8 days in Oregon - ** Long Post Alert **

Day 1

- I Stayed with Darin's family in Salem. Enjoyed Lunch at Panera Bread, blackberry picking, dinner and smores by the fire. It was fun visiting with everyone. Conversations with Cole are the best!

Day 2

- Mom, Jenelle, Darci, and Jaelee came to Salem to pick me up. We enjoyed lunch at Olive Garden, and a hike at the beautiful Silver Falls.

Day 3

- recouped, and tried to convert to west coast time. Oh, and had a crabfeast(thanks Dad & Greg!)...

Day 4

- Spent the day in Florence on the waterfront, racing go carts, and playing miniature golf.

Later in the afternoon we went to the beach to take some pictures, and then went back after dark for a fire, smores, and a little bit of crabbing off the docks. It was so warm and calm, and absolutely no wind(not normal). We stayed until 1:00 a.m. just enjoying the calm, warm ocean air. It was wonderful.

It was too dark to see the dock and the crab-pots that were launched overboard, but here is a picture from 2010 that my sister-in-law took. It shows how busy it can get during this time of year when the crabbing is good. We weren't so lucky this year, but usually they can catch up to 60 crabs in one night.

Day 5

- We actually had these on several days, but they are the best donuts on the planet and should be consumed with caution. The cream is like nothing I've ever tasted before. They are crazy good. A small town treasure, called The Bigfoot! If you ever make it to the coast, be sure and stop by The Sugar Shack Bakery in Reedsport, Oregon for one of these delicious treats!

We also spent time in the hills 4-wheeling. Everyone took turns riding and trying to keep all 4's on the ground(or not). Some did better than others...

Day 6

- Was Sunday, and we rested. Some were getting ready to head back home to Idaho, Portland, and Salem. So, I'll post a few family pictures we took, while we are all together. These were taken by my sister-in-law, Darci.

And a Mother/Daughter photo

Day 7

- This was my last full day in Oregon, so I had a few stops I wanted to make before heading back to Georgia. Jenelle, Braydon and I went out to Winchester Bay and enjoyed lunch at King Neptune. Again, if you find yourself traveling through Winchester Bay...stop and get a chocolate/peanut butter shake and some clam chowder. You will thank me for it! Oh, and right next door, there is a small good-eats store that has the best taffy around! And, of course, I had to stop by the cannery for some fresh tuna...this is why my suitcase was overweight, and I had to stuff a couple pairs of jeans into my purse to avoid the $100.00 overage fee!

In the evening we went for a short tubing trip to Loon Lake. Loon Lake holds so many fun memories. It is where I spent most of my summers growing up, from the time I could walk until I got married and moved away. It was a little odd this time though, because this was the first summer that the campground was closed due to a water shortage(Oregon has had little rain this summer). So, with the campground not up and running, it was pretty much empty. It was nice for tubing, the water was smooth and there were no crowds, but the usual buzz of people, boats, and water activities was not there. All in all, I enjoyed the quiet evening, reflecting on earlier times when mom had all of us kids up camping, fishing, swimming, eating over campfires, and the echoes heard around the campground is what lulled us to sleep each night. Ahhhh, the good old days....

These rocks were the piling place for all of our things(loading dock), while we waited for mom to drive the van down, so we could pack up.

Braydon and Grandma were the brave souls that got in the cold water to do some tubing that night.

On one of Braydon's turns, he needed a potty break. Yes, I took pictures...sorry Braydon. Who takes potty breaks on the lake??

Me, back in the day(age 3) at Loon Lake.

Day 8

- It was the end of my visit. We left early to arrive in Portland by 1:30 p.m., had some lunch in the airport, and said our goodbyes. I had such a fun time with family. It was really hard for me to leave. Truly, there's no place like home.