-Roosevelt’s Little White House

Hawaii:
Honolulu-Diamond Head State Park
Honolulu-Pearl Harbor
Honolulu-Leonard's Bakery
Haleiwa-Matsumoto's Shaved Ice
Kaneohe-Mikes Huli Huli Chicken

Idaho:
Arco-Craters of the Moon National Monument-Indian Tunnel


Illinois:
Chicago-Garrett’s Popcorn
Chicago-Superdawg
Chicago-Giodano's Pizza
Chicago-Cubs Game at Wrigley
Chicago-Trolley and Double Decker Tour
Chicago-Crown Fountain at Millennium Park
Springfield-Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

Indiana:
Indianapolis-Indianapolis 500 Track Tour
Indianapolis-The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
Lincoln City-Lincoln Boyhood Home NM

Iowa:
Boone-Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad

Kansas:


Kentucky: 
Louisville-Louisville Slugger
Louisville-Churchill Downs
Lesage-Hillbilly Hot Dogs
Petersburg-Creation Museum
Williamstown-Ark Encounter

Louisiana:
Folsom-Global Wildlife Center
New Orleans-Camellia Grill
New Orleans-Cafe Du Monde
New Orleans-Mother’s Restaurant
New Orleans-Acme Oyster
New Orleans-Cajun Encounters Swamp Tours
New Orleans-Maple Street Patisserie

Maine:
Acadia-Mr. Rockefeller’s Bridge Tour
Bar Harbor-Bar Harbor Cottages and Suites
Bar Harbor-Bar Harbor Motel

Maryland:
Annapolis-Chick and Ruth's Delly
Baltimore-B and O Railroad Museum
Baltimore-Fort McHenry
Berlin-Assateague Island NS

Massachusetts:
Boston-Public Garden
Boston-Inner Harbor Ferry
Boston-Mike's Pastry
Boston-Freedom Trail

Michigan:
Milwaukee-Lake Express
Holland-Nelis' Dutch Village
Dearborn-Greenfield Village (Tara's Favorite)
Dearborn-Henry Ford Museum
Royal Oak-Ray's Ice Cream
Mackinaw Island-Carriage Tour
Frankenmuth-Frankenmuth

Mississippi:
Hernando-Velvet Cream

Minnesota:
Bloomington: Mall of America
Bloomington: Chutes and Ladders Playground
Minneapolis: Mill City Museum
Minneapolis: Matt's Bar
St. Paul: Seventh Street Truck Park
Excelsior: Adele's Frozen Custard
Austin: Spam Museum

Missouri:
Branson-Andy’s Frozen Custard
Branson-Silver Dollar City at Christmastime  
Branson-Hurts Donuts
Kansas City-Steamboat Arabia
Kansas City-Joe's KC BBQ
Kansas City-Winstead's Steakburgers (highly recommend the skyscraper)
St. Louis-Ted Drewes Custard
St. Louis-Grant National Historic Site
St. Louis-City Museum
St. Louis-Gateway Arch
St. Louis-Fitz's Root Beer
Independence-Covered Wagon Ride
St. Joseph-Pony Express National Museum

Montana:
West Yellowstone-Wild West Pizzaria
St. Mary-Glacier National Park

North Carolina:
Boone-Grandfather Mountain
Kill Devil Hills-Wright Brother's NM
Charlotte-Billy Graham Library

North Dakota:
Multiple Locations: Space Alien Grill

Nebraska:
Omaha-Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge
Omaha-Gene Leahy Mall Slide

Nevada:
Lake Tahoe-Vikingsholm Castle
Las Vegas-Bellagio Fountains

New Hampshire:
Conway-White Mountain National Forest Lower Falls
Multiple Locations-The Common Man Restaurant
Littleton-Thayer’s Inn and covered bridge behind

New Jersey:
Staten Island-Staten Island Ferry
Liberty State Park-Ferry to Statue of Liberty
Margate-Lucy the Elephant
Hoboken-Carlo’s Bake Shop
Cape May-Cape May Lewes Ferry

