"Are you nuts?" a friend of mine asked when I told her we were driving to Colorado for Christmas. I shrugged. "Yeah, maybe, just a little." It was my parents 50th Anniversary and we were all gathering together at my sister's house in Grand Junction. Not like I don't see my parents all the time as they live in the house behind ours; however, I don't get to see my sisters very often, so off we headed toward Colorado in the middle of winter. 

For several days we had been keeping a close eye on our weather apps. It appeared the weather was going to be decent for us until we reached Salt Lake City and then it would be dicey. We threw into the cargo area of my Mazda CX-5 an emergency kit, snow cables, gloves, a couple sleeping bags, a shovel, and kitty litter - just in case. The morning of Christmas Eve, we left our house and headed south and then turned east. I felt sorry for our three boys as they sat crammed together in our little Crossover SUV, but they had their electronic devices to entertain themselves and actually didn't squabble much. We took a couple strength breaks including a quick walk around the Stonehenge Memorial in Maryhill, Washington. That evening, we stopped at Ed's sister's house in Ontario, Oregon, right on the border between Oregon and Idaho. We had Christmas Eve dinner with his sister and brother-in-law. The following morning, we left early as we knew we had a very long drive ahead of us, so after breakfast and goodbyes, we were on the road again. 

Drive, drive, drive was our mantra for the day as we crossed southern Idaho and dropped into Utah. Finally, we reached Salt Lake City, where we fueled up the car again and purchased snacks. It began to snow lightly, but was not sticking to the roadways. When we reached our turnoff just outside Spanish Fork, the snow was really beginning to fall. I was exceedingly happy Ed was driving. As we crested Solider Summit, the snow was sticking to the roadway and some cars pulled over to chain-up. Ed trudged ahead in our little all-wheel drive vehicle, which seemed to be handling the roads fine. Then almost as soon as the snowstorm started, it stopped, and we were meet with the sun breaking through the winter clouds. We continued our trek through Utah and into Colorado, arriving at my sister's house a little after 8:00 pm. They were saving Christmas dinner for us and soon we were enjoying each other's company and appreciating the fact we not stuck in a cramped car any longer. 

On Saturday, we all went to the movie theater to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Some of us had seen the movie already, but that did not stop us from seeing it a second time and spending time with the family. In addition, I think I appreciated the movie more the second time around. That night, we drove around Grand Junction looking at the holiday light displays. 

On Sunday, we all went to church in the morning. After church, our family drove up to the Colorado National Monument. Much of the park was closed because of the weather, but we were able to drive up to the top of the overlook and took some pictures. 

The next day was filled with running errands. It had snowed in Grand Junction and the kids wanted to go sledding. However, we stuck out finding sleds. Everyone else had the same exact idea and all the stores were sold out. Nonetheless. Elizabeth was able to call in a few favors and found some sleds to borrow and the kids were able to go sledding. I was surprised we never saw a snow plow while we were there. My sister told us Grand Junction didn't have them, because they don't see snow very often in the high desert. Nonetheless, we had no difficulty getting around. The weather was pretty nice for us while we were there. We woke up to a light dusting of snow a couple times, and at night the temperatures got down to the single digits but during daylight hours, the sun was out, although cold. We did have to replace our windshield wipers by the time we got home due to the freezing and then thawing, then freezing again. 

The following day was my parents wedding anniversary and my sisters and their spouses and Ed and I started the morning taking them out to breakfast at the Egg and I restaurant. We had a very pleasant experience and the food was good and hot. I wish we had one near us in Washington. My parents went to a private dinner by themselves later that evening. With 17 people around, we all chipped in with food preparation, cooking, doing dishes, taking out the garage, etc. The boys spent most of their time downstairs in the family room playing video games, while the adults usually either watched television or put together puzzles or played board games in the recreation room. Most of the family was there, except for two grand kids who were serving LDS missions and one who couldn't get away from work. 

