We took a few extra days off in conjunction with the Labor Day holiday in order to embark on a Little Squirrel's first long road trip. Our ultimate destination was Wilsonville, Oregon for a family reunion. However, as neither Little Squirrel nor Papa had ever been to the Redwoods or the Oregon Coast, we thought we would add a few stops to our itinerary.
We met up with Grandma Rita and Grandpa Ben in the Redwoods at the "Tour Thru Tree" (they were traveling via Harley Davidson) and then journeyed with them to Crescent City for the night and then to the Sea Lion Caves and Lincoln City on the following day.
We met up with Grandma Rita and Grandpa Ben in the Redwoods at the "Tour Thru Tree" (they were traveling via Harley Davidson) and then journeyed with them to Crescent City for the night and then to the Sea Lion Caves and Lincoln City on the following day.
On Saturday, they headed inland to the reunion and we stayed an extra day on the coast so that we could take Little Squirrel to the Newport Aquarium and, of course, to the beach. She had a fantastic time. She loved playing in the sand (and burying Papa's feet and legs) but did not get even close to the water. At one point she stepped onto the wet sand and declared it "too cold" and did not go any further towards the surf.
On Sunday we drove up the coast to the Tillamook Cheese Factory and then to the reunion. It rained on and off at the reunion during the day so much to Little Squirrel's dismay (and my relief) she didn't get to go up and down the Willamette River, either in the boat or being drug behind it on the inner tube like the other kids. We did get to spend time with my Grandma (Little Squirrel's Great-Grandma Florence) both at the reunion and the next day. I wish we could go visit more often. It is a good thing we send her a lot of pictures of Little Squirrel, otherwise she wouldn't recognize her because she grows so much in between visits!
We headed south after breakfast on Monday with Grandma Rita/Grandpa Ben, Great-Aunt BJ/Uncle Loren, and Great-Grandma Florence. We took I-5 down the center of the state and went to Wildlife Safari (another first for Little Squirrel and Papa). It is similar to a zoo but the animals are able to roam around as you drive through. Some of the animals, such as the tigers and cheetahs are in enclosures, but most of the rest of them (including rhinos) are out and about. You are allowed to have your windows down, except in the bear areas, but Papa vetoed that idea. As a result, we did get to see a lot of animals really close (but not too close) but didn't get a lot of great pictures.
The following day we took a brief side trip to the Oregon Vortex/House of Mystery which Papa enjoyed more than Little Squirrel. She had a good time but was a little young for the discussion of magnetic terra lines and why the golf ball roll uphill instead of downhill. We pushed on for home and arrived just in time for bed. It was a journey of 1,600 miles and yielded 940 pictures (not all winners). It was definitely an experience, but once again Little Squirrel traveled like a champ.
We headed south after breakfast on Monday with Grandma Rita/Grandpa Ben, Great-Aunt BJ/Uncle Loren, and Great-Grandma Florence. We took I-5 down the center of the state and went to Wildlife Safari (another first for Little Squirrel and Papa). It is similar to a zoo but the animals are able to roam around as you drive through. Some of the animals, such as the tigers and cheetahs are in enclosures, but most of the rest of them (including rhinos) are out and about. You are allowed to have your windows down, except in the bear areas, but Papa vetoed that idea. As a result, we did get to see a lot of animals really close (but not too close) but didn't get a lot of great pictures.
The following day we took a brief side trip to the Oregon Vortex/House of Mystery which Papa enjoyed more than Little Squirrel. She had a good time but was a little young for the discussion of magnetic terra lines and why the golf ball roll uphill instead of downhill. We pushed on for home and arrived just in time for bed. It was a journey of 1,600 miles and yielded 940 pictures (not all winners). It was definitely an experience, but once again Little Squirrel traveled like a champ.
~KK