New Mexico:
Alamogordo-White Sands National Monument
Carlsbad-Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Mountain Park-Old Apple Barn

New York:
Buffalo: Paula's Donuts
Cooperstown-Baseball Hall of Fame
Niagara Falls-Cave of the Winds (Robby's Favorite)
Niagara Falls-Maid of the Mist
New York City-Famous Original Ray’s Pizza (736 7th Ave)
New York City-Central Park
New York City-Brooklyn Bridge
New York City-Hi Line
New York City-Staten Island Ferry
Lewiston-The Silo
Tonawanda-Paula's Donuts

North Carolina: 
Asheville: Biltmore
Kitty Hawk: Wright Brother's National Memorial

Ohio:
Blue Ash-Blue Ash Chili
Cincinnati-Skyline Chili
Cincinnati-John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge
Cleveland-Little Italy
Millersburg-Yoder's Amish Home
Dayton: National Air Force Museum
Zanesville: Tom's Ice Cream Bowl

Oklahoma:
Catoosa-Blue Whale
Pawhuska-Pioneer Woman's Mercantile
Oklahoma City-Bricktown Water Taxi
Tulsa-Weber’s Root Beer Restaurant
Tulsa-Wilson's BBQ

Oregon:
Columbia River Gorge-Multnomah Falls
Portland-Voodoo Doughnuts
McMinnville-Spruce Goose
Crater Lake-Crater Lake National Park
Medford-Harry and David Factory Tour

Pennsylvania:
Gettysburg-Gettysburg National Military Park
Philadelphia-The Please Touch Museum
Philadelphia-Reading Terminal Market
Philadelphia-Independence National Historic Park
Philadelphia-Dalessandro’s Steaks
Ronks-Red Caboose Motel
Scranton-Steamtown NHS
Strasburg-Strasburg Rail Road
Pittsburgh-Primanti Bro.
Pittsburgh-Dequesne Incline

Rhode Island
Newport-Newport Creamery
Newport-Cliff Walk

South Carolina
Hilton Head-Crowne Plaza Resort

South Dakota
Wall-Wall Drug
Keystone-Mt. Rushmore
Custer-Custer State Park
Hot Springs-Wind Cave National Park  
Sioux Falls-B&G Milky Way
Sioux Falls-Falls Park
Mitchell-Corn Palace
De Smet-Ingalls Homestead

Tennessee
Gatlinburg-Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant
Gatlinburg-Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies
Gatlinburg-Ober Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg-The Inn at Christmas Place
Memphis-Graceland
Nashville-Elliston Place Soda Shop
Nashville-Hermitage
Nashville-Bobbie's Dairy Dip
Mt. Juliet-Cori's Dog House

Texas
Fort Worth-Ft. Worth Stockyards
Johnson City-LBJ Ranch
Potter County-Cadillac Ranch
Amarillo-Big Texan Steak Ranch

Utah
Moab-Arches National Park
Capitol Reef-Capitol Reef National Park Gifford Homestead
Springdale-Zion National Park

Vermont:
Waterbury-Ben and Jerry’s Factory Tour
Burlington-Bove’s (now closed)
Shoreham-Fort Ticonderoga Ferry
Walden Heights-A. M. Foster Bridge

Virginia:
Shenandoah National Park
Charlottesville-Monticello
Mount Vernon-Mount Vernon
Roanoke-Texas Tavern
Cape Charles-Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel

Washington:
Seattle-Pike Place Market
Seattle-Italian Family Pizza
Seattle-Beecher's Handmade Cheese-mac and cheese
Port Angeles-Olympic National Park-Lake Crescent

Washington D.C.:
Smithsonian Museums
National Mall and Memorial Parks
Washington Sailing Marina-picnic spot

Wisconsin:
Wisconsin Dells-Tommy Bartlett Water Show
Milwaukee-Leon's Frozen Custard
Pleasant Prairie: Jelly Belly Tour

Wyoming:
Grand Teton National Park-Jenny Lake, Leigh Lake Trail
Wyoming-Devil's Tower  
Yellowstone-Old Faithful Lodge
Yellowstone-Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Jackson Hole-Town Square
Jackson Hole-KOA Campground Cabins

Bahamas:
Nassau-Queen's Staircase

Puerto Rico:
San Juan-San Juan National Historic Park

National Parks Visited (as of October 2022)

We are on a quest to see all of the National Parks, so I thought I better mark which ones we have seen.  So far we have made it to 46 out of 61 of them.  

