Day 39

I woke this morning excited to check out the view of the lake with Lassen Peak. Unfortunately I missed the sunrise so the peak was already lit up with us still in the dark at the lake. I enjoyed my bagel walking on the trail this morning checking out the view.

We are all spoiled with Dave here as he helps the kids pack up their tent and me with cooking and clean up. When it's just mean mom everyone sets up and packs up their own stuff. Must be another reason they look forward to his visits so much!

We got on the road pretty quickly with me & Dave looking forward to the rest of the drive through the park. There was a hike to Lassen peak so I knew we would be seeing it again at some point.

We rounded a corner by a beautiful meadow and there it was! We pulled over to take a picture and the kids spotted a thick snow drift across the street so they had to all climb out and play.

I stayed in the meadow to try out the water in the stream and enjoy the view. I bravely stepped into the water up to my ankles. Within 3 seconds I was in pain from the frigid water - so much pain all I could do was yell, bend over, and hold my knees. I climbed up the bank to look around if anyone saw what a wimp I was.

Grammie climbed out of the RV  with Lola for a walking break and I told her how refreshing it was that she should join me. She called my bluff and said she would after she saw me step in. Of course I did and before I could complete the sentence, "See? It's refresh...!" I was doubled over in pain again and climbing back out. You can take the girl out of Florida....



When we got back on the road Brayden and Ryan were glued to the car windows looking for the next snow spot they could find. There were lots of drifts on the side of the road but no place to pull over. They especially loved the caves the creeks made through the snow. Around a series of s-curves Grammie left us and we stopped for snow. The kids were slipping and sliding all around on flip flops.

Our second snow stop just happened to have a gorgeous view of Lassen Peak with a glass-like lake in front of it. Lake Helen was clear and blue-green reflecting the mountain and trees on the other side.

While we took pictures of the scene, Brayden and Ryan took off to slide down a small snow hill nearby. They could only last a few minutes before their hands and feet started to hurt from the cold. I told them if we didn't keep going we would never make it to our next stop! We found Grammie waiting for us at the visitors center near the exit.













We stopped to enjoy the exhibits on energy and volcanoes. Ever since our very first trip we have seen the works of the Civilian Conservation Corps and this park was no different. They had a notebook used by a road construction crew with a drawing of the road around Lake Helen we'd just traveled. Their hard work was still there after almost 100 years.



















We had a long drive ahead of us so once we got back on the road we didn't stop except for brief gas fillups. Well, of course with Dave along with us we also had to stop for ice cream. He found us a homemade stop in Sacremento that had rave reviews. It was 2pm on a Thursday when we arrive and the place was packed! That's when you know it's going to be good!  It was 103 outside but we found a shady spot to gobble up our ice cream before it melted. Grammie had a little bit of help with hers.






The temperatures were hoverying in the low 90s once we got close so I didn't mind that we were going to arrive and setup a little later in the afternoon for sure. Way back in March when I'd made our reservation for Yosemite in the first minutes they were available I was super excited to be staying in the park at a much sought after spot. Once Grammie started making reservations she discovered a mistake I'd made so we ended up having to stay just outside the park. Reservations for Yosemite are gone within minutes the first day they are available.

Our bare-bones spot was in the Stanislaus National Forest about a 20-minute drive from the entrance to the park and about 10 minutes from Grammie's spot. We set up quickly and opted for a snack dinner to avoid cooking in the sun - definitely not my favorite.

At some point on our drive the kids discovered we had a hitchhiker in the car with us. Brayden felt something crawl down his neck and assumed it was Ryan trying to annoy him. Ryan felt something crawl across her arm and they both screamed when they realized it was a roach. One of the problems with having to store all our food in bear boxes at campgrounds is that the smaller creatures can get in even if bears cannot. It seems this guy decided to explore our crumbs and got taken along for a ride! Ryan tried to catch him but he eluded her Tupperware trap tactics. You could tell Brayden was nervous because he kept talking about it and talking about it. He even lifted his feet off the floorboard of the car as if that was going to help. They named him Neck Armstrong. We tried to capture him again after setting up but he was too quick.

Brayden mentioned there was a lot of activities at Grammie's spot so we headed that way next. The kids raced down to the mini golf course first for their version of the Holey Moley show. They had been looking forward to this place all day! Dave and I played shiffleboard until it was too dark to see and the kids were finished.
































