Cannon Beach...Last Full Day

On our last full day in Cannon Beach we drove to Seaside (about 8 miles up the road) and went to Ecola State Park. In Seaside we walked along the "boardwalk" and on the beach, and looked at some stores in their downtown. At Ecola State Park we walked down to Indian Beach and through the tide pools. We saw numerous star fish and anemones. Indian Beach is also a big surfer hangout so we saw a few people surfing as well! Even with a wet suit I couldn't imagine being in the water that long. One guy had a suit with a hood. That would've been mine! Walking through the water made your feet go numb! We ate at the same restaurant (Warren's Pub) and Kelsey got her favorite Manhattan Clam Chowder. It rained most of the rest of th evening and night so we stayed in and watched TV.

Cannon Beach Day Two

Today we had a busy day! We got up early and went to downtown Cannon Beach to look at the shops for a couple of hours. Then we rented fun cycles and fun cycled all over the beach for the next couple of hours. Break for lunch, then to the tide pools to look at the ocean creatures!

Kelsey on her fun cycle

Me on my fun cycle

A sea creature. Also known as anemone.

Some type of crab thing. I'm pretty sure it's a transformer but the government won't let them get large enough to take over the planet. They go from looking like a shell to walking and crabbing. Definitely a transformer and if someone hasn't started a conspiracy website they need to.

Pelicans up close.

The beautiful sunset and Haystack Rock in the background (farthest right).

Bend to Cannon Beach

Today we made the trek to Cannon Beach. It was raining most of the way but it was a very pretty drive! Our hotel is AWESOME! We have a balcony on the 3rd floor and it faces the ocean. Probably the coolest place we've ever stayed!

This was a picture of a forest that had a giant forest fire a few years ago. Many of the trees completely burned leaving the forest very bare.

This was a lake on the way to Cannon Beach. It was a great place to stop and reflect for a few minutes...

The beach right outside our hotel. Haystack rock in the background!

Our balcony is on the top. AWESOME view!

Bend

Today we drove to a festival titled "Balloons Over Bend." The problem was we overslept the balloon portion. We did walk around through the various tents and exhibits and Kelsey found a couple of good things to buy. She bought a t-shirt (botany themed, of course) and a bunch of locally grown strawberries. I'm pretty sure you could eat a 5 gallon bucket filled with the strawberries. They are SO good! After that we went canoeing and also walked downtown to see what stores they had.

The bridge to the vendor tents for "Balloons Over Bend"

The beard and mustache competitors walking down the street. Some REALLY good beards and mustaches. We thought Bryce should grow his creeper 'stache again and enter. Pretty sure he'd win.

Canoeing down the Deschutes River. We started going upstream. That was a STRONG current! It was nice floating all the way back.

The canoeist at the front takes orders from the canoeist in the back.

Kelsey finally got her fresh strawberries. They melt in your mouth!

Bend Oregon

This morning we woke up and had a buffet breakfast at our hotel. Mmm, delicious! Then we drove to Newberry National Volcanic Monument (aka Lava Lands) and drove to the top of a cinder cone volcano that last erupted a few thousand years ago and took a hike around the rim (with a North Dakota like wind!). After that we drove a couple more miles and hiked through a lava tube. A lava tube is a cooled lava river that's hollow. Basically like you're walking through a giant culvert underground. After a hike through a lava tube that was more than 2 miles roundtrip, we went on another hike to see a waterfall...it was more like a series of large rapids but still worth the hike. Then a little leftover pizza, a Trader Joe's trip for "snacks" (Kelsey's favorite...Trader Joe's and snacks), and a quick trip to use our free range balls on the driving range of the course adjacent to our hotel.

I took a picture of Kelsey with Park Ranger Josh. He was a charming man with beautiful hazel eyes. Kelsey begged to have a picture taken with him. She said, "that's the hottest Park Ranger I've ever seen!" It was taken on top of the old volcano.

Ice in the entrance of the lava tube. They used to "harvest ice" from the tubes and butcher things in them because it's like a natural refrigerator. They also said mammals (bears included) sometimes use the tubes to hide out. You know, to get away from the cops after they commit a crime. When we entered Yogi was hiding from the Park Ranger because he had stolen some "pic-a-nic baskets." He was worried that at this point of his life he'd stolen enough "pic-a-nic baskets" to change it from a misdemeanor to a felony.

Me with a lantern ducking under the low ceiling of the lava tube. Without the lantern there was no chance of seeing. Pure darkness.

The water fall/big rapids we hiked to see.

Some tree hugger we saw on the way back. I plan on gaining weight and making clothes out of bark so Kelsey loves me as much as that pine tree. There were some humongous trees that I couldn't imagine ever being cut down...unless I was the one making millions from cutting them down. I'd rate the tree 8/10 and the tree hugger 10/10.

Hood River to Bend

Today we drove from Hood River to Bend. A nice drive to take with many stops along the way to take in the beautiful Oregon views. Although it's raining, you can tell it's a much, much drier area than Hood River and Portland and the locals are all talking about how this is the most rain they've ever seen in June! We used the outdoor/indoor pool and hot tub. Pretty sure we could've boiled food in the hot tub. I had to stand in the rain (steaming) in order to cool down! Hopefully it clears up for tomorrow so we can do some outdoor activities tomorrow and/or Saturday.

Close to Hood River a view of Mount Hood

After a long drive up a windy mountain road, Timberline Lodge. Notice the many feet of snow left. There were many skiers and snowboarders in the 38* temperature. We were told the snow should last until about mid June.

Warm Springs fish hatchery was next on our stop. We took a bit of a side trip to get there but it was pretty neat to see the salmon hatchery.

Half priced appetizers doesn't mean they give you half as much. For $4.50 it was a plate of nachos the size of a large 4 year old. I ate until I thought I was going to die and stuffed a take home box...literally packed it in and could barely get the lid closed.

Kelsey thought the neatly folded towels with shampoo in them were worthy of a picture. They did look pretty cool.

Hood River

We woke up to a rainy day and decided to drive to the Dalles to visit the Discovery Center. We were lucky enough to see the raptor presentation in the theater. Live raptors in the open! On the way there, the landscape changed significantly in the 20 miles we drove. Everything seemed to be much drier. Oregon still has school in session so we were both very excited to see 100's of elementary students screaming and running around...thankfully, when we returned to Hood River we toured the Full Sail Brewery. We stopped at a vendor/trailer that sold Thai food in a parking lot across the Highway for supper. The food was really good!

A scenic overlook on the way to the Dalles

Another picture from the same overlook...

Lupine on the trail we walked after visiting the Discovery Center

The bottling machine at Full Sail

A rainbow outside of our hotel. There was no pot of gold.

Hood River "Fruit Loop"

The fruit loop was a pretty fun time! Many of the places had not opened for the season (too early) and we did not find any places with ripe strawberries :-( However, we did buy quite a few jams and jellies and I ate a GIANT hand pie! We also met a few unique animals.

This was the jelly and hand pie place. Mmm...Marionberries...

Mount Hood covered in clouds. Seems to be a recurring theme...

An Alpaca with attitude. I gave him a bottle of hair gel since I have little use for it any more...

Now we're just as cool as Josh and Lisa

My new tractor. Vrroomm!

Today it is raining so we're going to stop at some stores and maybe eat lunch at the brewery.