Day 34

We decided to try to get to sleep early in case there was an overnight storm that was planning on keeping us up. It rained much of the night but the biggest part of the storm was over shortly after we got in our sleeping bags. Ryan did jump over to me during one really close thunder clap that woke us all up but that was the last of it.

As we were packing up in the morning we saw the sun start to peek through all the clouds so we sped up just a little bit. I really wanted to try to see the mountain and this morning would give us the best opportunity if the sun was going to stay out.

I knew there were at least a few viewpoints that might work on the way up so we headed that way. By the time we got only about 2 miles into the drive I knew it wasn't going to happen though. The sun was gone and the clouds were very low. I did take the opportunity to stop and appreciate Christine Falls for a minute since we'd only driven by the night before. Even the river we'd spotted the night before snaking down the mountain was covered until it was right under us.



We passed Grammie coming up on our way down so we pulled off at our campground to wait for her. Today was a stop especially for Brayden. He's loved wolves for years so we made reservations to tour Wolf Haven near Olympia to be able to see and learn more about wolves. After picking up our tickets we walked around to the different displays about the preserve and talked with a volunteer about some cool facts about wolves and wolf-dogs.

On the reservation confirmation in capital letters it stated there was a POSSIBILITY of seeing UP TO 10 wolves on the tour. I was hopeful we would at least get to see 1 or 2 but we ended up seeing 8 wolves and 2 coyotes! The wolves they have on display have all been around humans if not owned and relinquished by them. There are also about 50 more wolves that live secluded from the tour but just as well cared for further into the preserve.

We learned all too often people obtain wolf pups and are unable to provide the care they need by the time they are only 3. Lucky for the wolves there is a place like this that can take care of them for the rest of their lives.

As soon as we walked in the first two wolves were curiously pointing their noses in the air to smell all of us. They walked around to survey the crowd, smell and nuzzle each other, then laid back down under a tree. Most of the wolves in this sanctuary are paired and live together. These two wolves had a rough life before making it to the preserve so they became fast mates.

We learned about the near extinction of wolves once they were deemed a threat to humans and livestock by pioneers and settlers. The Northern Gray Wolves we were seeing were only found in Canada until just a few decades ago. This disappearance of course threw off the balance in the food chain and caused an explosion of coyote all across the country. According to our guide there are coyote currently living in every county in every state in the lower 48 states.



We also learned about the Red Wolf native to the areas around North Carolina. This type of wolf was deemed so close to extinction the federal government took over and began a monitored breeding program to bring them back. Several families from this sanctuary are now living in the wild thanks to this program.

The last wolf we were able to see was my favorite of the day, the Mexican Gray Wolf. This guy is only 3 years old and will hopefully be paired with a mate and released back into the wild in Mexico. The sanctuary has already released a 3-generation family and without in training and being fed by the caregivers their whole live, they made their first kill within 10 days of being released!

We really noticed the difference in the size of the wolves and coyotes once we reached our last stop at the resident coyotes. They were more along the lines of the size of the red wolves and seemed to move in the same way. The one we watched was fascinated by the ravens hanging out near his pen. Apparently the sanctuary had never had ravens until they decided to home the two coyotes!

After we purchase a few things in the gift shop we arrived at our last stop in Washington State. I had service at this spot so I was able to check the weather after we set up and saw a giant storm was heading our way. We grabbed the dvd player, dinner fixings, and my computer and hopped into the RV. These are days we are especially thankful to have Grammie along with us!

While we heard raindrops starting on the roof we ate a delicious dinner, played Ryan's new card game, and made plans for the next day. The kids watched a few episodes of Teen Titans and I was able to update the blog with a few days of posts. When the rain stopped it was dark and bedtime so we popped into the tent and went to sleep. There was more rain to come but it was only supposed to be light for a few hours.

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 4

I was happy to wake up to a tent still standing after a sleep-filled night step out into a cool morning. I'd fallen asleep pretty fast but my camping momma bear instincts woke me up when I felt a real breeze and saw a flicker of light flash. I listened for thunder but only heard what sounded like planes far away on both sides of us. I was just about it dismiss it as something else when the tent walls popped in and out from the wind and I saw another flash. This was definitely a storm on the way!

I leapt out of the tent to grab the rain fly and heard Laney right behind me ready to help. I was looking around prioritizing the things that needed put away before the rain came while we were hooking the rain fly onto the tent. The wind was picking up quick so I decided first to secure the rain fly with stakes and check all the stakes already around the tent. Storms always seem worse inside a tent but this wind was going to be a real pain!

