Day 31

The night before I told the kids we would be getting up early to hike Hurricane Ridge. This was a very popular spot so I wanted to make sure to get up there early enough to be able to stay for the morning. I dragged them out of bed and we were on the road before 8am - maybe a record for this trip! As these kids are in and approaching the teenage years their sleep requirements have increased dramatically!

It takes us about 20 minutes just to get to the main road from our campground then we slowly go around Lake Crescent with some added construction stops. I would rather go slow to admire the water and mountains surrounding it though!

Once we made it through the gate for Hurricane Ridge the real drive began! We went up for a gorgeous 17 miles to finally be able to see the glacier-covered mountains we had been searching for during our whole stay!

The programming and store opened a little later so we hit the trail to get acclimated to what all trails we wanted make sure to hike. I was planning on spending the whole morning here to enjoy the view. We decided to first do the half mile meadow trail that meandered along the lower meadow near the visitors center. We spotted a little robin searching for breakfast in the meadow but he was too quick for a good picture.

The first program of the day was all about glaciers. We had a bit of an expert ranger talking to us this morning having spent a few years in Glacier National Park before coming to Olympic. We learned about the process of forming and clasifying glaciers as well as the rock formations left behind when they melt for good. She had loads of photographs of the changes of the glaciers over the last century. One set of photos was especially interesting illustrating the complete disappearance of the Anderson Glacier.

The ranger had a scope set on Kerry Glacier so we all took a second to see it up close. She mentioned we could always do the 18-mile hike up to Blue Glacier. As tempting as it sounded I decided to save that one for a backpacking trip.



We had a quick visit to the gift shop before grabbing our backpacks for the trail. The kids think it's fun to overhear people talking about all the stickers on our roof cargo box. I kinda wish we'd had it from the beginning instead of 4 years into our travels!

The first trail we picked for our hikes was the High Point trail. It was a short, steep trail to a lovely point overlooking the meadow below and far off mountains. You can see the parking lot and tiny cars below!

We continued on to sunrise point and I heard the kids saying they were thankful I didn't get them up to come here for sunrise! I'll put that on my list for me and Dave I suppose. The 360 degree view was absolutely breathtaking.











The next trail was Klahhane Ridge which extended through the mountains for about 6 miles. We decided to do part of it which meant about 2 miles before I could tell Laney wasn't feeling it anymore. I guess I will also have to put that on my list for Dave. We grabbed a feast for lunch from the car and enjoyed the best lunch view we've ever had!

We stopped in Port Angeles for some ice cream before picking up Lola from the RV. She was so happy to see us but kept looking for Grammie to show up too. We sat outside for a little while while I updated the blog and downloaded a few more podcast episodes. Depending on who is in the car we are currently enjoying Forever Ago, Pants on Fire, 6 Minutes, and Smash Boom Best. We haven't listened to a single episode of last year's hit Wow in the World!

We lucked into some prime parking for our evening at the City Pier and walked to grab Grammie from the ferry. She wasn't too thrilled with us making her take a picture with the girls. But she was surprised to see Grammie walk around the corner! The kids were hungry so we spotted a pizza spot with outdoor seating so we could have Lola with us.

We shared a giant cheese pizza while we caught Grammie up with our events of the day and us with her stops around Victoria Island. We hadn't found the Sasquatch in all our hiking so the kids decided they needed to take this picture instead!

We made it back to the city pier just in time for the start of the music of a Summerfest concert. The band was defined as a classic rock band but they ended up playing mostly oldies which I enjoyed much more. The kids even knew some of the Beatles songs. We enjoyed cupcakes the girls had made in Oregon while we watched the band and the people dancing. Ryan decided at some point she wanted a better vantage point and climbed the tree behind us. 

After about an hour we decided go drop Grammie off at her spot and head back to ours. We spotted a little library on the way out so Laney grabbed another book. Hopefully she won't read it in one day like she has the last 5!

Once we made it back to our campground we stopped by the Sol Duc Falls. I was nervous about trying to fit it in before dark so we put it on our agenda for in the morning. Instead the kids helped organize things for our travels tomorrow. It's funny how things get spread out around our site the longer we stay in a campground. It's all little things that have to be tucked back where they belong but all that reorganization adds up if I'm doing it all by myself in the morning!

