San Diego Day 5- Friday October 11th

We slept in a bit today and woke up to completely blue and sunny skies.  And a pleasent visit from my mom waiting outside for us to wake up!  She is an early bird that one and she rode her bike over here for some breakfast.  So we provided a yummy breakfast for everyone and then we all embarked on a bike ride around the bay to the boardwalk on Mission Beach.  We did some shopping in the little stores and then back on our bikes to come back to Campland.  We had a quick lunch and then set out for Mission Beach.  Megan of course was immediately in the ocean boogie boarding and stayed there for a couple of hours.  Mom and Auntie caught up with us and we all hung out on Mission Beach.  Then it was time to say goodbye to Mom and Auntie as they had to leave today...we will miss them!  After all of the ocean swimming was out of Megan's system, we went to Belmont park for the kids to ride the roller coaster and do a couple of other rides.  Noah also bought a long board which he has been saving for a long time.  Our last day is coming to an end as we headed back to Campland for dinner.  Campland had a movie night outside right near our site on a huge blow up screen so we watched the Nightmare Before Christmas and ate some ice cream from the little shop on site.  We then hit the hot tub one last time and then it was time for packing up.  This has been a wonderful, fun filled vacation!

San Diego Day 4- 10/10/13 Thursday

Today we woke up to sunny skies and no kids!  Tim and I decided to go for a run around the bay, the other way this time.  It took us right by my moms condo so we stopped in to say hello to everyone and get some water.  We then headed back to campland for breakfast and lounging around.  Then everyone showed up and we started our water sports day on the bay.  First, Noah and Tim rented jet skis for a couple of hours.  Tim was the driver for a lot of the time and Noah then took the wheel.  Leah went for the first hour then Megan took the last hour as it fit 3 people on it.  While they were gone, my mom, auntie, me and Megan took the kayaks for a spin.  We caught up with everyone on the jet skis and compared notes.  It was a lot of fun for everyone!  After that, Mom and Auntie went back to their condo and Leah and I rented one of those water bikes which was fun for Leah.  It was a fun filled bay afternoon...literally steps from our campsite which was so convenient.  The rest of the night was girls night.  Tim took over Dad duty while I took off with Mom and Auntie.  We went out to dinner on Pacific Beach to a restaurant called Duck Dive and had some delicious Sea Bass...and a lot of house wine...too much for me!  We then went to another really modern restaurant right on the beach for dessert which was this amazing Peanut butter bomb which I will be dreaming about for a long time!  I came back to a sleeping house and hit the sack...another fun filled day.

San Diego Day 3 10/9/13 Wednesday

This morning we got an early start as we were going to head to the San Diego Safari Park.  The day was cold and rainy but we figured it would let up soon.  So we just got up and ate a quick breakfast and off we went on about a 30 minute drive North of here. The park was really large and had tons of animals.  The gorillas were our favorites as their environment was so large and you could get really close...they were very active!  The elephants were also a lot of fun.  The best part was the safari portion, where you get on the tram and really feel like you are on Safari in Africa...well, I think...Ive never been.  But of course Tim has and he said Africa was a lot better but I can pretend.  It was a lot of fun there, even Auntie and Mom enjoyed it and it was fun to experience it all together.  We then headed back to Campland for some hanging out...the rain had started up again so we were stuck in the camper for awhile.  Tim and I then dropped the kids off at my moms condo and headed out for a date night. We went to the movies and saw Gravity which was just an incredible movie.  We then had dinner and hung around the pretty Fashion Valley Mall.  The kids stayed the night with Grandma and Auntie so I'm sure they had a blast.  Another great day here in San Diego!

