Utah. Idaho. Michigan. Wyoming. That was my list of states I had visited/vacationed when Craig and I tied the knot. His family loved and thrived off of road trips and vacations I think he’d been to around 45 of the 50 states. My family would be characterized as ‘creatures of habit.’ EVERY year our list of vacations were about the same. A trip to St. George, Park City, a few overnighters in Salt Lake, and then of course, Bear Lake. Once we went to Michigan for two weeks, and I know we went to Yellowstone & Jackson at some point. But as kids, we had ONE requirement. A pool. It wasn’t a vacation if there wasn’t a pool. Honestly, we could care less what we did other than swim! That’s probably why we didn’t have to venture far! Since we’ve been married, I’ve added a few states to my list including:
California
*Colorado
*Indiana
*Iowa
*Missouri
*Nebraska
Nevada
*Ohio
Oregon
Tennessee (such a cool trip- we went to the Grand Ole Opry an I LOVED it! Country music fan right here! I was just bummed we missed Brad Paisley performing by a few days!)
*All in one trip...we drove out to move Grammy from Ohio to Utah...oh the stories we could tell from that trip!
Not too shabby though right! Maybe by the time I’m 90 I’ll have visited 30 states. But I doubt you came here to see where I haven’t been SO let’s get to the good stuff shall we?
There is this cute lady who is one of the best travel guides I have ever met. She’s been just about everywhere, and when she plans a trip, she pretty much thinks of everything. She talks to other vacationers, she researches, she is thorough! You get a file folder full of maps, things to do, restaurants by the area, and SO much more. Her name is Jeanne, and she’s my mother-in-law. I was so grateful she took on the job of vacation planning, and Rick took the role of supporting. Craig and I literally made a transfer to her account to pay for our hotels, and Jeanne did the rest. We couldn’t have done it without her efforts and Rick’s patience with us!
The day we told our kiddos we were going to the Ocean, I was asked EVERY. SINGLE. DAY- sometimes 3-4 times, how many days left until ‘go time’. To say we were excited to pull out of the drive way and be on our way, is quite the understatement of the day.
We decided to drive to Oregon the first day, which meant some 14 hours by the time we arrived- of course we had bathroom stops, gas stops and food stops along the way, but when we turned the car off for the day, it was SO refreshing! I do have to admit, the kids were great. Craig, Poppi (Rick my Father-in-Law), Jeanne (Nana), Mercedes and Bridger were very well behaved. They got along, ate their snacks without complaint, colored and arguments were non-existent. I was so grateful I didn’t have to put anyone in timeout! Meanwhile I curled up on the backseat bench like a small child and slept. Every now and then my backseat companion- Bridger would put his tiny hand on my head and just gently stroke my face and hair.
We got a kick out of little Bridger more than once. At the end of the day, he announced from the very back seat, “MY BUM HURTS!” We all felt his pain...
So the painful part is over and the adventure and wonder begins. We all agree that Brookings, Oregon was our favorite place to be overnight. Our room had a little personal porch putting us right up next to the Ocean shore, it was beautiful!
After a long day of traveling, we were grateful for the Bistro just across the street. The food was wonderful, and the views were incredible, but there was one odd element. The Bistro had no overhead music playing in the background, no window cracked to hear the Ocean, people quietly whispered conversations but more often than not, it was DEAD silent. Imagine us sitting there after a 14 hour drive, with two kids that were aching to run around trying to be silent. I was so grateful the food was delicious otherwise I would have been a bit stressed out... Not only were we trying to be silent which is odd in a restaurant, but I think we were the only ones there with children. That actually seemed to be the case quiet often. I saw free green ‘dog poop sacks’ almost everywhere I went, I kept waiting to find a free diaper stand... but had no luck. I’ve decided furry four-legged kids are their child of choice- a little different than Utah or even Idaho...