Next I rolled up and secured the bags on our cargo tray then packed up the camping chairs. Laney grabbed our swimming clothes off the clothesline and we tossed everything in the car. Lucky for us it hadn't started raining so I even had time to grab the kids' books and duck back into the tent. I pulled up the weather on my phone and saw were were minutes from the beginning of a monster thunderstorm. There wouldn't be much sleeping for awhile. My weather app said rain only until 1am so I was hopeful for it to be a quickly moving or quickly changing storm.

While the kids read I kept checking the weather and making sure the tent was ok. With each gust of wind the poles would try to flex in which would bring the walls in on Laney. I expected the thunder to jolt us but it seemed to move more around us and within a few minutes I was hearing it on the other side of us. I kept doing the Poltergeist counting to make sure the strong part of the storm was moving away from us and before long we were only left with rain. By 11:30 we were all back fast asleep to the rain on our tent and covered with sleeping bags because it was 75 degrees - yipee!!  And I don't thing I moved until I woke up at 6am.

Our tent looked great so after a trip to the bathroom and spooking about 23 deer, I took some time to write. Deer were eating breakfast and birds were flittering all around me the whole time. I was still hoping to see that little fox again. Grammie stopped by on her walk to tell me she'd seen a pig too!

Once my kids were finally awake we walked to the RV for some fresh biscuits. Camping with Grammie is like staying a resort! With full bellies we packed up our campsite and got on the road for a long drive across more of Texas. There wasn't much to do on this drive so we marked a Walmart stop to pick up a few things and to stretch our legs.
We were barely away from our campsite when the wineries started popping up. I'd noticed about 10 when I started counting them. I had no idea Texas had wine country! By the time we made it to Fredricksburg I'd counted 52 wineries in the span of about 20 miles. Time to plan an adult road trip I suppose!

It was another few hours before we showed up to Davis Mountain State Park. I had originally tried to stay at another park nearby with a natural spring but as we drove by I was very happy we hadn't. The place was packed! I guess that happens when it is over 100 degrees outside.

This place was nestled into the mountains and seemed full of life. There were storms all around us so we helped Grammie get set up first then once the big one seemed to go around us Brayden and I set up the tent. Dinner was already ready for us to dig in by the time we got back! We have been eating like royalty the last week for sure! Tonight was alfredo spinach mushroom ravioli casserole with salad - delicious!

We were all stuffed as we piled into the car to experience the scenic drive. I would have hiked it and had Grammie pick me up I just really wasn't sure what was happening with the weather. There were dark clouds in just about every direction with lightning - definitely not ideal hiking weather on a bare mountain!

The Interpretive Center seemed open so we peeked in to find we had just missed a program about the area's wildlife - bummer. We did stay for awhile checking out the local birds all around the viewing area they had set up. There were all kinds that I don't even know but I did spot a finch, a bunch of hummingbirds and a few pigeons.

Once we got to the top of the mountain we saw the magnitude of the storms. I'd left my camera and phone at the campsite so Laney let me use her phone.  I was a little nervous with all the lightning, but it was far enough away that we took a few minutes to watch the clouds roll around. The temperature had dropped around 20 degrees and the view was spectacular. We visited the summit as well as the CCC trail to two other lookout points. I could imagine on a clear day the sunrise or sunset would be absolutely beautiful.











I had Grammie check the weather on our way down to make sure we would be alright in the tent for the night. Amazingly, the storm was to go completely around us and the overnight temperature was to be 67 degrees. I couldn't believe it. I was so excited about actually getting IN my sleeping bag!

Once we got back it was bedtime so I took Laney and Brayden with me. We read for about 10 minutes until I had read the same sentence about 27 times and still didn't know what it said.  After lights out the three of us laid there relishing the cool breeze.

Day 1

I was up with the sun this morning trying to use the things Dave wouldn't eat left the fridge. I threw together a zucchini bread for an easy breakfast and crab dip for an easy lunch or dinner. Things were going a little to well and getting done a little too easy for load up day however.

Grammie's RV had been in & out of the service place for the past 2 weeks for various electrical issues that just popped up - thankfully not while we were on the road! Sunday she woke up to a flat tire so she went to get a couple new tires first thing in the morning (thing #1!).  That's when thing #2 happened - a sprinkler turned into a fountain after being run over. Being the awesome dad he is, Dave headed to Maynard's to get us some donuts for a fun breakfast. That's when  thing #3 happened - the entry gate was stuck in the closed position. Not to worry as we have a temporary opening for big construction trucks about 20 feet away.  I moved the pump to the next sprinkler zone and fixed the gate. And I was done with my three things for today!