(There are more than 380 different sites operated by our National Park System and another day, I plan to list them.)

1. Acadia National Park 5/04, 10/07, 9/10, 9/16
2. National Park of American Samoa
3. Arches National Park 5/10
4. Badlands National Park 4/05, 5/12, 6/18
5. Big Bend National Park
6. Biscayne National Park 1/14, 11/18
7. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park 5/10
8. Bryce Canyon National Park 9/13
9. Canyonlands National Park 5/10
10. Capitol Reef National Park 5/10
11. Carlsbad Caverns National Park 7/10, 9/13
12. Channel Islands National Park 9/04
13. Congaree National Park 12/21
14. Crater Lake National Park 5/08
15. Cuyahoga Valley National Park 3/11
16. Death Valley National Park 2/11
17. Denali National Park and Preserve
18. Dry Tortugas National Park
19. Everglades National Park 1/14, 11/18
20. Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve
21. Gateway Arch National Park 6/05, 7/14, 5/19
22. Glacier National Park 5/18
23. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve 5/18
24. Grand Canyon National Park 7/03, 4/10, 9/13
25. Grand Teton National Park 5/07, 9/13, 5/18
26. Great Basin National Park
27. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
28. Great Smoky Mountains National Park 3/07, 7/15
29. Guadalupe Mountains National Park 7/10
30. Haleakala National Park 12/04, 9/17
31. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park 12/04, 9/17
32. Hot Springs National Park 3/09, 6/19, 6/21, 4/22 
33. Indiana Dunes National Park 7/14
34. Isle Royale National Park
35. Joshua Tree National Park 3/09, 9/13
36. Katmai National Park and Preserve
37. Kenai Fjords National Park
38. Kings Canyon National Park 9/04
39. Kobuk Valley National Park
40. Lake Clark National Park and Preserve
41. Lassen Volcanic National Park
42. Mammoth Cave National Park 3/07, 6/15
43. Mesa Verde National Park 7/10
44. Mount Rainier National Park 5/03, 5/18
45. New River Gorge
46. North Cascades National Park
47. Olympic National Park 5/18
48. Petrified Forest National Park 4/10, 9/13
49. Pinnacles National Park 9/04
50. Redwood National and State Parks 5/08, 9/13
51. Rocky Mountain National Park 5/10
52. Saguaro National Park 9/13
53. Sequoia National Park 9/04, 9/13
54. Shenandoah National Park 5/05, 7/15
55. Theodore Roosevelt National Park 4/05, 5/12, 6/18
56. Virgin Islands National Park
57. Voyageurs National Park 5/19
58. Wind Cave National Park 4/05, 5/12, 6/18
59. White Sands 7/10, 10/21
60. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
61. Yellowstone National Park 5/07, 5/12, 5/18
62. Yosemite National Park 5/02, 9/04, 9/13
63. Zion National Park 9/13

State #48 - Oregon! plus Washington and California

Day 1 (5/2/08) - click here for pictures: We are anxious for a vacation and the kids are very excited. We've had two trips in between their last trip to Savannah and Charleston. Dad took us to the airport for our 2:40 flight from Little Rock to Denver. It was a fairly smooth flight and we landed around 4:20 local time. We grabbed supper at Schlotzsky's and then caught our flight from Denver to Portland. The kids did great on the plane. Anderson finally went to sleep the last 5 minutes before we landed in Portland. Robby went to get our rental car and we were on the way to the hotel by 9:15 local time (or 11:15 CST). Kids are still going strong as I type and it's past midnight in Little Rock. We're here at the Radisson for 3 nights. Planning to sightsee in and around Portland tomorrow.