On Tuesday, Ed and I drove to Dead Horse State Park in Utah. The park provides a dramatic overlook of the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park. The views were just amazing, and I was sorry we didn't have another day to explore Canyonlands. Hoping for another trip to southern Utah soon. We then spent the rest of the day in Moab, before heading back to my sister's house. Yes, we do need to come back and explore this area more. 

On Wednesday, all of us drove to Arches National Park. We spent the day driving through the park and taking little hikes here and there. It was cold, but the sun was out. Although, this was the first time I had ever visited Arches, I believe I probably would enjoy the park more in the winter than in the summer, because it was not miserably hot and the park was not very crowded. The snow on the ground and covering the sandstone arches, made the desert landscape more unique, in my opinion. I'm sorry we didn't have time to hike to Delicate Arch, but daytime hours limited what we could do. We did however take the back roads winding around the Colorado River on our way back to Grand Junction, the roads were a bit rough, but the scenery was amazingly beautiful. 

On Thursday, we started our trek back home, but first we stopped in Salt Lake City. Michael wanted to visit his old LDS mission stomping grounds. (He served two years at the Utah-Salt Lake City Mission). We stopped at one of his favorite restaurants, where he often ate lunch. We ate lunch there and chatted with a couple of the ladies who worked there, that fondly remembered Michael. Then stopped to visit a few members of the church at Wards he had been assigned to. He was hoping to visit his Mission President, but the Mission office was closed for the holiday. That evening, we walked around Temple Square enjoying the Christmas lights and the Salt Lake City Temple. We also enjoyed hearing some performances at the tabernacle. We were disappointed we missed touring the conference center, as they closed tours early because of the holiday. We spent the night at a La Quinta Inns and Suites in Layton. La Quinta is usually our go-to hotel when traveling, but was not very impressed with this one. Service was good, but the inn seriously needs to be updated and the room and bathroom didn't feel very clean. But for one night stay, and being just off the freeway and next to a mall and several restaurants, it wasn't too bad. 

Two other things disappointed me about this trip. The first was Kroger Company. We had made a quick snack stop at a grocery store in Grand Junction and when the checker rang us up, she asked if we had a City Market card. I shook my head. Then she rudely said to us, "Well, then I will just have to charge you full price." I was totally taken aback. This is why I hate those stupid shopper cards. First, I don't think it's anyone's business how we shop, what we buy, or where we buy it. Thank goodness Albertsons stopped this madness. The thing that really ticked me off was her attitude and if she had just followed up with one qualifying question; i.e. "Would you like a card?" I could have stated, "No, we live in Washington state." If she had told me City Market was a Kroger Company, the light bulb would have gone off inside my head. "Oh, okay, we have Fred Meyers and QFC's in Washington." As it is, I am not a fan of Kroger stores anyway. And encounters like this is what continues to keep me away from shopping there. 

I was also very disappointed in the Golden Corral. I usually love Golden Corral. Unfortunately, there is only one in the whole state of Washington and its several hours away. Nonetheless, by the time we had checked into the motel for the evening, we were all very hungry. And one of these reasons we picked this particular place to stay was it location next to several restaurants. We were finding it impossible to locate a place that was open. Everyone closed early for the New Years Holiday. However, we did find Golden Corral open. We walked in and paid for our meal, only to discover we were the last customers to come in for the night. Therefore, the food was not fresh or warm and had been sitting under the heat lights all night. The slice of roast I had was as tough as a leather shoe and I can't even find the words to describe how gross the mashed potatoes were. The staff was polite, but we felt like they were staring at us, just waiting for us to leave. I will think twice before visiting another Golden Corral. 

New Years Day we drove all day long. We had good weather all the way home, except it was cold. My normally blue SUV had turned white with brine and road grime. We told the boys we could stop in Broadman, Oregon for the night, but they all wanted to get back home, so we continued to drive the rest of the way, arriving close to midnight.  Our dogs were happy to see us. I felt sorry for the lady who pet sat for us. The coldest week we had all winter (low 20's) and our furnace blew the circuit breaker. The house was freezing! Thank goodness Ed had a couple more days off from work as we searched for replacement circuit breakers for our Carrier furnace. He went back to work the day after he made the repairs. 

