Day 35

With the cold and rainy night I decided to have hot chocolate ready for the kids this morning to coax them out of their sleeping bags. Grammie was leaving us this morning while we stay and extra day to pick up Dave in Portland. On our way to this spot though, I noticed we were close to Mt. St. Helens so we talked Grammie into going with us for an unplanned morning detour! I also talked our traveling Cook friends to meet up with us at the park as well.

We arrived at the visitors center just in time to watch the movie with our friends. That's how we start most parks so we can learn the history of the area and the park. The museum was fascinating illustrating the history and makeup of the volcano, the Native American connection to the area, and the events leading up to the 1980 eruption.





There was an underground display showing the makeup of this type of volcano why it is so different than others. Interestingly, scientists use core samples from local trees to date the different eruptions before recorded history by analyzing their rings.

There was a silly ranger program next about the eruption the kids really enjoyed.  She told the story of the eruption in a fun way that I don't think the kids will forget. There were fun facts sprinkled in that we all learned from too. This park is actually managed by the forest service and they've done a fantastic job with education here.

We sent Grammie on her way to Oregon and we drove up to the Johnston Ridge Observatory to get a closer look at the mountain. The drive was slow and the clouds were low but we were hopeful we would be able to see it. The visitors center here was another fantastic learning opportunity but there was a program starting in a few minutes so we headed that way instead.

This program was again about the 1980 eruption but from a geological perspective. In the spring of that year sizable earthquakes started happening more frequently so the world's geologists descended on the area to study and make predictions about what was going to happen.

One famous geologist was 7 miles away on a ridge with a great view of the mountain and its changes. Photographers and curious onlookers could see these changes from just outside the evacuation zone 11 miles away. Residents and vacationers had been evacuated in the 27 square mile valley below the mountain. They had reached this number because of reports of 27 square mile devastation from an eerily similar volcano in Japan.

A few weeks before the eruption scientists began to notice with they aptly named "The Bulge". The mountain was growing up to 5 feet per day! See the difference between normal Mt St Helen's and the one with the bulge on the right?

The eruption started with a lateral blast and massive landslide of the bulge devasting everything in its path and the valley below. The landslide traveled upwards of 200 miles per hour and emptied the lake below creating a huge wave of water and mud. Then came the vertical explosion of ash and gases 12 miles in the air. The resulting destruction covered more than 230 square miles.

When residents returned to the area they were shocked to see the change in the mountain. They were accustomed to seeing the view on the left and they returned to the view on the right.

The damage reminded me of many of the hurricanes we'd experience on the Gulf Coast over the years. Houses uprooted and floating away or completely destroyed, mud and water everywhere, trees down everywhere, and people coming home to salvage whatever they can. At least with hurricanes we know exactly when it's going to happen.

We made it inside just in time to watch another short movie about the volcano. Instead of the effects of the local area, this movie showed more of the timeline of the eruption and explained just how the devastation spread so far.





There was a lot of information in the museum about earthquakes as that is the best predictor of eruptions for Mt. St. Helens. The kids enjoyed jumping to make their own mini-earth quakes and see how they were recorded on the roll of paper.














There was an interesting display of the monitors of current seismic activity of the mountain. Right next to it was a timeline display of a more recent set of eruptions in the early 2000s. These eruptions created a 1000 foot lava dome in the center of the caved-in mountain.









Scientists have equipment installed all around the mountain to detect changes. Helicopters drop off the equipment and scientists to calibrate and install everything. The kinds enjoyed feeling the sensations of seismic activity such as earthquakes far away, helicopters landing, or even elk rubbing their antlers on the equipment!

At last we took the walk up the ramp to the viewing area of the mountain. The clouds had lifted just a bit but not enough to see the upper half. I was disappointed but the kids enjoyed running around with their friends and didn't seem to care. I was bummed but I'll be back.