Grammie and I tried to plan out our next day since we had some quiet. We wanted to make it into the park on the day it would be the least crowded for our time in the park. Yosemite is notorious for traffic jams and lack of parking after 9am during the summer. We opted instead for a shuttle bus that picked up at her campground to lessen the stress and maximize our time in the valley.

The adults were all exhausted from the long day so we declared it time to retire to our sites. We were going to have a busy day tomorrow and had plans to be up early!

Day 26

Between trains, interstate traffic, and Ryan getting sick we were all up half the night. Well, except for Laney. She slept through everything. There is a folk tale that I slept through my mom vacuuming my room but we all know how accurate folk tales are.

Our day started bright and early anyway to beat the crowds at Multnomah Falls. We met in the parking area and got our first of many pictures by this mammoth 620-foot waterfall.  This place was already a very popular spot this morning so we got on the trail to explore.

The hike was an easy paved trail with nice switchbacks to soften the elevation gain. We made it to the second viewing area pretty quickly after stopping for Lola the dog celebrity to get all her petting in.


We weren't really interested in going to the top of the falls today with the threat of rain so after I played with shutter speed for a little bit we headed back down. We left the girls at the bridge this time so I could get a good picture of just how big this guy is. Can you see them with their arms up on the bridge?


By the time we got back to the trail head the information desk was open so I grabbed a trail map while Grammie shopped. Lola got a lot more attention too!

Another waterfall I had on my list just happened to be a short hike away so we headed down that trail to see it too. It's always nice to have access to so many trails without having to move the car! We saw so many bikes in Oregon around the gorge - that seems the definite way to go!

We made it to Wakenna Falls after about a mile then headed up to a couple different viewing spots to feel the spray. The kids weren't too keen about getting wet though!

We've seen these flowers absolutely everywhere - they are one of Laney's favorites! The wildflowers growing everywhere are so beautiful and colorful! On this hike the kids even spotted some teeny tiny tomatoes! Tiny like the size of a bb for a bb gun. I forgot to get a picture though I was so interested in them.

We were headed up to Fairy Falls when I checked the radar for the rain that was promised today. It looked about 30 minutes away so we decided to head back to the car. I don't mind hiking in the rain at all but combine it with cold and we are all instantly grumpy!  We ate lunch in the car and picked up Grammie and Laney to drive to gorge spots we were interested in seeing.

Our first stop was Mitchell Point. This spot is a cape in the gorge with a hike up that we bypassed with the threat of rain. There was a viewpoint with lots of wind at the base that we enjoyed though. This spot once had a five-windowed tunnel through a sheer rock face to continue the scenic highway. Unfortunately for us it was blasted away when they built the neighboring interstate.

Our next stop was Memaloose Overlook where we learned about these islands in the river. The native americans  living in the area never buried there dead but placed them in canoes on the river or in cedar vaults on islands like this one. Lewis and Clark made notes about these islands in their journals.  Many of the islands are now covered with water and this island is only one-third of what Lewis and Clark would have seen. There is a lone monument at one end of the island that is said to be the grave of a pioneer who wanted to be buried with his native american friends.

At this viewpoint a lady cycler noticed Brayden's Boston sweatshirt and struck up a conversation with him. The group seemed to be sisters from all over the country gathering to ride the scenic highway. They gave us some pointers of what to see along our travels along the gorge. One of them was this lovely barn. So many of our views could be turned into puzzles!

Our last stop in our climb around the gorge was Rowetta Crest. There were winding turns up and down both sides of this viewpoint. The kids had stopped getting out of the car by this point so I figured they were pretty much done for the day. The view was still just mountains and a river to them after all! I enjoyed learning about the construction of the roads anyway! We were so high up you could see the white caps in the river but couldn't tell they were moving at all. 

We ended the drive ready for naps so we headed back to Grammie's campground and the girls made cupcakes instead! What a luxury it is to be able to bake on the summer trip. Brayden and I emptied hiking backpacks and got things ready for our exit the next day. We took a stroll across the train tracks to the river for a few minutes of cold water therapy. There were a few kite surfers there so I was hopeful we would get to see them but they were done for the day.

The gremlins were hungry once we got back so once the cupcakes were iced we made much-anticipated tuna melts for dinner. Brayden had been asking for these since pretty much the first day of the trip so we finally made it happen. I think he liked them as he ended up eating 3!  It didn't improve his mood all that much so we ended up playing My Ship Has Sailed without him.