I have seen many parts the eastern seaboard from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Stonington, Maine and the western seaboard from Long Beach, California to La Push, Washington and everything in between, but my favorite most definitely is the Oregon coast. 

Growing up in California, I enjoyed our trips to the beach, but it wasn't until we moved to Oregon, that I really fell in love with the ocean. Unlike the waters off the California coastline, it's too cold to swim in, but that doesn't bother me as I am drawn in by the beauty that is Oregon. Lighthouses, the pounding surf, tide pools, magnificent sunsets, sandstone cliffs, and monolithic rocks. The most unique aspect of the Oregon coast is the Beach Bill, which grants public access to all the beaches. 

Last October, we (Ed and I, my parents, and our oldest son, Michael) visited the North Coast of the Oregon coast for an extended weekend. Yes, I know, a little crazy to visit the coast in October and not summer, but in Oregon it doesn't really matter. It's beautiful year round. Plus, we had hoped for bad weather as we wanted to see a storm pounding the coast, whipping up waves and blowing sand streaming across the beach. 

We arrived at the condo in Seaside late Friday night. Thanks to friends who are members, we were able to stay at the Wyndham Resort. We have had the opportunity to stay at a handful of their resorts, and as much as I like how clean everything is from the grounds, to the units, to the lobbies, the units are large and airy and have full size kitchens, the convenience factor of how close they are in everything; however, we are just not interested in becoming owners. Maybe, if we had bought earlier, I would feel differently. But the kids are mostly grown and don't want to travel with us very often and we just don't have the money to buy a timeshare. Maybe someday, but not today. As much as I have enjoyed staying at the Wyndham Resorts, theirs salespeople are as slick as any used cars salesman you could ever meet, except they wear nicer suits. An hour-long presentation turns into almost three hours of hard pressure selling, with lots of freebies and plentiful promises. We barley got away with our pocketbook intact. Nonetheless, the condos are a lot nicer then most hotels we have ever stayed at, but if we're going to spend that kind of money, I rather buy an RV. 

Saturday morning - we endured the never ending sales pitch. The weather was dark and gloomy, inside as well as outside. After we left the "owner's seminar", we decided to explore Seaside. We have stayed in Seaside several times and I love the quaint little "sea side" town, which many shops and restaurants, arcades, amusement rides, and more. Every Fourth of July the town puts on a fantastic parade and fireworks celebration show. We beach combed and window shopped. We ate bread bowls of clam chowder for lunch at a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Good chowder. Sorry, I don't remember the name of the place. We also swung on the swing set on the beach and took advantage of the hot tub at the condo in the evening. The hot tub would have been more enjoyable did we not have to listen to some jerk lecture those around him about the evils of the Mormon church. Five minutes longer and I think my dad would have socked him. 

Sunday, we started the day eating a bunch buffet at the Twisted Fish Steakhouse. Most excellent. I especially liked the made-to order omelettes and plentiful breakfast choices. After brunch, we drove south stopping at the town of Cannon Beach and visited the beaches of Twin Rocks and Rockaway. We then continued to Tillamook, stopping at the famous Tillamook Cheese Factory, where we had ice cream for lunch (and I didn't care). Next, we stopped at the Blue Heron French Cheese Company and then visited the Cape Meares Lighthouse, where Ed and I got soaked on our hike. The sun then broke through the clouds, as we headed toward our final destination of the day, the beach at Oceanside. 

Monday, we visited the town of Astoria, stopping at Fort Stevens (a state park located on the mouth of the Columbia River) and walked along the jetties and then explored the old Army gun batteries. Next, we drove to Fort Clatsop, a reclica of winter quarters for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. There is a family connection to Fort Clatsop, as my great-great-great-great grandfather, Alexander Hamilton Willard, was a member of the Corps of Discovery and traveled with Lewis and Clark on their trek to the Pacific Ocean. Finally, we stopped at the Astoria Column, which is a 125--foot high column and has 164 steps spiraling to an observation deck at the top. Yes, I did climb all the way to the top. That evening, we watched the sunset turned the skies an tangerine reddish-orange. Breathtaking! And this is exactly why I love the Oregon coast. 