San Diego Day 2- 10/8/13 Tuesday

What a fun and active day we had today!  Tim and I started off the morning with a run around Mission Bay.  We ran for 7 hard, hilly miles...we even ran through Sea Worlds parking lot and then over those 2 big hills after you leave Sea World.  It was really beautiful though and a great accomplishment to do that.  We then came back and enjoyed a big breakfast while the kids played in the bay and in the arcade.  The rest of the morning we just sat around and did some walking and biking around camp.  We then took off to La Jolla for Megan and Tims surfing lesson.  The beach there was so beautiful and perfect for surfing.  My mom and Auntie met us there so they had a huge cheering section on the beach.  Megan was truly a natural surfer!  The smile she had on her face was priceless...she rode every wave in like a pro!  Tim...not so much of a natural. He had lots of falls and frustrations...but at least he tried.  After the lesson the girls boogie boarded in the ocean while the rest of us were beach bums.  We then headed back to my moms condo and ordered some pizza for dinner. Then it was back to Campland for some hot tub time.  It was a fun day!

Megan and Tim before their surfing lesson in La Jolla

Auntie, Mom and Me!

San Diego Day 1- 10/7/13 Monday

Today was our first day in beautiful San Diego.  Our now annual ritual for fall break, we have come to really look forward to our weeklong stay at Campland.  We left this morning at 7am and by 3:30 we were on our beach chairs relaxing while the kids were swimming in the bay. Actually Noah took in a camp sponsored game of dodge ball.  Shortly after we arrived, we got a visit from my mom and Auntie Donna who are staying at a condo on the bay as well.  They pulled up their beach chairs and joined us on the beach as we caught up on life...Donna is living in Saipain so we have not seen her in 6 months.  It was great to see her and the kids were so happy!  They joined us for a BBQ at our campsite and we had a really nice dinner together.  They then left back to their condo and the 5 of us went to visit the hot tub and pool area.  It was then an early bed as it was a long day.

Dinner at our campsite

Lake Tahoe Day 2- Last Day!

Today we slept in and then had a nice big breakfast.  Tim and Noah went and did some errands while us girls rode our bikes.  Then we took off to Lake Tahoe for the afternoon.  It was a cold and cloudy day with a few sprinkles but the girls were determined to get in the water and have one last beach day.  We decided to walk even though it is a couple of miles so we could warm up and get some exercise.  Our favorite beach is Pope beach as it has beautiful sand and not too crowded.  Right when we got there it started to rain so we stood under the cover of the pine trees.  It quickly let up and soon the sun peeked through and the kids enjoyed the lake and swam a bit.

They had a chilly walk back to our campground and we just hung out before dinner. We then had our last dinner which is always grilled steak and fish.  Finally we took a walk to the lake at our campground...Fallen Leaf Lake and enjoyed the last sunset.  It has been a great 3 weeks on the road and we have seem some amazing places in this beautiful country of ours.  We are so blessed to have these experiences as a family but we do miss the comforts of home...our friends, family, and our sweet dog Lily.

Lake Tahoe Driving Day

We had a nice and easy drive to Lake Tahoe from Oregon.  This is the last stop on our trek south to home.  We were at Lake Tahoe 2 summers ago and are staying at the same campground...even the same spot, so I don't have the typical anxiety as we drive there about what our campground will be like.  I was a little worried on our drive today as Tim was exhausted after a rough night with his itchy legs and little sleep.  But we made it here.  We set up and then quickly got on our bikes to take the bike path to the lake.  South Tahoe is perfect to ride bikes as there are bike paths everywhere.  We had a nice ride and then stopped for ice cream at our favorite ice cream shop...had to wait in line for 20 minutes as the line is always out the door.  We then walked to the beach area of the lake and took in the beauty of Lake Tahoe.  It was so busy today as it is Saturday and the weather is a perfect 72 degrees.  But all of that is changing as tomorrow should be cloudy and in the 60s and Tuesday thunderstorms and high of 55.  So we decided to leave a day early and come home Monday.  It would be no fun to be here and be stuck on our last day with thunderstorms and Tim is anxious to have a day to be fit for duty and heal from this poison oak.  So, we enjoyed our short time here today and got back on our bikes for camp and then dinner and bed.

Crater Lake Day 2

We spent the first official day of summer in the snow!

We made the 40 mile drive up to Crater lake today.  It is a gorgeous drive through the thick forest and a steady climb in elevation.  When we left our campground, it was 71 and when we got there, it was 51.  We headed straight to the rim as this park is Grand Canyonish...one major thing to see and you are looking over the rim to see it.  And the reaction is the same as when you see the Grand Canyon for the first time...you take in the gush of air and just say "wow".