We said goodbye to our friends again and got back on the road toward our errands. On the way back to the main road I had to stop at a bridge overlook to take a picture of one of the bridges we'd crossed. This bridge was the edge of the destruction from the 1980 eruption. It was 17 miles from the volcano.

Today was laundry day so we stopped in Longview, OR at the nicest laudromat we've ever visited! Usually they are dark, dirty, and old but this one was new and clean. No wonder it was full of people! We don't usually pick a weekend day to do laundry but Dave was arriving the next day so we wanted to focus on fun with him as much as possible.

I was tempted to take the kids to pizza afterward but I decided to cook the very-requested pizza quesadillas instead. Brayden was feeling teenagery so he moved to the tent after dinner while the girls and I played games.

We retired to the tent to read but Ryan and I ended up creating all kinds of weird shadow puppets on the tent wall that had everyone roaring with laughter. It's a good thing it wasn't during quiet hours!

Day 33

I had to get a picture of the sunflower Laney bought at the farm the day before. We drove by so many farms with sunflowers peeking out 4, 5, and 6 foot tall. A field full was a beautiful sight!

We started today with thick french toast and cheese grits to warm us up. It rained overnight and was super chilly this morning so breakfast was perfect. Our first stop this morning was the Longmire Museum. It was a small building from the early 1900s that was jam-packed with people as well as great exhibits. The kids enjoyed seeing the animals the most. Did you know there is a mountain beaver that doesn't live in water?

This mountain lion took us all a little by surprise around a corner! 

We think we are experts when it comes to animal tracks but we all didn't do very well on this quiz. Some of the alpine animals tripped Laney up but we won't be seeing them back home! 

Out side there was another tree slice we could read historical events on. This tree was at least 8 feet in diameter. You can see Grammie pointing to the date the Declaration of Independence was signed.

 

We visited the gift shop next for post cards and stickers where Brayden spotted Gatorade in a can. I'm not sure what the novelty was about it but he had to spend his money on it! Ryan followed right a long and they both commented it tasted the same as in a plastic bottle. I'm thinking they assumed it would be carbonated? I know I told at least one of them it would be the same thing they've had before. I'm thinking they stopped listening to me long ago.

We stopped in at the Wilderness Info building for trail maps and info on the things we needed to see while we were there. We'd already planned one hike with two waterfalls and fortunately we could get to the trail from our campground. Ryan left a sign for our friends on the car that we'd gone hiking while the other two kids worried someone was going to see it and steal all our stuff. If someone wants a 2-year-old tent that looks like it's 15-years-old then I say they can have it!

When we first arrived at the park yesterday the kids noticed the color of the water - very light gray. I'm assuming it is because of the glacier flour and silt from the mountain? At this spot we crossed the river and could hear constant low booming that sounded like thunder. It was the boulders being spun and tossed in this fast-moving river!






This was the point in the hike where I almost sent Brayden back to the campground. These kids arguing back and forth and assuming intentional harm is so very frustrating.  I know there are crazy hormones and they have been together A LOT lately.  I just wish they would take a 2 second breath before responding  to each other.  I would definitely help curb the angry tones and responses that hurt. Maybe one of these days they will listen.

When the kids see a field of rocks they only see a climbing opportunity. What surprised me today was Laney asking first to climb all the way up! I think this area was an old rock slide or glacier field so I wasn't to keen on them starting another rock slide. They settled on climbing up to a large rock for a picture instead.


We started hearing the water about a half-mile into the hike. It kept getting louder toward the top of each climb and then would seem like we past it one the hike leveled off. We kept wondering it we'd missed the first waterfall until finally we reached Carter Falls at the top of the last steep climb. 

The kids pulled out their snacks while Grammie made her way up to meet us and I took pictures of the leaves around us.  You would think these leaves might be wet from the spray of the waterfall but actually most of the leaves still had water on them from the rain and morning dew.

There was a rockstar mom at this waterfall that was at least 8 months pregnant with a 2 and 4 year old in tow. Start them young!