Day 2 (5/3/08) - click here for pictures: We all woke up around 7 this morning and left the hotel around 7:45. Our first stop was Wal-Mart (since we don't have any at home). We loaded up on picnic supplies, diapers, drinks and even had to buy another ice chest for our stuff (we will be here a week). We drove up to the Pittock Mansion and walked around the grounds. The view of Portland was pretty and it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day. We then drove around Washington Park and the Japenese Gardens. The kids loved the Oregon Zoo-even though they were ready for a nap. Reagan's favorite animal was the elephant and Anderson's was the otter (click here for a quick video). After the zoo, we had a picnic lunch at the Rose Garden Children's Park. We played on the playground and slides (fun for Reagan and not so much fun for Anderson). Right after lunch, we stopped at the Chinatown Gates and Voodoo Doughnuts. McMinneville was our next stop to see Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose at the Evergreen Aviation Museum. It was a perfect time for a museum since it was raining pretty good by then. We had supper at the Daily Cafe in the Pearl District back in Portland and then headed to St. Cupcakes for another dessert. We were completely stuffed by then and called it a night.
Day 3 (5/4/08) - click here for pictures: We all slept until 8 this morning but quickly headed to our first stop-Mt. St. Helens. We toured the visitor center at Silver Lake (still 50ish miles from the mountain-the other visitor centers were still closed for winter). There we watched a movie, took a failed back picture and had our picnic lunch. Then we headed to Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge. After circling for 10 minutes we were able to find a parking spot and see the waterfall. We hiked to the bridge but decided not to hike to the top of the falls which was another 3/4 miles away. Fort Vancouver in Vancouver, WA was our next step. The fort is famous for its Pearson airfield and other things I am sure! The kids enjoyed the slides and swings. It was suppertime and we saw a great place for supper nearby our hotel-IKEA. After supper we did a little bit of shopping (we should be able to get everything home). We then gave Reagan the choice between driving back into Portland (20ish miles) for a chocolate shop or going swimming. She picked swimming and Anderson seemed to agree. They were delighted to strip down, put on their suits and run down the hall (even though Anderson probably doesn't even remember going swimming from last summer). They both had a great time and after baths and a little bit of repacking they are sound asleep. We plan on waking up early and heading to Astoria to begin our trek down the Oregon coast.
Day 4 (5/5/08) - click here for pictures: Our alarm cried around 6:10 this morning and we were leaving the hotel by 7:30. During our drive to Astoria the weather was dreary-we battled clouds all day long but no rain. After a few bathroom stops along the way, we made it to the Astoria column. Since the weather was cloudy we decided not to climb the column (and it was closed). Fort Clatsop, home to Lewis and Clark for a winter, was next. Rob and I took our pictures by the Seaside sign and the end of the Lewis and Clark trail. The kids touched the Pacific Ocean for the first time at Cannon Beach near Haystack Rock and ran off a little energy (click here for video #1) (click here for video #2). Our mid-afternoon stop was at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. The kids were very interested watching the cheese in the factory and they loved the samples. Reagan passed on the ice cream for more cheese but Anderson loved everybit of his ice cream. After leaving the cheese factory, we stopped at Devil's Punchbowl for a few pictures. Then we only had a short drive to the Yaquina Head lighthouse. The wind there was crazy so Reagan did not enjoy it. Our hotel was nearby and it had a pool so our evening was spent swimming and taking baths before bed. The first planned stop tomorrow is the Oregon State Aquarium which opens at 10-but maybe we will find something to do before then.

Day 5 (5/6/08) - click here for pictures: The kids didn't stir until around 8:30 this morning but we still managed to eat breakfast and arrive at the Oregon State Aquarium by 10. The highlights were seeing the otters and seals. Robby and Reagan jumped out of the car to look for whales at Strawberry Hill-but they didn't think they saw any. We saw many lighthouses today-the Haceta Head, Umpqua and Bandon lighthouses-to name a few. The favorite stop of the day was at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. We hiked up a sand dune-Rob carried Anderson down and Reagan and Tara had to slide down on their rears. The kids chased the water (click here for a video), Anderson loved the sand and we all struggled to climb back up the dune. In Coos Bay, we had a late lunch at Abby's Pizza. Anderson needed a break so we walked around the windy Pistol River viewpoint before heading into California. At the state line, Reagan had her picture made and then chatted on the phone for a bit with Nonna and Grannymom (click here for a video). Our hotel was right on the strip and we were eating our supper before 8 this evening.

