Marta Woodward Debuts!!!

Ready to impress

The season is here! Marta Woodward of the National Philharmonic Choir is finally singing at Strathmore Concert Hall! Today's performance was an opera written by Wagner, about a Roman man named Rienzi, who led the peasants to rebel against the nobles and the aristocracy. But, when his followers realized that he had caused other nations to now reject them, they turned against him and killed him. Accompanying them was a large orchestra and another men's chorus. Next performance is Bach on October 31st, followed by Messiah on December 20th.

A fancy dinner

The orchestra and men's
chorus

Ready to perform! Marta is in the box
up and to the left of the stage

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