Without further ado...

Here 'tis!



And some bonus video, just for fun!

Travel, the last bit

Starting with the rest of the Fruit Loop drive.



We stopped at the Wy'East Winery for a quick tasting. Solly liked the Cabernet.



A stop at a flower farm having a Van Gough festival.



This moss horse was sort of creepy.



Then on our last day we stopped at the Bonneville Dam.



Of course, the big hit was the fish ladder.



In the basement of the visitor's center they have windows into the ladder so you can see the fish passing through. Most people go for the salmonids, but I liked the lampreys.



At the hatchery next door they have a giant sturgeon named Herman. He was also a big hit!



No trip to Oregon would be complete without a stop at a McMennamins. We had lunch at their Edgefield hotel. We are really hoping that their deal to come to Tacoma comes through!



Then a long, whiny drive back to Tacoma. It was otherwise a wonderful trip!

Travel, Part III

Ok, another day of photos. We spent a lovely morning at Lost Lake and spent the afternoon on the "Fruit Loop", a route through farms and wineries.

At Lost Lake we took a quick paddle boat trip. Solly was not very happy about wearing a PFD (although big thanks to his buddy Elon for the loaner).



We're on a boat!



After the ride, we relaxed, took in the view, and had a lovely picnic. This would be a great place to camp some time.

The view of Mount Hood at Lost Lake was something special!



On the Fruit Loop. The highlight of the drive was a stop at an alpaca farm!




Of course, Solly loved the alpaca's guard dog.



A great day all told.



Ok, one more day to post. Next up: The Bonneville Dam!

Travel, Part II

On August 9, we packed up the car and drove to the Columbia River Gorge. The journey was really a big part of the fun!

First, we took a side road, the historic route, and stopped and what is essentially a very scenic rest stop, the Vista House.



My photos do not really capture how gorgous this stop was! See this link for a much better perspective.

The inside was really grand with lovely stain glassed windows and marble floors.



Next stop: Multnomah Falls!



First we decided to hike up to that little bridge you see in the distance.



There was a sign--top of the falls, 1 mile. We thought, "OK, we're in"! After walking for a while, we reached a sign, "Switchback 1 of 11"! This short walk was essentially STRAIGHT UP! Peter and Solly at Switchback 8. We noted that all those people from the bridge thinned out significantly the higher we climbed.



After a sweaty hike to the top, our reward was an amazing view as the falls flowed into the abyss. Note the cars in the distance (you might need to click on the photo to enlarge it).



We also got to spend some nice quiet time playing in the stream.



Doggy! (We met every doggy on the Gorge)



A quick change on a rock with some very dirty feet.



At the bottom we stopped for a snack at the swanky lodge. By this point, Solly was beat.



He woke up in time to partake in some salmon and cheese.



And some table!



Last stop, the Full Sail Brewery in Hood River, which was actually full of toddlers at that hour.



We checked into the hotel in White Salmon and fell into bed. I'll work on posting the next leg soon! And I hear there is demand for some walking video. Tomorrow, tomorrow.

News break!

Before I post the rest of the photos from our vacation last week, I have breaking news!

Today, Solly took five, count 'em, FIVE steps on his own! What will he do tomorrow?

He has also added a few new words: bear, look, and (Peter insists) alligator.

Lots of travel, Part I

We're trying to fit a bunch of fun into what is left of summer. First up, a day trip to Mount Rainier.



Look!



Getting ready for our big trip to the Gorge--shopping for a PFD. We didn't find one we liked and ended up borrowing from Elon.