I was able to cross a couple hikes off my bucket list earlier this month. I wanted to go on one last camping trip for the season on my birthday weekend and although it didn't take much arm twisting, my husband agreed to go with me. However, the weather had other ideas, so we just decided to take a long car drive and an overnight stay in a motel would suffice. 

I had an appointment with my cardiologist back in August, which included an EKG and an echo-cardiogram. Everything looked good and he is ecstatic about my heart health. However, when I bragged about climbing the long trail at Crater Lake from the water to the rim, he looked a little grim and warned my not to hike alone or be too far away from help. What is the fun in that? I reassured him, I only take shorter hikes, and usually not more then three miles in a stretch. Sometimes, I feel like I can't win. I love hiking, but also am well aware I have been gaining weight, so I walk more and walk, and now seem to be having some issues with my Achilles tendons. Oh, the joys of almost being 50! 

Nonetheless, there were a couple hikes I wanted to tackle. The first one was along the Washington state side of the Columbia River; Beacon Rock. Beacon Rock is a core of an ancient volcano. The two-mile round trip trail with a gain of 600 feet from the parking lot to the summit is a series of switchback boardwalks drilled into the monolith and provides outstanding panoramic views of the Columbia River Gorge along the trail and at the summit. A Discovery Pass is required for parking in the lot. We usually just buy the year round pass for $30 versus the daily pass of $10 and the pass is good for all Washington state parks. 

Next, we drove for several hours to the small town of Primeville for the night. We stopped at a couple name brand motel chains, thinking because it was October and the middle of the week, we would not have a problem finding a room. Not exactly wrong, but not exactly right either. The first motel we stopped at was booked and the second only had "Smoking" rooms. Yep, we weren't in Washington anymore. I remember when restaurants and hotels became smoke-free in Washington state and I wasn't too sure how I felt about the law (civil liberties and all). Now when I visit other states, I can't believe they don't have "clean-air" act themselves. I just have gotten so used to not having to smell cigarette smoke everywhere. But don't ask me about the other smell from another substance that is lit and smoked. (Remember, we live in Washington state). 

The next morning, we stopped at the Wildland Firefighters Monument.  It's a memorial for fourteen wildland firefighters who lost their lives fighting the Storm King Mountain fire in Colorado back in 1994, nine of them were from Prineville. It's a very beautiful and moving memorial located in Ochoco Creek Park. Then we drove to the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, stopping first at the Painted Hills Unit. For several years, since the first time a friend posted a picture of the Painted Hills, I have wanted to visit. And the imagery and vivid colors of the hills did not disappoint. There are many short hikes around the park that are very easily accessible for all ages. My two favorites were the Painted Hills Overlook and Red Hill (Red Scar Knoll) Trail. I also really liked the boardwalk walk around Painted Cove. The rain predicted for the day held off, but we were covered in heavy cloud cover throughout the day. The pictures we took do not do justice on how brilliant the colors of the hills really are. Nonetheless, so worth the trip to the middle of central Oregon. 

Trust me when I say, the Painted Hills are in the middle of nowhere. (No disrespect to those living in the small communities in the area). However, after hiking around the hills, we then drove several miles to a gas station in the small town of Dayville and purchased some fuel and snacks and then went to the second unit of the John Day Fossil Beds; Sheep Rock. We didn't spend a lot of time in this area, but we did spend about an hour at the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center. It was interesting seeing fossils up close. And there are lots of opportunities for hands-on experiences for the kids and kids at heart. We were afraid we were going to run out of daylight, so we only drove through the Sheep Rock area.  I thought the blue-green colors were a sharp contrast of the reds, yellows, and greens we had seen in the Painted Hills. I also liked the rock formations of Sheep Rock and Cathedral Rock. Unfortunately, we did not have time to hike this area. 

