First Family Vacation

After being in Portland all summer we decided we needed to leave. So we decided we would go on a 825 mile labor day trip. I wouldn't call it vacation. Since we are parents and we are in charge now.

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Here was the trip Route. I (Richard) wanted to go see the Eagle Cap Mountains in Eastern Oregon. Nicole wanted to go to the Redwoods but I guess I won out. So we left Sherwood Friday morning at 8 but on the way out of town I got a call from work and they wanted me to come in. So we detoured to Vancouver WA to the job site for a few hours. i worked while Nicole spent the money (went shopping). At noon we left. We made it to Wallowa State Park at about 7:30 and began to set up camp. Some campers came over to help us set up the tent because I guess we looked pretty bad trying to set up a tent while Nicole was holding a screaming baby. We made it through the night with Anna waking up 2-3 times. (commented inserted from nicole it felt like more than that)

Saturday Morning we went to the Wallowa Lake Tramway to get a view of the Eagle Caps. Thanks for the tip Betew.

On our way up the tram. Wallowa Lake in the background. Nicole was holing onto the center pole thinking of all the ways we could plummet to our death on the way up.

Nice view of Eagle Cap's. Maybe next time we can go backpacking into them.
anna getting tired of the wind.

The whole mountain was crawling with chipmunks. Nicole was feeding anna here and they kept crawling all over her. I tried to keep them at bay by throwing rocks at swing sticks at them but to no avail. We both had them crawl up on us. One did while Nicole was feeding Anna. i guess it wanted some milk also. I did help them a little with their population control. So after getting chased off the mountain by the chipmunks we headed down.

Anna was happy we were headed down.

richard having a swinging good time on the hike with the baby carrier.

doing a camping jig.

anna ended up sleeping with us because it was too cold on the 2nd night. (read this as Nicole did not get any sleep for another night) I didn't get as much.

anna watched us pack up the tent in her fuzzy waz get up. thanks again liz for the blanket sleeper.

So after two nights we headed out of the Wallowa's to go to moscow Idaho to see Levi & Jamie. I tried to go on a ride in Joseph Oregon but seemed to be spinning my wheels.

Another Statue in Joseph
(Thanks again Levi & Jamie. I don't think we could have camped another night and it was great seeing you guys and the food was amazing.

On our way home Monday we saw this little event going on in Kolfax WA. They called it the Threshing Bee. They were showing how they cut wheat back in the old days. I thought it was neat.

We stopped and got a yellow watermelon near Tri Cities on the way home and while Nicole was eating I was navigating our way home (nicole comment: yes i ate the entire half just like that and it was sooo goood). My navigator gets distracted easily but it is ok because all she asks for payment is food.
We made it back and we will all in one piece. It was fun and it sounds like next Adventure is the Redwoods. (comment from nicole - i hope to get some sleep sometime soon)