Day 30

We were up early again today to hike but today we had a special visitor! I was excited to see my cousin Chris that I hadn't seen in about 6 years and the kids were excited to see his two dogs! He is known in our family as Little Chris since he is 10 years younger than my brother, Big Chris - both Chris Bloombergs. He told the kids it was his rapper name which of course they thought was hilarious.

The kids all thought the dogs were adorable and the dogs definitely enjoyed the attention. I was too busy petting and getting licked to even get a picture!

The dogs were secured in the cars since they aren't allowed on most trails here and we were off. It's strange to me to be able to leave them in a car in the summer but it was only 65 degrees and they were parked in the shade too. I could get used to this weather!

The trail to Marymere Falls was only about a mile so Chris and I were able to catch up while the kids listened intently. They are always wanting to hear stories of family or of when Big Chris and I were younger.

Before we knew it we were standing at the falls! The trail was busy with it being so short and easy, but the falls were lovely.

At one of the overlooks we were excited to spot a Dipper bird. The only reason we noticed him was because he appeared to be dancing on a rock near the river. This bird can actually dive underwater for food. We'd learned about this guy in the park's movie and got to watch him dip in and out of the water first hand. 

Once we made it back to the car we decided to hike an area we knew dogs to join us. A few years back a dam was removed which ended up washing out a road so it is closed to vehicle traffic. Lucky for us it now allows dogs!

There were many signs warning limited parking and ability for turnaround so Grammie decided to go back to her campground and ride with us. Lola wasn't thrilled with having to compete with two other dogs!

Our first trail was to Madison Falls just one-tenth of a mile long. Little Chris's dogs Biscuit and Walter were thrilled to be out on the trail wanting to smell and climb everything! Lola was a bit more cautious trying to figure out who these additions to our group were.

Next we decided on a trail that looked to be about 3-4 miles and were hoping we could break the rules and little and let the dogs off leash. There were rangers at the falls trail but once we were out of their eyesight we took leashes off and the dogs figured out how to get along. Walter and Biscuit were curious about Lola but they basically showed her they didn't care and were more interested in running and exploring so she joined in. The kids enjoyed leading the way with Walter and Biscuit!

This hike was pretty steep in places so I knew this would be it for Grammie. We decided on an early dinner at her campground. Little Chris decided to head on to Cape Flattery that we'd visited the day before so we said our goodbyes and were hopeful they could join us again soon.

The kids had been looking forward to spending some afternoon time at Grammie's campground since our first day. It was equipped with corn hole, volleyball/badmitton, basketball, horseshoes, and ladderball. Ryan and Brayden were set on having an Olympic competition. And if you know them, you know competition can be the worst thing or the best thing. Much of this trip I've been saying to them, "It's not the Olympics, it's just a game!" during our family game nights. Well, now it's the Olympics.

Laney wasn't interested so I sent her with the camera to document the games. I prepped dinner instead and had a chance to use the wifi and go through my mass of email messages.

Once Laney returned and didn't complain of any fights I returned to the Olympics with the camera. On the way I just had to stop for some photos of the garden in the campground. Not only where there all these beautiful flowers but a large fruit and vegetable garden that anyone could grab whatever they wanted! There was everything from raspberries and strawberries to peppers, tomatoes and squash. Many of the flowers nestled in with these plants I'd never seen before.

The kids returned hungry so we had a feast of the juiciest peaches on the planet, broccoli cheese soup, salad, and grilled cheese on Seattle sourdough. We were stuffed! The kids were anxious to play volleyball so we talked Laney into joining us. We were terrible but we added the ability to hit it after a bounce and did much better. Grammie spotted Ryan on the ground most of the time!

The kids claim they have a separate dessert stomach so I gave them the fixings for s'mores. They tried to negotiate for cupcakes too but their logic was all off.

I brought all the kids back with me tonight because Grammie would be taking a trip to Victoria Island in the morning. She had an early ferry so we would be spending the day without her. We all smooshed into the big tent bundled up in our sleeping bags and quilts to enjoy another cold night.