We continued on our drive stopping at the Clarno Unit. This was the second must do hike on my list, as I really wanted to see the Palisades.  The Palisades were formed by a series of volcanic mudflows. There are three very short hikes that start at the trailhead at the parking lot and then connect with each other. Geologic Time Trail (.50 round trip), Clarno Arch Trail (.25 round trip), and Trail of Fossils (.25 loop). I found the trails very informative as there was plenty of information signage along the trail, as well as fossils in the rocks and petrified logs. Then it was time for the long drive home, because the following day we had to attend a high school marching band competition.

Nevertheless, the John Day Fossil Beds are worth the drive. 

For many, summers mean picnics, fireworks, fishing, lazy days lounging in the sun by the water. All well and good, but to me, summer means camping trips. It's ironic, when I was younger and my parents, loaded us up in a older Ford Crew Cab truck, this ugly, beat up yellow pickup truck, which my dad had bought from the railroad company. Gawd, was that thing a beast and only got 9 miles to the gallon whether we had the camper on it or not. Then there was the time we went tent camping right outside Disneyland and the time we drove all the way to Mt. Rushmore in an Oldsmobile sedan pulling a one-wheeled trailer down the interstate, with our Samoyed dog, Czar, riding in the back window. I don't remember where my parents found this oddball trailer, I just remember the thing was super heavy and required both my parents, my two sisters, and I to lift the thing, so my dad could hitch it to these two hooks on the bumper, like a pioneer handcart being pulled by a car on our own trek. My dad had built a box on the trailer frame and filled it with all sorts of sundry camping equipment. These are my most vivid memories of growing up and even though I was often the first to complain about driving across the country (and yes, we did drive all the way across the country, as we drove to Maine one summer), my husband and I always make sure we took at least one trek with the boys every summer when they were growing up. We have taken them to Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, Olympic National Park, Mt. Rainier National Park, the Canadian Rockies, and numerous state parks around Oregon and Washington. My sincere hope is that we forged forever memories in their young minds of doing things together as a family.  

Now, the boys are all grown, and none of them what to go on trips with boring Mom and Dad. However, this summer, Ed and I went on some camping trips together. It started in June, with a quick weekend trip to Olympic National Park. Still one of my favorite parks as it consists of four separate ecosystems, something for everyone, and affords us the chance to do what we want on any given visit. This time, we camped at Lake Crescent. Love this campground. We had hoped because it was a weekday, we could arrive early enough to get a site closest to the water, but was not the case. However, we did have a nice view of the lake. Fairholme Campground, is still in my top ten favorite campgrounds in Washington state; however, bring lots and lots of  mosquito repellent. They were relentless all night long. 

It was our anniversary weekend, so we spurged and had dinner at the Lake Crescent Lodge Restaurant. The lavender lemonade was amazing, but dinner itself was unmemorable.and really on the pricey-side. But the views from the dining room were spectacular as we watched evening turn to twilight. The following morning, we rented a two-person kayak to explore the lake from the water for a couple of hours. Even though, we spent the first hour just going around in circles as we did not seem to find our rhythm until the second hour, we had fun laughing and basking in the warm sunshine. Boats and paddleboards are available for rental just outside the Fairholme campground and at the Lake Crescent Lodge. We also spent two days hiking; we hiked a small portion of the Spruce Railroad trail and then hiked to Marymere Falls (1.8 roundtrip). Later on, we took a couple of short hikes around Hurricane Ridge. I don't care what season it is; Hurricane Ridge is worth visiting in the fall, winter, spring, and summer. 

In July, we camped just for the evening in another part of the Olympic National Forest; Staircase. We live only an hour from the Staircase entrance, but this was only the second time we had seen this less popular part of the park; however, it was busy the Saturday we visited. Staircase campground is small with only 49 sites and is first come-first serve; however, outside the park is a second campground, Big Creek Campground, operated by the U.S. Forest Service. We hiked the Staircase Rapids Loop hike, a 2.5-mile round trip along the North Fork of the Skokomish River. My favorite parts about this easy hike was crossing the cable suspension bridge and being dwarfed by towering cedar trees. Maybe, I can convince Ed to bring me back in the fall when we would see fall foliage and the river flowing much faster and fuller. 