I took Ryan and Brayden back early so we could try to catch up on some sleep. They were reluctant to climb in the tent with it still being light out but once I let them read for a few minutes their eyes were very heavy. We all went to sleep before the sunset hoping the train would be less frequent tonight.

Day 21

The past three nights have been the absolute best sleep for all of us so far! We snuggle down under a bunch of layers each night and wake up toasty warm until we decide to leave our sleeping bags.

I took a walk back to the prairie this morning to check out the elk. There was a thick layer of fog across the prairie that attempted to camoflauge them. Whatever is blooming right now is enough to keep their heads down through all kinds of noises. I'm not sure they looked up the entire time I was standing there!

After writing about the past two days I started some hot chocolate for all of us. I have no idea what the temperature was but I did know I would be voted best mom if I had it ready when they woke up. Laney voted it perfect and reminded me we still had a few marshmallows leftover the throw in them. It was perfectly warm enough to warm our hands and bellies!

Cooking hashbrowns takes a long time with my little stove but it's so worth it to have a different hot meal than our regulars. Ryan and Brayden fought over the last of the pickles. It's definitely time for a grocery resupply. We're down to only grapes and apples now.

We were hoping to meet up with Grammie this morning as we hadn't seen her in a few days. She was staying about 20 minutes down the road from us this time but neither of us had cell phone reception at our sites. We exchanged some irregular texts and decided to meet up at our visitors center later in the morning. We headed to another visitors center to get the program information and maps for hiking. We immediately sat down for the movie first right inside.

We learned about the protection of the trees beginning at the start of the 19th century that didn't actually happen until the 1960s when the area became a National Park. All that time loggers were allowed to clear cut many areas of trees for the high demand for wood in the growing San Francisco and surrounding areas. Thankfully there was still some "old growth" forest left that we were going to be able to hike through to fully appreciate these trees.

Next we headed back to the Prairie Creek Visitors Center near our campground to learn a little more and meet Grammie. I took the opportunity to talk with a ranger about the not-to-miss things we need to do the next few days. Brayden found this half set of antlers sticking out of a tree on display. Apparently an elk got stuck in a tree and it eventually grew around him!

There were lots of hugs from Grammie and lots of licking from Lola when we finally met up. There was a program starting soon so we went to the meetup area for lunch first. Laney spotted the elusive (and gross!) banana slug on a tree nearby.

Our first stop on the program hike was a tree called "Big Tree". It is 286 feet tall and almost 24 feet in diameter. It used to be over 300 feet tall until a section on the ground next to us fell off during a storm. This picture is so deceiving - it is massive!

We walked around the Circle Trail stopping often to learn a little more about the trees, their history, and different plants and animals along the trail. It was interesting to learn the cones of these giants are only about the size of an olive.

Our guide Taylor is a student of wildlife biology so she was a wealth of information on everything around us. She even showed us a plant commonly called "Hiker's toilet paper" that was the softest leaf I've ever felt.

We talked about the entirely different ecology of the canopy of t
the trees as well. There is a salamander that lives it's entire life 300 feet in the air. It is born already able to breathe through it's skin and finds water in the fern thatches growing high in the trees. She said there are even microscopic shrimp living there!

After the program we headed to hike the Trillium Falls trail. This was a fantastic hike with a waterfall only about 1/3 of a mile from the start. We walked up countless switchbacks to almost be above some of the trees. We spotted so many trees devastated by fire but then could see the tree's clones taking their places. The ferns filled the forest floor making the area look like a lush filming location for Jurassic Park. This hike was close to a parking lot but shortly after we made it into the woods we felt miles deep into the forest.

We went back to the Prairie Creek Visitors Center next for a special ranger presentation. Earlier in the day Ryan noticed Lola would be able to become a "Bark Ranger" of Redwood. She took her oath just like all the ones the kids had taken over the years. Her oath was a little bit different with her promising to sniff and take her owner lots of places but she earned it!

We said goodbye to Grammie for the day and headed back to our campsite to cook dinner. The kids played games and played while I cooked, cleaned, and edited pictures from the day.

As the sun started to disappear we headed to the visitors center for a night walk program. We found our bachelor three hanging out in the campground as we were getting ready to go to our program.

