Crater Lake

After the lave tube we made it to Crater Lake by late afternoon. We drove to all the lookouts to see this beautiful place. It had been years since my last visit but I still remembered the gorgeous shades of blue and green of the water.

Bend

The next day we visited the High Desert Museum and a lava tube in Bend. The girls enjoyed the hands-on exhibits, nature trails, and animals. The river otters and porcupines were always my favorite from visits years ago.

After lunch we made it to the Lava River Cave for a short hike into the tunnel. We rented a flashlight and made our way through the icy cold blackness. We turned around about half-way because we needed to get back on the road to see Crater Lake.

Family Road Trip

The second weekend in August we embarked on our first ever (with both girls) family road trip. Our destination was Reno, NV to visit my parents and meet up with my brother’s family. We took the middle route on our way down which took us through central Oregon. On our way home we drove the coastal route up the 101. It was fun, but exhausting traveling with little ones. We sure did see a lot though!

We started the trip with a drive along the Columbia River to see the gorge and several beautiful waterfalls. We tried to see Oneonta Falls, but after climbing a giant log jam and wading through knee deep water, we decided not to finish through chest deep waters. Next time we will all bring our swim suits :)

That evening we made it to Bend for a short visit with my cousins and their cute kids!