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

Lincoln's Summer Cottage at Soldiers Home

This statue of Lincoln is life-sized:
6 ft., 4 inches

With another hot and humid day, my Grandma and I decided to take another outing to D.C. We rode the metro to Georgia Avenue-Petworth Station, and then walked almost a mile until we reached the Armed Forces Retirement Home. In the same estate was the cottage where President Lincoln and his family spent one quarter of his presidency to escape the summer heat of downtown Washington. Back then, D.C. would've only extended to halfway up the District, meaning that that whole area would've been woods and farms. Also, the estate lies over two-hundred feet higher than the swampy and humid downtown, meaning that you could look down on the capital city. However, because Lincoln had a job to do, he would regularly commute from the Soldiers Home (which was what they called the retirement home back then) to the White House. At the same time, Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth was seeking to kidnap the president and take him to Richmond. Lincoln didn't believe in secret service, because he thought that if somebody wanted to kill him, then he would kill him. So, one night, Booth and his friends waited by Lincoln's route to jump him while he was heading to the Soldiers Home to clear up some business. Little did they know that the president had sent someone else to cover up the business for him, someone who traveled with an armed cavalry. After this failure, Booth changed his plot to kill, not abduct, Abraham Lincoln.  

The cottage was well-restored and cool
on the inside

After reaching the visitor center, we purchased tickets for a one-hour tour. Our excellent guide showed us through the house, and told us about the "bucktails." They were a Pennsylvania regiment who camped in the backyard, and wore deer tails on their hats, hence the name. It was in his bedroom at this home where Honest Abe drafted the Emancipation Proclamation. Once the tour ended, it was another walk and metro ride to get back to Silver Spring, Maryland.

Woodrow Wilson House

In Wilson's library

Today, on a roasting-hot Washington D.C. day, my grandma and I took the metro to Dupont Circle and walked over to the Woodrow Wilson House. Wilson, who had been president during World War I, had lived there during the final years of his life. It was Wilson who created the League of Nations, which failed, but was replaced by the United Nations. Once in the air-conditioned house, we saw a fifteen-minute video on the Wilson presidency. Afterwards, we took a guided tour, which took us through the dining room, library, bedrooms, kitchen, and gift showroom. In the showroom were numerous paintings, portraits, and rugs that were gifted to Wilson during his presidency. Most of the household items that were present had been there when the Wilson family was there. We also learned about his second wife, Edith, who took care of Wilson after he suffered from a stroke in 1920. Because of his condition, he needed attention, which was why there was an intercom system that could call for help. Also, there was an old elevator that would've carried Wilson up to the dining room and bedrooms. We were alone on the tour for most of the time, until four more people joined us. The trip was a wonderful learning experience, and tomorrow we plan to visit a similar historic site.

The "Liberty Rug" in the library

In Wilson's bedroom

In the kitchen

Westland MS Graduation at BCC

After the graduation

Today, I had my eighth-grade promotion ceremony at the high school I will be attending next year. While my grandparents watched the event in the air-conditioned auditorium on a closed-circuit TV, my parents watched it live in the roasting-hot gym. While there, we enjoyed presentations from both students and staff, the chamber choir and the eighth-grade slideshow. The event was concluded by receiving certificates and much needed water bottles. 

My dad was able to make it just in time

Cherry Blossoms in Washington D.C.

The cherry trees were almost
in full bloom

Today, as it is spring break, my mom, Eli, Micah, Abahagoy, and I visited Washington D.C.'s famous cherry blossoms. We rode the metro downtown. The trees, which bloom every year during the first half of April, were not yet in full bloom, but they were still amazing. As a gift from the Japanese, they were planted around the tidal basin over one hundred years ago. Today, tourists from all over attend the cherry blossom festival, which begins in late March and runs to mid-April. Though today was a cloudy day with temperatures only in the 50s, the trees were still just as beautiful as they would've been on a warmer, sunnier day. We walked halfway around the basin, and visited the Thomas Jefferson memorial, where we experienced stunning views of the trees lining the shore. It was a wonderful experience, and we can't wait to see them next year!                                           

The tidal basin with
the trees and the
monument in the
background, as seen
from the memorial

Inside the Jefferson
Memorial

A close-up view of a
tree