Celebrations are Back!

Celebrations have been tricky these past 16 months. We have been staying home, like most of the world, since February 2020.  Last August we took a little trip to the Oregon Coast, but otherwise, we've been traveling places only when necessary and Covid testing before and after.  Now that all the adults in our home are fully vaccinated, we decided we would venture out this spring for a road trip celebration to make some memories and to conclude fourth grade for our homeschooler. 

Our celebration took us south from Seattle with a brief stop in Portland, which afforded us a a quick visit to Ash St. Wine Co. and nectarine muffins at the home of dear friends, then on to Crater Lake National Park in Southern Oregon.  Without doubt, Crater Lake is one of the most lovely places in the Northwest. We hiked at the rim, spotted lots of cool birds, and shot many rocks into the lake with Wy's new slingshot.  We hiked through pumice canyons and among early wildflowers and streams.  Although the park still had plenty of snow, we managed to stay snug in our cabin. 

Next we headed to the scenic Rogue River, complete with a jet boat ride through Hellgate Excursions in Grants Pass, Oregon, to a lodge for dinner near the Hellgate part of the river -- beautiful albeit a tad wetter and cooler than we'd anticipated.  We saw beaver, mink, deer, eagles, herons, and lots of other birds and wildlife, plus we got to do a few 360s on the river.

The next day we headed north and stopped to have a quick visit with the fully-vaccinated grandparents in Corvallis, Oregon, before heading to the Oregon Coast for a couple days. On the coast, we enjoyed a few lazy days in Gearhart, Oregon, playing catch, flying kites, and walking on the wide beaches in the spring sunshine.  Our trip back to Seattle mixed in some Northwest history with stops at the Astoria Column and Fort Clastop at the Lewis and Clark National Historic Park. We used our fourth grader's Every Kid Outdoors national lands pass on this trip, which was pretty fun.  I think he acquired another Jr. Ranger badge too, this one from Crater Lake.

Many memories and beautiful photos later, we're home and eager to get going with summer.  It's starting to feel like celebrations are once again becoming part of our lives.  Yay!