Craig left the sliding door cracked that night and we fell asleep to the sound of that water coming in, and going out, those crashing waves- ah, what a beautiful sound! Craig loves to get up early, me not so much... so mess with my time zones and then try and get me up early, yeah not a good idea! Lucky for me we brought another early riser- Jeanne so the two of them went out venturing early that morning. Craig was like a little kid reporting he had saved two overturned crabs on the beach. I love seeing him so filled with joy! Later that morning we went searching for tide pools. I have to say the Starfish were my favorite creatures. It was exciting realizing they were right in front of us clinging for dear life to the large rocks housed on the beach. Orange, maroon, and other colors littered the black rocks in bundles. I was amazed how hard they felt. It felt like I was touching a rock! Such an odd sensation. Second the tiny crabs. Bridger got a kick out of watching them scurry around in the little pools of water. They reminded me of spiders to be honest. Ocean spiders... Thankfully they didn’t bite! Mercedes was adamant that she would NOT touch anything. Bridger would cautiously watch but there was no way we could pay him enough to be brave.
At first I was a bit cautious touching any of the creatures, not because I was SCARED but because I could hear voices from Finding Dory screaming, “POKERS COVE. TURN BACK. TURN BACK!” And visualize the traumatized creatures after all the tiny fingers and hands had poked and prodded them. Once I got over this image, those special experiences began. I am in awe that God would create such a variety of creatures not only on land but those that silently hide in the waters. This vacation really made me realize how SMALL I am in this big world. I know I have a valuable role, and have much to contribute but my shear size alone is pretty insignificant in this vast world!
That afternoon we drove down to Crescent City where we stayed the next three nights. Across the street there were docks filled with ships, and fishing equipment, it was amazing to see so many boats all readying to do the same thing- fish! But the one night we walked out on the beach to fly kites we heard barking. Once we got back in the car and drove down the road a bit, we found the source. Docks full of Sea lions. Mercedes and Bridger LOVED them. While taking pictures i couldn’t help but think they noticed us watching them because every once in a while, you’d see a large flipper stick up in the air and wave in our direction. There was a romantic feeling that night, peaceful and calm. Serene.
The rest of the week we spent visiting many of the Redwood forest groves. I cannot believe how massive those trees are! Man almighty! Shoot one of those could keep a family’s fire burning the rest of their lives... Just sayin, not promoting.... Rick and Jeanne made the comment that those forests had a sacred and reverent feel to them, and I couldn’t agree more. Their size, and the creatures that quietly live within those forests must be innumerable yet it was quiet. Even with the carloads filled with young and old families, it was quiet. You’d hear the faint call of a small bird somewhere hidden in the height of the trees, or see a chipmunk/squirrel run across the path, but that was it.
There is a place called Trees of Mystery. It includes a short hike up the mountain to a Gondola where you load in and slowly ride up the mountain over-looking the tops of these giant trees. Craig and Jeanne were brave to even get in let alone ride up to the top. Not that they had a choice once they got in, but I want to build up their confidence :) On the ride up, Bridger was loving the views, and while our two heights haters tried to steady their out-of-control heart rates, and slow their labored breathing, Bridger was busy trying to get Nana to ‘YUK down!’ Poor girl.
Our trip involved A LOT of driving but what made it tolerable was Craig up in the front seat. He is a singer. I love his voice, I always have, on our dates he would sing along with Josh Turner and his voice was so deep and rich I couldn’t help but fall in love with him. On the trip, this was no different, he would sing from the bottom of his heart, with passion, love and joy. I couldn’t help but chuckle from the back seat as he played the part of Rev Tevia during the Fiddler on the Roof soundtrack, he was dancing, and singing yet after that he’d be singing ‘California Love,’ and ‘California Sun,’ yes he’s very versatile. I couldn’t help but smile back and be grateful he is mine. Another sweet moment was driving along the beaches with Moana soundtrack playing in the background, it seemed fitting. There is something about a family singing together that is sweet and tender. Whether we were all belting out “LET’S GO FLY A KITE, UP TO THE HIGHEST HEIGHT” from Mary Poppins. Or “SEW, A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD, LA A NOTE TO FOLLOW SEW...” From Sound of Music, those moment en-grained themselves in my memory.
Our family thoroughly enjoyed the nightly trips to the pool and hot tub, the visit to Ocean World Aquatic center, beautiful and unique beaches, endless forest’s filled with ancient trees and time spent together. It was a trip of beauty. I am happy to be home! Thank you Craig, Jeanne, Rick and the kids for a fantastic trip on the books!
Keep in mind, these were taken on phones, ipads, & two different regular cameras :)
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