Once Dave got back we had donuts together and he headed to work. It was going to take awhile for the RV tires so we got on the road toward our first stop with this year's co-pilot, Stitch The kids were excited to see what was in their travel bags and to listen to all the music they'd downloaded. Their DS's were a big hit too since they hadn't played on them since our summer trip last year!

Our first stop was a quirky little museum in Abita Springs, LA. It was about halfway to our campground so I though it would be a fun place to stretch and have fun. This plaee was small but had the most weird and entertaining collection of stuff we've ever seen! I was like a museum of things you find in those I SPY books - collections of watches, strange little toys, buttons, bottle caps. In fact we played I SPY at one little window of things.













This my friends is one of those marble maze things made entirely out of Popsicle sticks.  My maker Ryan's eyes lit up and I could tell I'd be buying the 1,000 size box once we got home!

The second best part was the video games. Ryan played an actual old school clunky pinball  machine and I was able to introduce them to games of my childhood and they were amazed at the horrible graphics of Donkey Kong, Ms Pac-Man, Frogger, and Dig Dug.

And the kids would say the best part was the adorable cat that not only walked with us as we toured the place but actually jumped from a banister onto Brayden's shoulder for a cuddle and ride. It was then the girls decided they would like to buy him.






After a quick visit to the gift shop we got back on the road for a couple more hours to our destination. Without the cat. The kids were still completely amused with their stuff so I cranked up my music and enjoyed the drive. Well, until I noticed the storm ahead. We were about 30 minutes from our spot. It was kind of a tradition to have rain on day 1. Not a welcome one though.  This year I was brave enough to try out some new bags for my cargo carrier that are touted as being waterproof. That is where we keep our clothing bags so I was super nervous yet hopeful they would pull through. It looked like a quick afternoon thunderstorm so it would be a good test.

We stopped for some gas and finished just in time for the downpour to start. I got an evil look from Ryan because she'd just cleaned the windshield - a favorite kid job! We drove the last bit in the rain and arrived at the park 12 minutes before they were to close. The staff was surprised we were braving camping in a tent tonight and I'm suspecting it's not because of the rain!

Once the rain stopped we picked the least mud & wet area of our site and set up. Usually a kid is sleeping with Grammie but with us leaving without her we renegotiated the slumber parties with a rock-paper-scissors match. Tonight we would all suffer in the tents!

We explored the area a little bit then the kids wanted to play with legos so I took some time to rearrange some things we'd thrown in the car at the last minute.  Once Grammie arrived we helped her set up and were thrilled to munch on a quick dinner she'd prepped before we left (yay for no cooking!) and sit in some air conditioning. There were belly laughs and even tears from me & Laney as we all played a hilarious card game after dinner.

We were tempted to throw in some laundry at the campground laundromat simply because it was free at this park - first time I've ever seen that! I usually spend between $5-10 each time we have run out of clothes so an extra day of clean clothes for free is like gold. Instead we opted for bedtime in our tents. And that was when I knew for sure what the check-in lady was talking about. Trying to sleep in a 91 degree hot night was going to be painful.

Day 36

We were on the road shortly after 9 to head to Alabama. I had no idea the route we were taking I just hopped into the driver's seat and set the GPS. I did know that I wanted to go back to the visitor's center for a sticker for our cargo carrier since we didn't have one from The Smoky Mountains. The kids were excited to watch the rest of the first Lord of the Rings movie and had their fingers crossed they'd be able to fit the second one in as well.  I was just glad I hadn't been driving 5 hours a day like many previous years!

We ended up skirting around Chattanooga after a lot of sleepy interstate miles then even more into Alabama. Dave fell asleep reading in the passenger's seat a few times so I knew he wouldn't be much better!

We finally arrived at the highest point of Alabama and got set up. I picked a spot near the top of the campground near the lookout tower but within walking distance of the pool this time. It was a terrible campsite for tents - we have definitely been spoiled by our perfect little tent pads this summer! I struggled to find a good spot for either of our tents that was even close to level but we settled on a dirt sorta level spot for the adult tent and a grassy tree-covered spot for the kid tent. Within 10 seconds of setting up we were walking down the road to the pool.

The weather was nice and the pool felt great. Unfortunately I'd forgotten my swimsuit so I was the penny thrower and referee once the chicken fighting and wrestling began. 

After about an hour a dark cloud started to make it's presence known in the distance so I went back to the campsite to get dinner going. I laughed most of the way back thinking about the whining from Dave as it was a straight up hike back up the hill to our site.