The walk was exceptionally short but the information was excellent. My animal loving kids knew a lot of the facts about nocturnal animals but they weren't brave enough to share. We learned all about the flying squirrel, mountain lion, little brown bat, spotted owl, and and gray fox.

 We visited one of the trees we like then took the Redwood Access trail back to our campsite. The kids huddled to chat in the big tent while I sat on a bench by the prairie to upload the past few days of blog entries. It was dark by the time I stood up and scared a family of curious raccoons coming to check me out. I'm not sure who was spooked more!

Day 10

I woke up throughout the night with Lola snuggled between me and Ryan. She'd figured out the best spot - curled up in the crook of Ryan's legs on her sleepmat and quilt. She was exhausted from the hike!

 

Brayden and Ryan were so excited to have her with them they got up way too early to cuddle with her. She was loving it so much she didn't even want to come outside! Eventually they all came out and Lola watched as they played hangman in the dirt.  I could tell she was pretty sore and stiff so I had them take her back to Grammie's spot. I took a quick drippy shower for 50 cents and met them down there with the car.

We had a great breakfast and hopped in the car heading for the city. Our first stop was Old Town San Diego. Laney loves visiting historical towns and reenactments so I thought she would enjoy this one too. This place would be a little different that the towns on the east coast with more of a Spanish influence. The area was discovered in 1542, inhabited by Spaniards by 1769, and declared American in 1846.

After a stop at the visitors center I handed Ryan the map and we began to explore. The kids led us to the shopping area first with lots of colorful creations and wares to buy. We could already smell the fresh tortillas being made for lunch!




Our next stop was for root beer floats - always a favorite for my kids! They picked out a local root beer and we all shared delicious floats while we walked on. We finished just as we reached the carriage museum.

It was fascinating to see and learn about how wagons and carriages were used in this area. In this particular wagon, 6 people sat shoulder to shoulder for more than 30 hours with 15 inches of area. It would cost them $200 but quite a bit less if they were short!

The kids have ridden horses quite a bit but never thought about how to control more than one at a time like was used for these carriages. They all learned how to manage 6 horses and be able to control a specific one by holding the reins between individual fingers. We'd definitely need a lot of practice!

We visited the candy shop before we left of course. Grammie bought us all some treats for now and some for later. I was too busy eating mine to get a picture!

Next up was a visit to the beach. Grammie navigated us to Coronado Beach where we luckily found a parking spot close to the water. We compared and compared our beach to this one as we made the trek to the water. California beaches were definitely much longer!

Ryan asked on the way down about their swimsuits. I told her if she wanted to swim I would go back to the car and get them knowing full well she would be lucky to put her toe in for more than a minute. It was very windy and the water was yelp-inducing cold! Grammie walked in up to her knees but we stopped at our ankles and called it good. We examined the giant seaweed on the beach then headed back to the car.

By this point we were all getting a little hungry so I read off the local options to much debate. Eventually the kids decided on Mc P's Irish Pub because they had tuna and fish & chips. I was just excited to try a local beer! The food was delicious! I noticed a doodling opportunity on my coaster so the girls tried their hand at completing the dog. Not bad and definitely kept them busy until their food came and while they were eating.




Next up was Belmont park for rides, shopping, and time at the arcade.  The area was the busy boardwalk kind of place my kids love to visit. Brayden wanted a lifeguard hoodie from one of our beach stops and found it just as we walked in.

When researching San Diego I'd read about the Big Dipper roller coaster and knew Laney and I would have to ride it. The other two opted for bumper cars instead.

















The roller coaster had originally been build in 1925. It had survived fires and avoided demolition. It was now a National Landmark. It was wooden, loud, and oh so jerky. I screamed a lot and we loved it!

We looked through the shops for t-shirts and stickers but the kids didn't find anything so once Grammie found a shirt we headed back towards the woods. We would be leaving the next day so I took some time to reorganize the car. It amazes (and annoys!) me how cluttered everything gets when we sit still for a few days!

We relaxed for the rest of the night reading and playing games in Grammie's RV. We would have much rather been outside but the bugs were a 9.8 on the annoying bug scale. The kids ate and we played a quick game while Grammie got some things organized. I took Brayden and Ryan back to our tent for an early bedtime. Ryan reminds me some days with her behavior that she needs sleep!  Laney and Grammie were planning on a rummy take down tonight!