In August, we make the trek to Crater Lake. I'm a little disappointed in myself for never taking the boys here. Well, actually, Michael we took camping to Crater Lake when he was three, but the other boys have never been. The lake itself was amazing beautiful. Pictures never do it justice on how truly blue the lake is. We took some amazing hikes and drove all the way around the rim. My biggest frustration was I had checked the National Park website before we had left, mostly to keep an eye on a forest fire that was burning in the area, because I wanted to see if smoke was hampering the views of the lake. The website stated that Mazama Campground was 75% reservable with 25% being first come-first serve. We left the day before and "camped" in a rest stop a few miles from the turn-off of the road leading to the park entrance. And the following morning, after breakfast, we left early for the park. After we paid the park entrance fee, we drove to Mazama Campground. One the brochure at the entrance regarding campsites, it too, stated 25% of the campsites were first come-first serve. However, when we arrived at the campground kiosk, we were told that was not the case, and after the first of July all campsites were 100% reservable. One of the pitfalls about camping, I totally dislike making reservations four or six months in advance. I'm more of a whim kind of person, the weather is beautiful, Ed has the weekend off. . . let's go. Luckily, after driving through the campground, we found a site, not marked reserved, and the attendant, let us have the site for the evening. We were hoping to stay two nights, but we decided to stay outside the park the second evening as we were not guaranteed another night, and road construction was awful, especially when we had to wait 30-45 minutes for a pilot car. Nonetheless, we had a fantastic time visiting Crater Lake and took advantage of a couple of short hikes the first day, including a ranger-lead twilight hike up to the Watchman Forest Fire Lookout. A 1.8 in and back hike with a climb of 400 feet. Totally worth the hike, and the views of the lake and the sunset were amazing. Of course, we love forest fire lookouts. The following day, we drove to Cleetwood Cove and took the hike down to the water for a two-hour boat guided tour on the lake. The tour is totally worth the money and the long strenuous and steep hike back up the 1.1 mile (700 feet climb), starting at an elevation of 6850. Took me about two hours to hike back up the trail, took my time and was in no rush, but I did it! Now, I'm really wanting to climb Mt. Elinor (Olympic National Park), although I know it will take months before I am physically fit to hike the 3-mile round trip, 1300 elevation trail, but it's most definitely on my bucket list. 

Blogger's note: Sadly, I am very behind on blog posts, as well as, writing stories as I have capsulitis (frozen shoulder) and find it very painful to sit in front of the computer for more then a few minutes. However, a cortisone shot and physical therapy is slowly giving me back some range of motion. 

*****

There is just something about the mountains; perhaps it's the cool, crisp mountain air or the majestic snowcapped peaks that draws me to them. Every summer we try to take the boys on a weeklong camping trip, this summer was no exception as we went camping at Mt. Rainier National Park. We have visited the park several times, but this was the first time we ever visited the east side of the mountain. Unlike the west side (Nisqually entrance) that is open year round, the east side is open only for a few short weeks in the summer based on weather and road conditions. Therefore, we make the trek in late August between the time both Michael and Steffen had finished working scout and YMCA camps for the summer and right before school was to begin for the new school year. 

We borrowed a tent trailer from a friend, mostly because I did not want to crawl in and out of a tent (sucks getting older). We had a little excitement heading up to the mountain as the trailer's left tire blew. We found some humor in the situation as the exact same thing happened the last time we had borrowed this same trailer (except the other tire). This was beginning to turn into our own family tradition. Ed put on the spare and we were lucky enough to find a tire store just outside of Randall. A new tire on the trailer and we were on the road again. 