The next waterfall was just another 50 yards up the trail so we made it to Madcap Falls in no time. This one was a little more difficult to see with it's twists and turns. We thought about climbing down for a better view but decided to head back to our site instead.

On the way up after the river crossing the girls asked me if I saw the cat. I was thinking there was a stray cat hanging out by the river and began to come up with all the reasons why there was no way we would be able to bring a cat home with us. They told me instead there was a cat rock sculpture similar to our family rock stacks so we made sure to slow down and check those out on our way back. By the time we made it there were two new ones!

You'll noticed Grammie no longer has her hiking stick. There was an older gentleman we'd seen slowly making his way back down the trail when we were going up. By the time we came back down he was still having lots of trouble on the trail with his balance around the rocks. She gave him her stick to help and with the help of his companion he seemed to move a little better. There were still many tricky areas for them to cross, including the river!  I love when my kids get to see examples of kindness like this. I hope they grow up to be this way toward perfect strangers and those in need.







We heated up some leftover soup for lunch when we got back and just as we were finishing up the Cook family showed up! They have been in the road for the better part of 2 years and we were so excited to be able to hang out with them! The kids shared animals and sites they'd seen then headed off into the woods to hang out and play. I love they are able to reconnect so easily!

Another not-to-miss spot we were told we should go is up to the top of the mountain at the Paradise visitors center area. The wildflowers were supposed to be in crazy bloom for the summer. We all decided to pile into cars and make the slow drive up. Unfortunately for us the clouds rolled in as we were driving up so not only could we not see the wildflowers but we also couldn't even see the visitors center from the parking lot! And it was COLD! Instead of taking a walk through the flowers we went into the visitors center to check out the museum before they closed. I'd forgotten my camera and phone in my haste to drive up so I didn't get to capture that time.

Once we made it back down we cooked dinner together and shared stories around the campfire. We'd had similar experiences on the road but The Cooks were able to take time to see so much more than us!  We'd already been to some of the area they were heading so I was able to make a few recommendations.

The kids shared s'mores and more laughs before the rain decided we should be done for the night. We quickly got everything out of the rain, gave everyone hugs, and wished safe travels to each other. We'd be seeing them back in Florida in a few months to hear more about their amazing travels.

The girls and I walked Lola in the rain and made it back before the heavier stuff started. The pitter patter of rain drops was going to be our lullaby tonight!

Day 32

I didn't have to wake the kids up this morning as Ryan was excited to be moving today. She was hoping to see our Washington friends later and she'd been counting down the days since we left. She let the air out of Brayden and Laney's sleep mats and rolled on top of them to wake them up. I'm thinking they appreciate my sing song "good morning" much better!

We filled up with warm grits and toast then I placed the box containing the last two cupcakes on the table. I offered a full cupcake to the most helpful person and the other to be shared between the other two kids. Brayden was finished with his breakfast at this point and jumped right in to help. I will have to remember his motivation is food for sure!

We were all packed up and on the Sol Duc Falls trail within about 30 minutes. The parking lot was already filling up so I knew it was going to be a great hike.




We talked about the days ahead and what we were going to be able to do once Dave joins us. It's hard to believe he's finally almost here with us! We are close to making our turn back south toward home.

The falls were beautiful but we didn't stay too long as everyone wanted to get on the road. It was a lovely hike and definitely reset us all to have a fabulous day. The kids' tones and attitudes changed from being short with eachother as we were getting out of the car to laughing siblings again just a half mile down the trail. We need to make morning hikes a thing!

We said goodbye to our ghost host whom we never saw, the smelly springs, the beautiful mountains and glaciers, Lake Crescent, and Port Angeles as we made the turn toward Tacoma and our next spot. When I started seeing signs for lavender fields I remembered I had a possible farm stop on my list. And I'm so glad we stopped! We picked boysenberries, londonberries, bluebberries, and a big bucket of the sweetest raspberries we've ever had.