They were about 15 minutes behind me so dinner was in full cooking mode when Dave walked up. I asked him to turn the heat down on the boiling pot and I was met with silence. Both burners were on full blast and neither would turn down or off. We couldn't have asked for a better time for our trusty stove to die than the last meal of the last day of the trip! To add to the chaos it started pouring at that moment so I grabbed all the food and the pot of boiling noodles and headed to the picnic shelter across the street. We made do with watery macaroni and cheese and cold pizza quesadillas. The kid thought it was a great dinner however it left a lot to be desired for me for sure.

Lucky for us I had one of the kids grab the game box so we had some entertainment. We ended up playing card games while the storm passed and chatted about our fun memories of the trip.

Once the weather seemed to have cleared we headed back down to the pool again. I wasn't sure Dave would want to go with that big hill to climb but he didn't complain! Brayden brought his football this time so the kids had a good time jumping in to catch it.

This one-handed catch was my favorite of the night!

The kids eyes started hurting after too much longer from the chlorine so we decided to call it a night and head back to the tents. Dave did catch a tiny piece of the sunset before we left though!

Day 31

It rained most of the night but the kids were having a sleepover with Evey so they were fine.  Usually it takes Dave a day or two to adjust to sleeping in the tent but since he'd gotten up so early he was out all night. It's going to take me some time to get used to his snoring!

On the agenda for today was the hike to Crabtree Falls. A trail extension was right across from our campsite so once we were fed, dressed and backpacks were full we headed that way. Today was Ryan's camera day so I grabbed the monopod for a little waterfall photography fun while we were down there.

The hike was beautiful the entire way down with lots of ups and downs. Dave found this giant mushroom that had a ray of sun directly on it with lots of water from the showers the night before. The picture Ryan took turned out pretty cool!

At the bottom I took Ryan aside and showed her how to use the monopod to shoot the waterfall. She's still trying to understand the setup but her pictures turned out nice!

The kids all joined Dave down by the base of the waterfall next to climb around and see how close they could get. There was a nice spray of water coming off the waterfall keeping all of us cool.

As she climbed the rocks out Ryan noticed a pile of rocks which is basically an invitation for her to try to get to the same spot and add a rock or start a new pile. She figured it out and did both!

We chose the longer trail back to the campsite since it wasn't as sharp of an ascent. This part of the trail went through a few meadows of beautiful wildflowers. It still surprises me to see flowers in bloom in late June. They're usually pretty burnt up by then in Florida! Dave and Ryan went back down the beginning of the trail once we got back to capture the mushroom again. It's huge!

After lunch we decided to try another hike down the parkway a few miles. We'd heard from several people not to miss Craggy Gardens simply because of the plant life there. Apparently a glacier from Canada dropped off a unique set of fragile plants on this one spot that have survived ever since.

Unfortunately for us a foggy rainstorm began about 30 seconds before we parked. We ducked into the visitors center for a few minutes to see if it would pass. The girls even grabbed their junior ranger books for review since they hadn't seen a ranger in a few weeks. She was excited seeing all their work and was guessing they were probably the first kids this year to be so close to finishing.

After waiting about 30 minutes we decided to put on our ponchos and try the hike anyway. It wasn't raining anymore but it definitely was foggy! This hike was absolutely the most unique plant life we've seen. If only we'd arrived an hour earlier to see the view at the top when all was clear! I made a mental note to stop back by the next day if the weather was any better.

Fortunately back at our campground the weather was clear and we were able to cook dinner and fit in some activity. First up was a homerun derby which ended up being a nice tryout session for campball teams. Dave and I ended up taking on all four kids this time around.

We added a home run wall as the sidewalk for this match up which allowed for Dave and I to jump ahead right away 4-1. The kids came back quickly and we fought for the lead for the rest of the game. I may have intentionally struck out once or twice to keep the game exciting. A certain child gets grumpy when they get too far behind. The game ended kids 14, parents 12. They celebrated like it was the World Series.

We still had some daylight so the kids decided it was time to teach Dave how to play Emily's Golf game. He surprisingly didn't already know it so we destroyed him but the kids had a good time making fun of him. I think it will definitely make it in our regular card game rotation for sure.

Emily took a few minutes to braid each of the girls' hair. Laney opted for the faux-hawk braid and Ryan the triple doozy braid. I was only hoping it stayed in their hair for the next day to keep the crazy hair at bay!  They didn't scream at her like they do when I try to braid their hair - what gives?!














We took our traditional last night campground walk around our tiny campground. We were all extremely happy to be leaving this campground. We'd had an awful time with gnats every second of the day we were outside, the bathrooms weren't cleaned any of the four days we were there, and even though it wasn't the campground's fault it will be forever tainted by the yelling at 2:30am guy.  We still enjoyed our walk and were hopeful our last spot would be exponentially better.