More Portland

The kids just could not resist the fountains at the Rose Garden. Yes, Benjamin and Rachel were both wet by the time we got back to the RV. The rest of us resisted or faired better.

We drove out via the Columbia River and Multnomah Falls. Benjamin is growing strong and the girls are growing sillier by the day. Luisa and I are hoping that we can all hold together for SIX weeks. So far so good.

Portland Oregon

We entered Portland by first stopping at the first of many temples that we will see on this trip - the Portland Temple, in it's white splendor. We had the temple grounds to ourselves, since it was temporally closed for cleaning and light renovations.

Later in the day, we took a long walk through the aboretum and rose gardens. We had a great time enjoying our four hour walk and then topped it off with a live play of the Wizard of Oz.

That evening, we ate out at a Thai restaurant, yum!; then went off to Pioneer Square to view the sand castle competition. Wow, so much to do, so little time.

Lolo Pass

Howdy everyone --- Mama here --- I just talked to Ben --- they are having a wonderful time --- but in his defense, he can't get the pictures to post for some reason, and it's been very frustrating to him. So it's not that he's not trying. They are now leaving Lolo Pass and heading to Yellowstone and we will meet up with them today.

Pictures?

I'm just wondering where the pictures are that go with the National Tour --- looking forward to some. Hope to see you in Yellowstone this evening. We think about you everyday and wonder how things are going and where you are at the time. Hope you're having a SUPER trip.

Staying with Friends 7-12-07

A real bed and a warm shower mean a lot more to us having been on the road. Not to mention the meals, the movie and the wonderful home and hospitality of friends in Newburg, OR. Our thanks to the Blewis's! Oh, we also picked raspberries to add to our breakfast.

I think that the girls were gidding to sleep in the bedroom of a good friend. Sorry that we missed you Holly and April.

The Storm at Diamond Lake 7-11-07

Oh, here is one more Crater Lake photo that I could not locate before. We truly had spendid weather.

Note: The repeat on the clothes that we are wearing are the limited wardrobes that we brought. We do wash almost every day with our washing machine hooked to our bumper. I'll get a picture of that posted later.

We checked in at our first ever official RV Campground at Diamond Lake, OR. They were able to give us a good spot because we were so small in comparison to the 'buses' that filled the campground. It hooking up the 30amp power and the dedicated fresh water and sewer line, it started to rain cats and dogs!

After the rain, we walked down to the lake and walked around on the dock. What a beautiful place! Diamond Lake is truly worth a revisit.

Sun Dial Bridge and Crater Lake

Wednesday 7-11-07 we drove to the disputable sun dial bridge in Redding. It was a lovely cool morning and we pratically had the bridge to ourselves. The teens and the boy stayed in bed as Luisa, Rachel and I took a lovely stroll. If you are ever in Redding, it's worth a stop.

Crater Lake was even better. We drove around the East Rim, stopping where there was room for the RV. The lake, over 1900 feet deep is the deepest lake in the US and lived up to the deep blue color, which it is known for.

Later, Benjiman, Rachel, Katie and I had to play in the snow. We slid, threw snowballs and filled up our ice chest. Here in Portland, three days later, the ice chest is still have full. And yes, we have had several wonderful snowball fights since then. Oh, now I know why my arm is sore.

Sleeping in a Field

We have not been known to leave on time; with five kids, two pets, last minute shop repairs in a neighboring city, and four hours at Best Buy, we were fortunate to leave the day that we had scheduled to leave. After leaving Best Buy Sacramento at 9:15 PM, it would have been easy to drive back to the comfort of our own home. But no, it was time to hit the road and that we did!



We ending up sleeping in a field somewhere south of Red Bluff, CA. We were well off the freeway and with a nice cool breeze, it made for a pleasant first night in the RV.

Our Summer Home

Here she is; our home for the summer of 2007. She's a beauty, sleeps 10, 9 miles to the gallon, A/C, microwave, shower w/tub, generator, fridge with freezer. Wow, what more could we ask for?? We are all so excited.
Nothing like last minute fixings; changing the front brake pads and wheel bearings here. And we are still preparing on the 11th hour. At some moments we panic, at others moments, we just don't know if we will ever get out the door. But we are still hopeful to leave Tuesday. We'll let you know.