Three deer were watching us as we picked the boysenberries so I'm sure our row was the perfect one. We'd never picked or tasted boysenberries or londonberries before. I had to taste a few very unripe ones first to find the best color which the kids thought was quite hilarious.

What started as a quick stop to check out the farm ended up being over an hour of picking all kinds of berries. Laney and my favorite were the raspberries - the sweetest I've ever tasted. They were also the size of blackberries!! Anyone who has picked with me before knows I get in picking mode and it's hard to break out of it. I want all the good fruit!  Ryan loved the blueberries the best - she had to run to catch up with us while shoving handfuls into her mouth!

I ended up buying an extra carton of blueberries and we went to enjoy the lavender for a few minutes. About 20 feet away from the field you could already smell it. If only the kids were dressed for a photo shoot!

We made a quick resupply stop at Trader Joe's and started the climb toward Mt. Rainier. This would be our last Washington stop but also a much anticipated one with a visit from friends. We were all set up and eating dinner when they pulled into our site behind us. The kids quickly finished their dinners and picked back up as if we'd seen them yesterday.

They even let me take an actual picture of all of them standing still for 30 seconds! We shared stories, beer, and dump cake around the fire until it was time for them to make the long drive back home. Our visit was short but it definitely made for an excellent day!




Another set of friends were hoping to join us in their RV but they weren't supposed to arrive until later. We reserved a site for them but never heard since I don't have service in the park. The kids wanted to check to see if they arrived so we quietly walked in the misty rain to their spot. They weren't there so we headed back and slipped into our tent. It was drippy and cold so we knew we'd better bundle up close together tonight!

Day 13

I had a little bit of a restless night in the hammock with trying to keep my ears open for calls from the tent. Several times I woke up in pitch black darkness listening to the night sounds. No wildlife, but I did hear coyotes way far off. While I was comfortable all night, sleeping in the hammock was much easier after backpacking 15 miles!

I woke up and decided to catch up on writing as I'd discovered we had limited 3G in the campground - yay! Without being too connected I could definitely upload entries to the blog and text Dave occasionally. Weather updates might be necessary as well as we were expecting rain for the next few days.

We planned first to head into the town this morning to check out the farmer's market. After I made a pile of pancakes we got ready and headed into town. The market was just about the smallest we'd ever seen, but we picked up some beautiful produce! The strawberries were the deepest red I have ever seen and boy were they sweet! I had to buy and extra carton because the kids ate them standing right there!

When we'd parked all the kids spotted an tiny chocolate shop that also happened to be open so of course we had to go there. The man gave all of us tiny samples of their hot chocolate and even though it was warm out it was delicious!! I bought everyone a truffle and they were gone practically before we could share. I tried the Mayan with deep dark chocolate and a kick of cayenne at the end, salted caramel for Laney of course, and mint for the others. We vowed to try to make it back for their homemade chocolate popsicles before we left the area.

We got the scoop on a few local places from the chocolate guy so we headed to one store but got sucked into a bookstore for the better part of an hour. I'd finished one of my books and was looking for another one to read before Dave joined us. I had a Dean Koontz book but was thinking I might save it for when he joins us so I don't get too spooked. We ended up with a tiny book for me, a book for Laney and a comic for Brayden.

On our way back to the campsite we stopped at the Rocky Knob overlook to check out the view. The smog had settled in quite a bit but it did still look beautiful with mountains forever. The kids and I decided to hike up the next morning to see if the view was better from the trail.

Ryan and I started lunch while listening to thunder and watch a storm roll by. Every time I looked up the storm seemed to be moving past us but the thunder was definitely getting closer. We cooked and cleaned up as fast as we could expecting a downpour at any minute. The wind was starting to whip around us so we made the kids run around and play while they still could. We were thinking it was one of those afternoon showers that only last about an hour but we weren't really sure.

Once the drops started falling all the kids and I ducked in our tent and Emily retired into hers. We read and read and played until the rain finally slowed a couple hours later.