The lake in the crater is the most clear blue you have ever seen.  The lake is very pristine as there are no rivers or streams that feed into or out of it and it is 1900 feet deep.  Basically it is thought it was a volcano that erupted and then the mountain collapsed.  This area gets so much snow each year (500 inches annually) so eventually, the lake filled up with the snow melt over the years.  It has maintained a perfect level with the snow melt and evaporation.  It is one of the oldest National parks as it was established in 1902 and  is Oregon's only National Park.  We took in the view for awhile and then went into the adorable lodge on the rim.  We then had a picnic and did a hike on the Discovery point trail around the rim.  There was a lot of snow on the ground so a lot of the trails were closed and the wildflowers were not quite in bloom which made me sad.  We took one last look at the lake and then went to the main visitors center and the kids got their ranger badges and watched the park film.

Then we headed back to camp because it is so much fun there and teeming with kids and families.  The rest of the night was dinner, packing up, a ranger program about fish, and Noah having s'mores with another family with a teenage girl he met (the second time this trip- teenagers!)  This has been a great little stop on our way back home and we will be back in this area for sure.   We think it is official, Tim has poison oak and is pretty miserable...has welts on his legs below the knees so we are trying to be extra kind to him...he's being a trooper!

Oregon, Again- Crater Lake- Driving Day

We had a nice drive to Oregon again.  This time we came inland and went down the I-5 to almost the California border.  It took us about 10 hours but was uneventful.  We are not staying in Crater Lake National Park because it is very cold there and I was not certain their campground would be open.  So we are at Joseph Stewart Recreation area which is about 40 miles south of the park.  It is a great park and we have a site with a lake view.  The kids were at the park, running around right as we pulled up.  We had dinner and then took a hike along the lake.  It was really pretty and heavily wooded.

The lake by our campsite

Hiking along the lake

Lost Creek Reservoir 

Tim and the girls bowed out early as Tim is fearing he has poison oak and was already feeling very itchy.  So, Noah and I continued on for awhile but it started to get dark so we headed back.  The rest of the night was showers and bed time.  Can't wait to see the deepest lake in the US tomorrow!

Washington Day 5

Today is our last full day in Washington. Today was "rain forest" day so we hit the area of the park called the Hoh rain forest. We stopped by the visitors center and got Jr. ranger badges and for the first time...I got one too!  Noah refused to do it because he's too cool and I am obsessed with him having a badge from each park for his shadow box. So I happily did the booklet but was pretty mortified when she made all 3 of us stand on a podium and do the pledge in front of everyone. Noah owes me for that one.

We did a couple of different hikes through the rain forest. This area gets 142 inches of rain per year compared to Phoenix's 7. The Sitka spruces and hemlocks looked like furry animals because they had so much moss on them.

We then had a picnic and headed back to camp for some beach time. We ended our time here on the beach and then watching the sun set from our site. We will miss it here!  We have a long drive to crater lake national park tomorrow.

Washington Day 4

Today we had some of the strangest experiences that we will never forget...it was a day of the beautiful and bizarre.  So, today is our "springs" day as this park has an area where there are some natural hot springs you can visit in the Sol Duc valley.  The beautiful part was a hike to the huge Sol Duc falls...it was a gorgeous hike through the forest of pines, cedar and hemlock trees dripping with moss. Ferns were everywhere and the moisture was filling the air.  The end was the falls which cascaded down 4 different huge canyons.

Sol Duc Falls

We then headed to the Sol Duc hot springs resort.  There are some hot springs there that you can swim in and they were literally turned into swimming pools like you would see at a resort.  So we dared to go...the first thing you notice is the smell of sulfur that almost knocks you off your feet and then you wonder, I have to swim in that? Well, everyone else was as the joint was packed so in we went.  They had 3 different pools that varied in temp from 99 to105 degrees.  They also had a normal chlorine pool.  Since it was only 55 degrees out, I was strangely happy to get in that stinky, hot spring.  It did feel nice and the people watching was top notch...everyone from Europeans speaking other languages to the old, young, small and large- all in swimsuits, in stinky hot tubs...it was bizarre.

