Bahhhh...Humbug (Mountain, that is)

As I write, we are finally in California!  We just rolled in from a ranger guided hike through an old growth Redwood forest.  My mind is officially blown.  I have a thing for trees, and this was one of the ones I was looking forward to meeting.  They definitely do not disappoint.  Not just the size and girth...but what they are able to survive.  Redwoods can survive forest fires!  Forest fires!  They also link roots to gain stability...and like ALL trees communicate through the roots of mushrooms.  Google that one if you don't believe me.  You can throw ice ages at them, tsunamis, drought, floods...on they go.  The acid in them that gives them their red color, also keeps bugs from eating them.  So what kills them?  Humans cutting them down, lightning strikes, and heavy wind.  BUT, allow me to back up. 
There have been two amazing Oregon state parks prior to today.  One was located about two miles in from the ocean in the midst of ancient sand dunes.  These dunes were insanely tall, and difficult to climb.  What is amazing is that it's the dunes that have created a bunch of small fresh water lakes just in from the ocean.  The sand slowly slid and cut off the water  flowing to the ocean, leaving great sandy beach, fresh water swimming lakes!  We spent a grand total of six nights playing in this "duney" state park (longest stay so-far).  Then it was onto Humbug State Park.  Humbug is the name of the mountain that overshadows the campground.  I was so thrilled that we all made it to the top with mild effort.  The hike was one of the longer ones we have taken with the kids that had any elevation to it.  Fiona and Ethan seemed to enjoy it top to bottom.  This campground was also located right on the beach...so the ocean walks were glorious.  We enjoyed our first family sunset together here.  Tangerine and powder blue that reflected in the ocean and on the wet sand...  I am sure the next entry will be full of tree pictures...or parts of trees.  Haven't figured out how to get a whole huge Redwood into one good shot.

How could I resist this photo moment?

I LOVE this picture!  I just kept walking toward him(with my finger on the shutter) until he decided I was too close.

One of many lighthouses we have seen on the drives to and from campsites.  All beautiful.  If you're into that sort of thing.

Can you see Fiona and Ethan crawling up the dune?

Serious dune jumping.

I'm not kidding.  It is seriously exhausting climbing these things.

O.K.  If you look closely you can see Scott and the kids as VERY tiny specs on the top of the dune.  Do you see how huge these are?

Fiona sewed me a handy bag for my crochet materials.

I got a kick out of the remnants of Scott's high/low tide lesson. (That's Fiona fishing off the pier.) 

No grizzlies to worry about...but now we have cougars.

This was at the base of Mt. Humbug.

There were great ocean look-outs.

The kids carved some acorn people at the top to leave behind for others who make the journey.

Fiona was here!

This is a view of Humbug from a distance.

Here is a great ocean image from a short hike we took in Port Orford.

Oregon, we will miss you.  Fiona promises to return.  Scott and I may retire here...Ethan says it's too far from family!

Surf's Up Braaahhhh!

We are all thoroughly enjoying the state campgrounds of Oregon's coast.  Hot showers...that are not coin fed and LOTS of great bike paths.  Yesterday afternoon was a treat!  After lugging our bikes over the huge dunes we barreled down to the hard packed sand and zipped up and down the beach.  At one point Fiona was flying with a huge piece of seaweed whipping over her head like a lasso!  Yup.  The crazy Jason's took to the beach, and beware anyone who gets in our way.  Today it was more superb biking, but this time we meandered through narrow paths in the woods just behind the beach and dunes.  Even came across some bear scat (we're not too concerned about these bears...they're black and so not as aggressive as the grizzlies). I was super smart though and kept dinging my bike bell around tight corners.  Innovative, huh?  Fiona turned 12 this week.  Her wish was for a traditional chicken dinner.  We made that happen!  I think she got most of what she asked for.  A specific book, fabrics and a fishing net.  My sister sent her a gift card to Walmart, which Fiona promptly spent on MORE crafting supplies.  I swear, her stuff takes up 80% of the storage space in here!!!  Tomorrow we head out again to another Oregon beach state campground.  Looking forward to exploring more on our bikes.  Scott has his eyes looking for a surfboard.  EVERY time we look to the ocean...surf is UP!  It's killing him to have to watch as guys run out and get that perfect wave.

Contrary to popular belief...we do get on each others nerves.  A common rule is to write out apologies (I have a running file).  This was Scott's to me.  He thought that if it was on dry erase, it wasn't permanent.  Hah!

All wrapped and waiting for the B-day girl to wake up!

Sleeping Beauty.

All she wanted was a fish net.

This guy was my buddy.  I didn't even have any food.  He let me touch his chest.

Quintessential image of "Haystack Rock".

The boys exploring low tide.

Smell that?  Fresh tarragon and rosemary?  Yum!

Fiona wanted B-day sundaes instead of cake.  Great choice!

Trying to catch a pet.

This was a cliff hike.  See "Haystack" in the background?

We are "collecting" silly warning sign images.  This has a lot of good ones.  Especially the "Sneaker" wave.

Can you find Ethan?

I'm going for it.  Crochet lessons on "Youtube".

Fiona let Dewey go for a climb yesterday.  We were all so proud.

Um.  Fiona, did you read the sign?

I'm not kissing a girl.  My husband has a bun.

 

Washington, Waltons, Back to Oregon...and Still No Bars on my Phone!!!!!!