We tried scalloped potatoes to replace Ryan's favorite baked potatoes for dinner but they were underwhelming. We're definitely missing the freshest meals in the woods! The mini lettuce we'd bought at the farmer's market however was divine!!

It was supposed to rain for the next 2 nights so we walked the whole campground tonight to continue our tradition. No crazy wildlife this time around though!

Day 6

We were up early after a great night's sleep with very little rain throughout the night. It was pretty hot and humid so I think we all slept on top of our bags. I made a big batch of pancakes for breakfast with yogurt and strawberries. I will never hear the end of the Vanana-yogurt-wishes as they settle for plain old Trader Joe's vanilla.

Once we were cleaned up the kids put on their water shoes and we headed to the creek next to the campground to climb around. As all the adults talked with some full-time traveling dudes, the kids scrambled around the slippery rocks exploring the creek.

The ever-cautious Brayden sat with the adults for awhile until I handed him the camera to capture the events on the creek. All the kids ran up at one point claiming they had found their pet for the trip. Once we compromised to have him only for our timem at hte creek, Laney ran to grab a little bowl from our site for his temporary home.  They carried this guy all around the creek for the next hour for his field trip.

I visited the kids at the creek after a little while to take a few more pictures. Just seconds after this picture was taken Brayden slipped on some rocks and by the way he was looking at his hand when he got up I knew we'd be taking a trip to see a doctor. Luckily we all believe it is just a pinky sprain so I taped it to his ring finger and even though it felt weird he did say it felt a little better.

I fed the kids a quick snack lunch and Ryan and Brayden piled in Otis's car to go fishing. Laney, Emily, and I opted for a 3-mile hike down to the lake. Laney can walk for days and once I told her we'd be crossing the creek and going under the road a couple times she was excited.

Emily and I chatted a lot along the way and we made the hills easier by teaching Emily how to play Contact. We even got to wish a girl happy birthday as we walked by their neat celebration in the woods.

We found the fishing people by the lake having a snack. We were greeted with, "Guess what we caught?!" follwed quickly by, "NOTHING!"

The kids walked us down to a little spot with rocks and a waterfall. The kids enjoyed exploring and climbing all around the area. At one point I spotted a snake that had caught a fish so we followed it to see what kind it was and watch it eat. He was a teenager but with the fish in his mouth we couldn't really see the shape of his head to tell what kind he was.

Emily and I decided to hike the 3 miles back to our site while Otis piled the all the kids in his car. Within 10 steps of entering the woods, the downpour started. It was 3pm in the South so we should have known better. The rocks were more slippery, the roots were more slippery and we became way more slippery! We made it back in record time though feeling squeaky clean like we'd just had a shower.

We waited a little while for the rain to stop but it wasn't letting up so we all decided to head to a nearby town for dinner. I set our GPS to a random Italian spot and we were on our way. The drive was nice through a little tiny town. Once we pulled into the parking lot I noticed the restaurant was in a strip mall so I wasn't thinking it would be the best place to eat. We decided to go inside anyway and instantly felt underdressed and out of place. If we hadn't already felt that way the hostess asking, "How can I help you?" instead of "How many for dinner?" should have given it away. We opted for a Chinese place a few doors down and felt much better!

We were all starving and the food was delicious so all our moods changed dramatically. We took the opportunity to do a load of laundry to dry out all of our wet clothes and shoes as well. And of course on our way in Brayden spotted an ice cream spot so we stopped there before heading back to our site. The kids were thankful we'd finally found an ice cream spot and kept reminding me it was crazy it had taken so long!

As we headed back through the mountains, we were treated to a beautiful sunset displayed along the range. Being down in the woods we don't get to see the colors like this as a backdrop to the mountains. I'm hoping at least one of our next sites is near the top!

Once we reached our site we got ready for bed and read another chapter of the book. We were ready for a good night's sleep as the temperature was somewhat cooler this night with the rain. We did decide however that Chinese food wasn't good for Ryan's stomach as there were all kinds of noises coming from that side of the tent!