My FAVORITE Days are on Vacation!

The last week of July we traveled to the beautiful state of Oregon.

Day 1: Hike to McNeil Point 11m

Our 1st view of the most stunning stratovolcano in the Cascade Range, Mount Hood.

Flowers enhanced the experience.

We had hiked the 1st two miles during a previous visit in 2023.

Rare family photo, only two were taken during our trip.

Thankful for clear skies and no wildfire smoke.

The historic McNeil Point Shelter.

I really wanted to quit on this steep long part but the flowers in the meadow kept me motivated.

Phew!! We made it to the end of the trail, to the closest view of Mount Hood.

After a nice rest and snack, we headed back down. This formation is called Ho Rock.

I MUST have my hiking poles!

A friend of mine lives in Oregon and this is her favorite hike in the entire state.

We took a different route down, which was easier and had abundant flowers and streams.

The Knotty Pine cabin. I got the best sleep here!

I love staying in smaller, cozier places. Everything is simpler and I get to see my people more.

DAY 2: Tamanawas Falls 3.4m

This hike is one of the more popular in the area.

The best way to experience a waterfall is to get as close to it as possible. See Benny?

It's always a treat when you can get behind it.

The basalt pillars are such a cool rock formation.

The abundant moss always makes Oregon waterfalls so stunning.

Getting a person in the photo important to grasp the size of the falls. That's Aaron.

A delicious lunch at Baseline Biscuits nearby.

And lavender ice cream at a farm in the area.

Addy has always wanted to visit a Lavender Farm, so glad we finally made it to one.

Later we took a walk along the Salmon River Trail near our rental while Aaron ran for XC miles.

Relaxing in the cute cabin. We watched our show called From all available nights.

DAY 3: Ape Cave Adventure - Upper Cave 1.5m plus 1.5m back above ground

We drove 2 hours to Washington state to hike through a dark, rugged, lava tube.

The lava tube is located near Mount St Helens and is the 3rd longest in North America.

We skipped the easy lower section and went straight for the hard version.

We had to bring our own headlamps. Halfway through, we did shut them off to see total darkness.

My favorite part was this skylight.

I'm thankful Josh was able to make it through the cave without his caustraphobia kicking in.

I LOVE this family picture so much!! Taken by the only other people we saw in the cave, at the end.

The ladder to exit.

View of the surface.

Stop 2: Lewis River Falls Recreation Area - Permit Required.

While still in Washington, we made another stop to a set of gorgeous waterfalls. The lower falls was VERY popular.

Upper Falls - a far away view.

We were the only people at these falls for some reason.

Josh, Jackson and Aaron found a way down and got in the water. Next time we're bringing swimsuits. On the way back, we had dinner at Backwoods Brewing Company in Carson, WA. The pizza and beer were delicous, plus outdoor seating.

DAY 4: Tom, Dick and Harry via Mirror Lake 7.5m - Picture from the top of the trail. We didn't continue to the end due to tons of boulders and similar views.

Amazing chipmunk picture taken by Aaron.

Finally some animal interactions. My people feeding the birds.

What in the world!? I guess they are used to humans.

Mirror Lake on the way down.

Next we drove 2 hours to Sisters, OR. This is our adorable rental for the rest of the trip.

DAY 5: Tam McArthur to No Name Lake 12m. Permit Required. See Jackson?

We can do any hike as long as there's enough food. Stopping for a snack.

I was MOST excited about this hike. The famous Three Sister Mountains in the background.

They must be related. HA! Addy skipped this hike due to being sick.

We easily made it to Broken Top Mountain with a view of No Name Lake.

One more snack break before heading down the to the Lake.

There have been a few places where the sheer beauty was too great to capture in a picture or even take in with my own senses.

This was one of those places.

For a time, we had this magical scene to ourselves.

This is the the view from the other side of the lake. The more popular route, most people take from Bend.

Take my picture!

While Addy was home, she made friends with her favorite birds...quails!

Recovery TV and electronic time on a couch that fits our entire family.

DAY 6: Canyon Creek Meadows 7.6m. Permit Required. Approaching the mountain called Three Fingered Jack.

The hike to this point was moderate, except for the uphill slick gravel. Addy chose to stop and rest while we contined the grueling climb to the top.

View from the top. Phew!

Unique colors and views. There was a chance of seeing goats but we didn't.

Jackson on the way back down. I'm falling behind, as usual.

The beautiful mossy forest.

And a burned area from a previous wildfire. But the flowers make it better.

DAY 7: Moraine Lake via South Sister Climbing Trail 5.8m Permit Required.

Benny said one of his favorite parts of the trip was skipping rocks. Noted for next time.

We had to drive to Bend to access this hike.

Swedish fish and mustard pretzels are Aaron's preferred trail snacks. This child never gets tired. He ran miles each days for XC after our hikes.

Most of the hike was forest. Josh was sick but wouldn't miss a hike. He took meds and pushed through.

DAY 8: Marion and Gatch Falls 4.2m Permit Required. Prettiest pit toilet ever! We visited multiple of these everyday.

Marion Falls to ourselves.

I was pretty happy about it.

Gatch Falls with a view of Marion above it.

The most delicious breakfast burrito lunch at the falls.

Banana Slugs!!!

Downing Creek Falls 1m - This hidden gem was down a rarely traveled, overgrown road. We had to the place to ourselves.

I LOVE these 4 amazing people. They are close friends and get along great! Blessed.

DAY 9: Our 2nd visit to Brunchies for breakfast burritos and apple fritter donut holes.

Quick stop at the Lava River National Recreation Trail

To visit the Dee Wright Observatory.

The best part were these mini windows that were labeled with the mountain names you could view through them.

Lava stones everywhere!

Hiking to Proxy Falls 1.6m

Lower falls. We also hiked to Upper but I didn't get a worthy picture.

Love the moss carpet!

Tamolitch Blue Pool 4.2m

We barely found parking for this very popular hike. It was the most crowded place we visited.

I've seen so many pictures of this pool, and always wanted to go here. In person, it is just as beautiful as the pictures!

A few miles down the road, also on the Meckenzie River is Sahalie Falls. With a RAINBOW!

This was our 2nd visit here. Josh going on a sketchy trail behind the falls.

A quick walk away, over the fence, and down a muddy hill is a close up view of Koosah Falls.

Worth the effort to see it.

A quick stop by Clear Lake. I wanted to rent a row boat but no one else was interested. Next time.

Instead we headed back to town for burgers and homemade ice cream at the Sno Cap Drive In.

DAY 10: We drove 3.5 hours to Pacific City beach for our last day in Oregon.

The boys made it to the top of Cape Kiwanda, a huge sand dune.

Fences were recently installed for safety that take away from the natural beauty of the area.

Benny won the race down and considered it one of his favorite parts of the trip.

We took the red eye flight back home. Thankful our trip was not affected by the Oregon wildfires. Here's a picture Jackson took out of the plane window on the way there.

After returning home, I worked for 3 days getting caught up, then tested positive for COVID. So far, I gave it to 2 coworkers.