Day 6 (5/7/08) - click here for pictures: Our day began a little of the fussy side with one wanting their juice and the other not wanting to be buckled in their car seat. Things soon calmed down with a scenic drive through the Redwood State and National Parks. After driving down an unpaved road for several miles, we took a 3/4 mile walk around Stout Grove (click here for a video). Next, the kids soon fell asleep and we drove South through the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway to the Lady Bird Johnson Grove. After a chilly picnic lunch, we walked the 1 mile loop to see where the park was dedicated by Lady Bird. Our next stop was the Tour Thru Tree in Klamath. We drove through the tree 4 times and only scratched our mirror once! (click here for a video) We were the last people in the Trees of Mystery. Which included a walk (nearly a mile) and then a gondola ride to the top of a mountain for a scenic overlook. We were all exhausted by then and grabbed a bite to eat and headed back to the hotel.

Day 7 (5/8/08) - click here for pictures: We slept in this morning until almost 8:30. After packing up and a quick trip to Safeway, we were on the road on Hwy. 199 through Cave Junction, Grants Pass and Medford. We stopped at the corporate headquarters of Harry and David's. The tour through their candy making operation and produce packing area was quite interesting - a lot of manual work goes into all those gift packages. After the tour, we made a few purchases from the company store including a peanut butter chocolate cheesecake for dessert tonight. We ate a late lunch at McGrath's Fish House where Tara opted for the crab cakes and Robby for the fish tacos and clam chowder. Anderson was so tired he laid his head on the table. We were back on the road after lunch and headed to Ft. Klamath where we are spending the night. We made it to the Aspen Inn around 5:00. It's a little country motel in the middle of the High Cascade Mountains. It is quite quaint - only about 12 rooms - plus we are their only guests tonight. Not many options in this area but it's only 7 miles from the entrance of Crater Lake National Park - our destination tomorrow. After we unloaded the van, we played outside for awhile before coming in for supper. After turkey tortillas, we enjoyed the cheesecake from Harry and David's. Anderson went on to sleep and Reagan is watching a movie.

Day 8 (5/9/08) - click here for pictures: We packed up and headed to Crater Lake National Park this morning. They are just now getting out of their snow season - they average 45 feet of snow a year. In fact, the Rim Drive won't be open until the first week of July. It takes the park crew from April to July to clear the 33-mile drive around the lake. We visited the information center and had a nice view of the lake. We made the scenic drive from the park to Eugene, Oregon for a late lunch at Roaring Rapids Pizza where they had a carousel and games. After eating, we stopped at a nice city park for the kids to run off some energy. We made the final hour drive from Eugune to Salem (passing Obama's caravan en route to Eugene). We are spending the night at the Red Lion Hotel.


Day 9 (5/10/08) - click here for pictures: 1,514 miles in a mini-van and 3,514 miles in airplanes and we are back home. We packed up this morning and made two quick stops in Salem - the State Capitol and Governor's Mansion. We made the drive back to Portland for a stop at Moonstruck Chocolate Cafe where Reagan opted for a kitty cat chocolate and the grown ups and Anderson had milkshakes. Next door was a Hallmark and Anderson spotted himself a cow backpack - he needed one since he had been jealous of Reagan's duck backpack. We returned the mini-van and checked in at the airport without any problems. Anderson was so proud walking through the airport with his new backpack. A bit of delay leaving Portland so we had to book it to our connecting flight in Denver. They were waiting on us when we boarded the plane. The flight from Denver to Little Rock was quick (1.5 hours) with a great tailwind. Tom was waiting on us when we arrived and then Nonna and Jason were soon to arrive at our house for a quick greeting. Everyone was glad to be home!