CRATER LAKE UNDER CLEAR SKIES

View south towards Klamath Lake from East Rim Drive (which wasn't open last time we were here)

Post lunch treat (yes, he ate the entire thing)

Vidae Falls (Cora insisted on taking her bear on a hike)

Phantom Ship

NO HARNESSES

Every day that we were in Ashland, we spent an hour or three at the playground in Lithia Park. The kids loved the spider web climbing net and it was a great way for them to get some energy out and play with their cousins and best friends (Eli and Addy arrived Friday, and the Sanchez crew arrived just before we did on Thursday evening). Spending that much time just hanging out in Lithia Park really made me miss my old college town... The kids played while we did a shake out run, then followed it up with dinner at one of the taphouse restaurants downtown. It was a great start to our Oregon adventure!

LITHIA WATER

A tradition when taking new people to Ashland, Oregon (where I lived for 4 years while completing my undergrad degree) is to force them to try the Lithia Water available in the fountain downtown. Jay definitely had the best "recoil" face! And Sophie desribed it as "liquid fart". Keep that in mind if you ever visit!

REDWOODS EXPLORATION

"If you could walk with anyone past, present, or future (alive or dead), who would it be and why?" Cora wrote "GRAMBOT" on her post-it note.

Using their piggy-bank vacation money to buy a walking stick and whistle (James) and tiny stuffed bear (Cora).

Our first stop was Fern Canyon, one of the most magical places I've ever visited. It has vertical, fern-covered  walls, fallen trees everywhere, and a stream running throughout it's center. The kids were in heaven climbing the fallen trees, splashing through the stream, and hunting for newts and banana slugs.

The kids kissed banana slugs (blurry pictures because they did it quickly, of course). If you never went to science camp in 6th grade on the California coast, the quick explanation is that kissing a banana slug is suppose to give you good luck. If you ever spot one, you should definitely pucker up! I made Jay do it back in 2006.

PawPaw's truck worked hard on this adventure... winding mountain roads, construction zones, one-lane two-way traffic curvy dirt roads through national parks, and water hazards.  (Not to mention kid detritus within...) We were quite spoiled to be chauffeured around on our stay - thank you Dad!

Grazing elk herd

The largest redwood in Redwoods National Park.

Teasing PawPaw about his driving occasionally feeling like a roller coaster ride!