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 7

It was chilly when I woke up this morning - just perfect for a long sleeve t-shirt. I woke up at 5am again and noticed on the campground rules that quiet hours were from 8am-8pm. What was I going to do for 3 hours?? The entire campground was asleep so I decided to hike down the nature trail.

This trail went down to the visitors center or the long split went down to the entrance of the park - probably about 3 miles. I didn't think everyone would be asleep quite that long so I just decided to hike for about an hour.

The first spot I came to was the old foundation of the CCC quarters inn the park. We've run into CCC works all over the country and the things they accomplished at this park were no different. Young men needing jobs who worked hard creating trails, buildings, and roads that we use today while they received $25 per month with $20 required to go home to their families. They also received an education - many learned to read or learned a trade. Brayden and I love learning about this program.

As I passed through the meadow jackrabbits were darting into and out of the grass. This meadow was natural and high so there was probably much more wildlife hiding in there! Up ahead I saw a blur on the trail and once I realized what it was and pulled my camera up, it darted across the boulders into his little home. I guess this wasn't the ringtail I was going to get for my birthday. Of course my camera was still in landscape mode so he's just a blur in my picture. See him kinda?

The trail weaved around a dry river for quite a while until I reached the homestead where I'd decided to turn around. This homestead was built by a husband and wife and was expanded over the years to accommodate their growing family. It survived an earthquake and many harsh winters.

I can't imagine waking up to this view every morning!














While I was hiking I was trying to figure out the time difference. It was 5am when I woke up and very bright. I know I hadn't seen a Pacific Time Zone sign but the time here was definitely an hour earlier. It finally hit me that Arizona doesn't participate in Daylight Savings Time! I'm so used to falling back and springing forward I'd forgotten there were some states that don't! So once we get into California I may still wake up at 5am but maybe the sun will be just rising?



By the time I got back to our site there were several families around us awake so I thought it was safe to start making breakfast. Since it was so cool we'd decided on me cooking pancakes on my stove instead of Grammie running her generator to cook. The girls slowly got up and made their way to folding their laundry and helping cook breakfast. Our trips aren't all fun and games!






After we cleaned up and packed up we got on the road toward our next spot. Today would be another 6 hour drive but we would be making our first Trader Joe's stop. The girls were excited to grab a Redbox movie and be in charge of shopping. We ended up with lots of snacks and lots of fruit - typical for them! On our way out of Tucson we drove by a massive Amazon building that had about 75-100 planes parked next door. I'm assuming it is a distribution center? The girls wanted to go in and shop!

The scenery was the same the whole way with distant mountains and dry desert. Phoenix was a stressful city to drive through - I didn't realize it was quite so big! The traffic was a monster on this weekend day. I can't imagine if we'd driven through on a weekday!

Once we made it off the interstate we had about another hour to drive. The temperature was 112 and seemed to be rising. Our next stop was Buckskin Mountain so I was hopeful we would be driving up into a nearby mountain for some relief. I realized we would be able to swim in the Colorado River so I'm guessing we wouldn't be.

When we reached the entrance to the park it was 116. It was a flat park right on the river and our spots were the only ones with trees. Not that they helped at all! The girls and I made the executive decision to forgo setting up the tent and head straight to the water. It was perfectly chilly and provided so much relief! If I'd had a raft I would have tied it to a tree and floated there all day!

We took in the view and watched the skiers go back and forth along the river while the kids played all kinds of games in the water. We were just happy to be cool!

I dragged the kids out of the water to eat dinner and after about a 20 minute settling of food we went right back to the water.  There were a bunch tiny bats flying all around us eating bugs and skimming the water to drink.  They even buzzed our heads a few times!

I'd checked the weather after dinner and it was supposed to cool down over night to 95. Definitely not something I was interested in being in a tent for! There was a breeze but it was so hot it felt like it was coming from inside an oven. We walked up to the campsite once it was dark and I declared it impossible to sleep so we grabbed pillows and headed to Grammie's RV. We were SO very thankful to have that option!

The air conditioner had been running since we'd gotten there and it was still warm, but so much cooler than outside. We didn't expect to be sleeping on beds this early in our trip! I tried to read but only ended up finding the spot I'd left off last time before I gave up and went to sleep.