Stinky hot springs

 But it got even more bizarre as we finished up, I was thrilled there were free hot showers as I have not had a real shower in 14 days now...I was thrilled until I entered the locker room to find communal showers with no curtains...it was just all open with women of all shapes and sizes, soaping up completely nude...my girls were so traumatized and Leah's eyes were bulging out of her head.  Tim and Noah had a similar experience in their locker-room.   We  ran out of there fast and headed to Forks for laundry while Tim and the kids got some ice cream.  Then it was back to camp for dinner and that beautiful sunset from our campfire.  Interesting day!

Ocean view from our campsite

Washingon Day 3

Finally...we had the National Park experience today...and it was glorious!  A good day in a National Park always starts with getting on those hiking shoes, packing a picnic in preparation for being gone all day and filling the packs with water.  Then we took the long drive to Port Angeles where  just North over the Strait of Juan de Fuca you can see Canada.  Another hallmark of a National Park day involves going to the visitors center, getting the passport book stamped and getting the Jr. ranger books...check, check, check.  The main visitors center for this park is in Port Angeles so we stopped there, did the above, walked a nature trail and had a picnic. Then from there we took the 17 mile windy drive uphill to Hurricane Ridge which is a main site at this park and about 5200 feet elevation.   Right as we pulled up, there was snow everywhere, low and ominous fog and deers grazing in the meadow by the visitors center.

Leah was in deer heaven at Hurricane ridge visitors center

Deers grazing in a meadow with view of Mt olympus

We did a little walk along the meadow loop.  We then went in the visitors center there to find out conditions for our hike as there was a lot of snow!  It turns out the road to our hike was closed but we could walk that and then catch the trail.  So that is what we did.  It was a beautiful  hike along Hurricane ridge with views of Mt. Olympus on one side, and Canada on the other (when the clouds departed).

We hiked in the snow!

Mt Olympus behind us

View of Canada from Hurricane Hill trail

Leah saw tons of deer including a tiny baby fawn.

We had to hike over patches of snow as well.  It was just so beautiful!  I was sad to leave but we had a long drive back to camp.  We stopped by Crescent Lake for photos on the way.  We finally saw the true nature of this area as it poured rain on our drive home...the first rain we had really seen here. Rain is on the forecast for the rest of our stay but that is OK because we are visiting hot springs tomorrow and the rain forest the next which will be perfect in the rain. The rest of the evening was spent switching campsites...we got an even better site with a perfect ocean view.

Washington Day 2

Happy Fathers Day Tim!  You are a wonderful father to our 3 great kids!  We started off the day with a hike that led from our campground.  It went through the forest and we got a good view of the lush vegetation...the moss is everywhere and you can feel the moisture in the air.

 After that we drove to Ruby beach which is another impressive coastal beach...we had to take a hike down to the beach.   There were a few starfish and other creatures but the true prize was the baby seal we saw on the rocks.  We really hoped mother was coming back soon and was just out fishing.

 

Next we headed into Forks.  Now, yes, I am a big Twilight fan but I did not come to Olympic National Park just because of that!  BUT...since we are here, we did have a ton of fun visiting all of the sites inspired by the books and movies.  We learned Twilight was not actually filmed here, it was mostly in British Columbia but Stephanie Meyer did base it off of this area and she visited here as well.  So, the town has totally embraced this and has set up homes and other places that could have been the real thing.  The visitors center said it has really  boosted their economy as it is obvious, this is an old, timber town.  Anyhow, we visited Forks High school, the Police Department, the Cullen's home, Forks outfitters (where Bella worked), Jacobs home and La Push.  Here are the photos you have been waiting for Tina1

 Finally we wrapped up our day with dinner at the Kalaloch lodge.  It is next door so we took a nice walk and enjoyed dinner overlooking the ocean.  Finally a nice walk along the beach and back to my spot to watch the sunset.  We spotted what we think were Orca whales in the ocean this time...they are very elusive so we will keep trying.  I'm still not getting that National Park feel yet...I think tomorrow we will head up to the main visitors center, put on the packs and hiking shoes and get our Jr. ranger books going and really get a feel for this park.