Footgolf at McNary

After the round

We had always wanted to play "footgolf" at McNary Estates, so we decided to go today. The objective is to kick a soccer ball into a hole, just like one would do in golf. We played on an eighteen-hole course. We did well for first-timers, finishing in 1.5 hours. We were required to wear polo shirts, and there were a few lakes and sand traps to dodge, but we had great fun at the course. It was also nice to visit McNary again.

A Trip to Lincoln City Beach

On the beach it was very
windy

Today we drove an hour and a half from Newberg to Lincoln City to spend a day at the Oregon Coast. When we first got there, we took a short hike up the beach to Lands End, which is visible in the picture to the left (it is the mountain on the right). Once there, we were able to see starfish, sea anemones, and even a large jellyfish! We then walked back to our car and drove south to Mo's seafood restaurant. There, we ate their delicious clam chowder and other seafood.  Afterwards was our drive back to Newberg. Though the water was too cold for swimming, we still had a wonderful time!

At Mo's

On the beach

The rocky
coastline

Day in Seattle, WA

Space Needle on a sunny day

On our way back from the North Cascades, we decided to spend the day in Seattle. We started by walking through Seattle Center, which is the area where Seattle's most iconic tourist destinations are. We ended up taking a "duck tour" of the city, on a vehicle that can drive and turn into a boat while in the water. As our very comedic guide drove us through the city, we learned it's history. It was built in the 1850s as a cowboy town, but in 1889, it was destroyed by a fire. Decades later, the 1962 World's Fair was hosted there. It was there that they built the space needle and the city's monorail. After the land tour was the water tour, where our guide drove us through Union Lake. We passed by several house boats and kayaks, and saw the grand skyline of Seattle from the water. After the tour, we ate burgers and then walked down the waterfront to Pike Place Market. There, we saw the famous seafood shop and the original Starbucks. According to our guide, there are over 130 Starbucks in Seattle. The day would not have been completed without our climb up the space needle. From the top, we could see the skyline, the Olympic Mountains, Mt. Rainier and the Cascades, and the Pudget Sound. We closed up by a three-hour drive south to Newberg. 

View southeast from the top
of the needle

Pudget Sound

Original Starbucks

In the Pike Market

Backpacking in the North Cascades

About to begin

On Sunday, August 16th, our family drove way up from Newberg to the Wenatchee National Forest, Washington, to go backpacking for five nights. We camped at the trailhead that night, and headed out the next morning and into the Glacier Peak Wilderness. That day, we walked through woodland until we arrived at a beautiful meadow where we could see rugged peaks in almost every direction. We hiked up the face of one of them, until we reached a dusty campsite which looked down on the valley. The next day, we hiked up and over a glacier! Though we tripped and fell a little on the way down, it was worth the experience. We hiked down to a crystal-clear lake, and from there, it was up to a pass where we spent our second night. Deer was our problem. They circled our campsite all night long, looking for our clothes to chew on, but they were packed away. We awoke the next morning to beautiful sunshine, perfect weather for hiking over two passes! From there, we caught our first view of Glacier Peak (10541 ft.). We hiked down into a valley, only to slog up about 2000 feet to Buck Creek Pass, where we camped. Perhaps the most impressive scenery of the trip was caught there. We saw the sunset over Glacier Peak, which definitely lives up to its name. After a peaceful night, we hiked a long ways down into the Buck Creek Valley and the trailhead, where we spent our last night. Weather was sunny the whole trip with little smoke or haze, though we could easily spot the positions of nearby wildfires. We averaged about eight miles a day, and ate freeze-dried food all almost the whole time. The trip ended with a long drive west to Seattle. 

We made it!

Day 3: With Glacier Peak

Day 3: Miners Ridge

Day 1: View from camp

Day 3: Sunrise from camp

Day 2: Camp at Cloudy
Pass

Day 2: Lyman Lake

Day 1: Spider Meadow

Day 2: Spider Glacier

Day 2: Lunch

Crater Lake National Park

The park was smokey, but the
blue in the lake still came
out very well

Our main purpose of this Southern Oregon trip was fulfilled today. We saw the state's only national park, which could be the most beautiful in the nation. Despite 50 degree temperatures, smoke from wildfires only 30 miles away, and a long wait at a construction zone, the trip was completely worth it. We first saw a video in the Visitor's Center that was about how the lake was the remains of a destroyed volcano. We then ate a fabulous lunch at the lodge and then drove east on the rim drive. There were several spots where we were right by a drop-off, but it was worth the views of the lake and the mountains in the opposite direction. Afterwards, we hiked to the top of "Watchman Peak," which presented a panoramic view of the lake and of the high mountains in the area. It was hard to say goodbye to this incredible place, and we left for a long drive to a drive-in burger place and then to Newberg.      

On top of Watchman Peak

                  

                                              
More Impressive Scenery from the park:

  

Crater Lake's dramatic
shoreline

               

Wizard Island is a growing
volcano

Jacksonville and Ashland

California Street in
Jacksonville

Today we visited the wild west town of Jacksonville and watched a play in Ashland. In Jacksonville, we parked and took a short walk through the town center, which had many western style buildings. Afterwards, we drove south to Ashland and watched the play "Much Ado About Nothing," written by William Shakespeare. The play was hilarious, and the audience was often alive with laughter. The town was also very vibrant, as it was the time for the annual Shakespearian Festival. We then drove back up and had dinner at the nearby Sonic Drive-In. Tomorrow is Crater Lake and a long drive back to Newberg.

A western style wall in
Jacksonville

Though our play wasn't in
it, this Elizabethan
theater looked pretty nice

A view of the Ashland
rooftops and beyond

Rogue River Jetboat Ride

About to head out

On our 239 mile drive south to Medford, we stopped at the Hellgate River Tours, where we rode a jetboat about eighteen miles down Southern Oregon's Rogue River. The operator kept us going fast, occasionally stopping to show us something. There seemed to be nothing we missed, including beautiful mountains, birds, and state parks. We sat in the front row, right behind the windshield. I used it to duck under while he slammed on the brakes, which always let water spray into the boat. On the way back, we encountered another boat from the same company. Both operators played with each other, creating waves for each other to go over. There were several times when our operator would spin us around, which let water spill into the boat. Micah was the most affected by far. We dried quickly, though, and then drove the last bit to our Super 8 hotel. There, we swam in the pool (which included a large waterslide!) The day was concluded by dinner and pies at Shari's. Tomorrow we visit Jacksonville and Ashland to attend the Shakespeare Festival.

About to board

Micah showing us the
cost of sitting on
the edge

Time for a soaking

Arrival in Oregon

The view descending into Las
Vegas (note how dry this
lake is)

Today, we all awoke at 4:00 AM to leave for Baltimore-Washington Intl. Airport, where we boarded a Southwest plane bound for Las Vegas. We had great travels, and our connecting flight landed fifteen minutes early at PDX. My Grandpa picked us up and drove us to their new, and certainly impressive, condo in Newberg. The neighborhood is very beautiful, with views of mountains in opposite directions. My Grandma took us on a "driving tour of Newberg," where we saw the drive-in movie theater, the house where my dad grew up, the elementary and high schools he attended, the house where my great-grandparents once lived, and the George Fox University. This was all topped of by ice cream at Jem 100. Back at the home front, we had hamburgers, corn on the cob, and watermelon for diner. Tomorrow we drive south to Medford and ride a jet-boat on the Rogue River.

At Jem 100

Las Vegas skyline