We spent several nights camping in Ohanapecosh. This campground almost immediately became my favorite place to camp at in Mt. Rainier National Park. I enjoyed that several hiking trails started right from the parking lot and that the campground was convenient to both Paradise and Sunrise. During the day there were ranger-guided hikes (although my boys thought they were too old to participate) and in the evenings, ranger-led programs at the amphitheater. Ohanapecosh even has a visitor's center; however, it is open very limited hours. The biggest downside is there are no showers at any of the campgrounds in Mt. Rainier, so I wore a sloppy ponytail most of the week, and was so happy when I was finally able to wash my hair. 

We camped along side the Ohanapecosh River and was surrounded by towering Douglas fir tress. I was surprised with a statewide burn ban park rangers were allowing campfires. However, it just does not feel like camping if we can't roast marshmallows. The days we were in the park we spent exploring and hiking. We hiked the trails to Silver Falls, Hot Springs Nature Trail, and the Grove of the Patriarchs. These hikes were fairly easy (however, the Silver Falls hike can be a bit strenuous as several steps are carved from tree roots), but I highly recommended these hikes. I especially liked walking over the suspension bridge over the Ohanapecosh River to an island of strands of old growth trees. We also drove to Box Canyon and Nickel Creek and took a short two-mile hike. This gentle trail offers amazing views of the gorge. 

Another day at Mt. Rainier National Park, we drove up to Sunrise. Sunrise is the highest point that can be reached by vehicle. We explored the visitor's center and even went on a Ranger-lead hike to Emmons Vista Overlooks (overlooking the Emmons glacier). Again, this was the first time we had visited this side of the mountain and the mountain put on a show for us with beautiful subalpine wildflowers and lenticular clouds that appeared to hover just over the peak. Even the weather cooperated with us, as we were surrounded by wildfires throughout the state but the winds held the smoke from settling around the mountain, although a bit hazy at times. We waited until dusk to watch the sun set, and it was beautiful with brilliant reds and oranges, but I really want to come back someday and watch the sunrise. 

The following day, we drove up to Crystal Mountain Resort. Again, the weather was picture perfect as we took a gondola ride to the top of the mountain and was awarded with breathtaking views of Mt. Rainier and the Cascade mountains, although Mt. Adams was covered in a thick haze of smoke. We explored and hiked some trails that in the winter are ski trails. Even though, I do not ski, I hope to visit Crystal Mountain Resort again sometime in the winter. I am sure I will be awe with this winter wonderland.  I also hope to come back when we can afford some time to explore Chinook Pass and Cayuse Pass and camp at the White River Campground. 

The next day, we left Mt. Rainier National Park and headed south towards Mt. St. Helens. Again, we had visited Mt. St. Helens several times over the years, but this was the first time we had even seen the mountain from the east side (the side of the mountain that experienced the most catastrophic damage during the violent eruption of Mt. St. Helens on May 18, 1980). We explored several overlooks that lined the road leading up to Windy Ridge. The road is very windy (silly English language) but worth the views of the crater and dome of the mountain and the rebirth of Spirit Lake. Once we reached the end of the road at Windy Ridge, we took a hike to the observatory, which is a series of steps carved into the hillside that switch back and forth. Took me a while, but even I made it all the way to the top. Finishing our visit to Mt. St. Helens, we then took the boys to Ape Cave, which is a large lava tube located in Gifford Pinchot National Forest. There are two hikes available to explore the lava tube; however, because of the time of day we had arrived the boys had to settle for the shorter hike, although I know they were disappointed as they had hoped to take the longer one. Those who do visit Ape Cave need to make sure they have a coat and two light sources for each hiker as it is very, very dark and cool down there. 

And this is why I continue to love living in Washington state, so much to do and see without having to take all day to get there. 

Some of my most fondest and vivid memories of my youth are of me going camping with my parents and younger sisters. I remember my first camping trip, I couldn't have been much older than four and my parents had taken me to Sequoia National Park. Faintly, I can see myself running around those giant redwoods and climbing their massive stumps. I decided when I had children, I wanted to take them on camping trips and give them the opportunity to have the same experiences I had, and I hope we have instilled good memories for our boys. 