We have managed to circumnavigate Olympic National Park in Washington State, visit friends for five days, and find our way back to Oregon...and still no connectivity with our phones.  I hope people don't think we have forgotten about them.  I think of you all often, and long to reach out and call, but the few conversations I have managed to have with my parents always end with an abrupt cut off and no way to call back.
O. K. Now that I have cleared my conscience of that...I must now say that this is the first solid WIFI we have had in as much time.  It will be a challenge, but I will try to remember, in order, the events of the last few weeks.  "Rolling Thunder" left Portland and headed into the exciting and bio-diverse Olympic National Park.  The first campground was a real winner.  It is the season for the older folk to head out and camp, so it's as if we are surrounded by lots of happy grandparents (who are much relieved and eager to reach out, once they see that Fiona and Ethan are well behaved children).  As we parked and situated ourselves we noticed tons of scat.  This was from the local elk herd that roams the area...and guess what?  They decided to roam around that same evening!!!!  What an animal.  Right through the campers and sites those regal beasts just grazed on by.  I could hear their munching and smell them.  It was good...like a horse.  And the sound the females made!  Like a whales recorded sound is the only way I can describe it.  Salmon were also spawning in the river.  Huge fish in shallow water all ripped up and close to death having just laid and fertilized their eggs.  And just to top it off, we were entertained by a couple of river otter!  I swear they were smiling!  Then it was on to our first oceanside campground.  Our friends Ben and Meg recommended this lovely campground because they know it well.  It is a great place for them to take their three children.  Here we saw a sea lion hunting in the waves at the edge of the tide pools and a variety of seaweeds (most of which are edible).  The Waltons joined us for dinner our second night there, and then the next day we moved into their driveway!  What a perfect fit...in so many ways.  Bailey (8), Miles (5) and Taylor (3 and a half) were magnificent hosts along with their awesome parents (who, by the way, have three of the best behaved and sweetest children I have ever met).  Dinners were delicious, healthy and homemade (thank you Meg).  Breakfasts were the same (thank you Ben)...  Our families enjoyed a tour of Ben's Coast Guard Base and we all got a turn sitting at the controls of his helicopter.  He was also kind enough to arrange a tour of one of Scott's old boats.  Kids got to see where their dad used to sleep, and stand on the bridge of the 110 foot cutter he used to captain.  Let's see...there was also the walk around their neat town, a trip to the farmer's market and bookstore, yummy lunch at Meg's favorite BBQ place, a quick swim at the community pool, we dropped Ethan into a BMX race with the Walton kids, hair-cuts at their friends house and Scott managed to get a hike in with Ben (they even got into some snow)!  I have to say, it was difficult for all of us to say goodbye.  Quite car and teary eyes as we pulled away.  Our next travel destination was to an indian reservation right on the crazy, rocky cliffed coast of WA.  WOW!  We rounded a bend coming out of the forest, and I just gasped.  What a wild and crazy ocean the Pacific is!  This place was special because we got a permit for a beach fire!  Our first.  Scott and I let the kids build the pit next to a fort they had been working on the day prior.  It made for a glorious night.  Poor Scott was tortured watching all the surfers run into the waves.  Definitely will be purchasing a surfboard in the next week or so.  From there it was back into Oregon.  This was the state where I spent my birthday and will be where Fiona turns 12!!!! On our way to our most recent site we enjoyed some seashore towns and a rainforest!  This is my first time ever seeing the Pacific and it doesn't disappoint.  We are all looking forward to what the rest of this glorious coast has to offer.

Honest to God!  Does it get any more wild?

Tons of oysters.

She's 12 in two days.  I thought she was old enough for her own shell phone.

Oopsy daisy!  Don't eat those oysters without a quick boil...or else!

Lush four mile hike.

Fiona fashioned this out of surrounding flora and fauna...we left it for the next campers.

This is Mount Baker.  Visible from our camper window across the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Huge seaweed gardens.  Tons of scuba divers.

Gym class with coach Scott.

Exploring the tide pools with the Waltons.

Miles is quite the climber.  He reminded me of Ethan at that age!

"Oh!  Hello sweet, sweet angel.  I hear your name is Taylor."

So awesome!  We managed to get all the kids into our home for movie night!

Did I forget to mention they have a trampoline?

Bailey.  Happy, curious and beautiful don't even begin to describe her.

Miles couldn't resist trying to hug Ethan every chance he got.  

Here's "Uncle Ethan" getting the little ones across the street safely.

Scott would have smuggled this one if we hadn't kept a close eye on him at pack-up time.

No, we're not in Boston.  The "R" legitimately fell off.

Ben was so patient with us.

Before the BMX race.  (Someone only has eyes for Ethan.)

The perfect size track.

Grabbed this funky cauliflower/broccoli at the farmer's market.

Great climbing wall at the pool!

Even the daydreaming face is adorable.

Can you find Ethan?

Can you find the babushka?

So many greens here!!

And then BOOM!  You see it.

Can you find Ethan here?

I am in photographers heaven.

Happy birthday to Scott!!

From Ethan.  He used a picture of Scott on the ball players body.  So clever.

Fiona sewed him "Gertie".  

She came with a lovely story about how she decided to have Scott...

This was on our walk through the Hoh Rainforest.  There is a squirrel above Fiona's head!

The tipped over tree roots are insane!  Gives you a vague idea of how tall they are.

Our last campsite had a ship wreck on the beach from 1904!

We also explored some abandoned battery that was there.  Did you know that the Japanese attacked the shores of Oregon?  They hit it with over 14 shells from a submarine!!  The guys stationed here that night could have obliterated them with the guns that were here...but they were ordered to hold their fire.  No one was injured, and the submarine turned and left.

Coolest parents ever! (opps, I turn around for one second and the kids start typing!)