This year was no exception. I was looking forward to a camping trip, especially since we were unable to get away last summer, except for a quick trip to Leavenworth, Washington over the Labor Day weekend. Unfortunately, we kept hitting road blocks and I fretted if we were even going to be able to make it work. To begin with, the summer was already booked pretty solid with work, scout camps, band camp, and Michael leaving for the MTC. That left us with only a short block of time to squeeze in a trip, throw in a camp staff meeting and a snow make-up day at the end of the school year and we only had an extended weekend to do our excursion. We originally discussed taking a trip to Mt. Rainier, in view of the fact, we had not camped on the mountain for several years. When I went to make reservations, we found out because of sequestration, our favorite campground was closed until later in the month. We then decided we would visit the east side of the mountain instead and was actually looking forward to visiting since we had never seen the east side of Mt. Rainier.  I found a campsite, but while checking road conditions, I discovered the road to Sunrise was not anticipated to be opened until later in the month and the second excursion to Crystal Mountain was out, because the gondola rides were closed the weekend we were supposed to be there. Sigh!

So. . . we did a complete 180 degree turn and headed to the Washington coast instead. We decided to visit Cape Disappointment State Park (formerly known as Fort Canby) because we had never visited the park, although we had visited Fort Stevens on the other side of the Columbia River. Camp Disappointment is where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean and where Lewis and Clark landed and explored when they reached the end of their journey to the Pacific. We drove to the park with hopes of finding a last minute site and we camped in a first-come, first serve campground in the park near Lake O'Neil, a little more primitive (no hook-ups) then other sites available in the park (those near the ocean), but still had water nearby, flush toilets, and showers. I would have liked to have camped at the sites on the Pacific Ocean side of the park, but I understand those fill up weeks and sometimes months in advance and even then it's a .25 mile hike to the beach from the campgrounds. Side note: Watch out for raccoon in this park, they are tenacious, are not afraid of humans, and will steal food and rummage through garbage. Had a bit of an adventure with a raccoon on our first day at the park. I was sitting  in our pickup with the door wide open and a raccoon waddled over to the door and peaked inside. I shooed him away, but my youngest son who was sitting in the truck with me, wanted to know where he went. We found him a few moments later in the back of the truck bed trying to open a storage bin, which I might add, had no food inside. He gave up, climbed out of our truck, and then climbed onto a bumper of another truck. No fear. We kept the doors closed from then on. 

While at the park, we enjoyed several short hikes. We hiked to both Camp Disappointment lighthouse and North Head lighthouse. I love lighthouses as much as I love forest fire lookouts - something about them stirs up the romantic in me. The call of seclusion. The guardians of the waterways. Fantasies of living in one many years ago. We were able to take a tour of North Head and climbed up the 66 steps to the top. Amazing and breath-taking views from up there. We also walked along the North Jetty, Beards Harrow, Waikiki Beach, Benson Beach, and toured the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. Have some family history with the Lewis and Clark Expedition - my great-great-great-great grandfather, Alexander Hamilton Willard was with the corps. 

Our final day at the coast, we drove up to Long Beach and spent the day walking along the boardwalk, driving on the beach, and shopping. I highly recommend Anna Lena's Quilt Shop - going to sound strange but she has amazing fudge! Then on our way home, we stopped at Fort Columbia State Park. This historical park protected the entrance to the Columbia River. It is one of the few intact coastal defense sites left in the United States. After lunch at Pizza Hut in Seaside, Oregon, we headed down the coastal highway towards Portland. Just a few miles from Hillsboro, we blew a tire on the trailer. Had a bit of an adventure as the trailer we had borrowed did not have a spare. Thank goodness, we left on a Saturday and not Sunday, because Les Schwab Tires are closed on Sundays. After purchasing a new tire, we were back on the road again, arriving back home late Saturday evening. On Sunday, Steffen left to work at a boys scout camp for the summer.