Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread - Proverbs 30:8

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Back to School Vacation

While the majority of kids in our state went back to school last week, we went on vacation. That's one of the perks of homeschooling...you can set your own schedule and travel when you want.

One of our favorite places to retreat is in central Oregon, and that's where we headed. This trip was slightly different in that we stayed in a different town and managed to find new places to hike and spend our days.


taking a moment to find joy in the little things

{pretty}
view of Mt. Bachelor from Tumalo Mountain. 



looking at South Sister (to the left) and Broken Top (on the right) from Tumalo Mountain


South Sister at Sparks Lake



Blazing Star wildflower



Sunset over the Cascades as seen from Pilot Butte



Smith Rock state park




Broken Top (we hiked up to the glacier)



the view from the glacier - looking down on Mt. Bachelor


South Sister, Broken Top and Mt. Bachelor from Crane Prairie Resevoir





{happy}
Most encounters with live creatures make us happy and these birds were fun to feed. 



Rock climbing at Smith Rock



camping and eating camp food


pointing out certain Cascade peaks while watching the sun set at Pilot Butte (she's pointing to Mt. Hood)


making it to the glacier at Broken Top


fun at Sparks Lake




{funny}
finding a "bed" in the rock



a snow patch that slightly resembles the USA in the caldera at Broken Top

{real}
People who are really into rock climbing and aren't afraid of heights tend to be a bit crazy. And Smith Rock state park lends itself to people doing crazy things. As we were climbing a fairly short and easy wall, we looked behind us, across the valley and saw these guys walking this slack line. Just watching them was freaking me out. The first guy crossed twice and didn't fall at all. 




The second guy had a rougher time and fell 5 or 6 times each time he crossed. He would just fall, roll over and pop back up. Crazy.



And when you are camping, nothing makes freeze dried food better than a good bottle of wine!



camping essentials....water, coffee and wine


11 comments:

  1. Those yellow evening skies are breathtaking! I'm intrigued by the freeze-dried meal, and I love how you made it a little more special with the wine! ;)

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  2. Ugh, just looking at that climber makes my stomach flip!! So many great shots! Love the USA in the ice!

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  3. Jill, what an interesting post start to finish! Especially the yellow sunset. Dreamy.

    I lived most of my life 10 miles inland from the Jersey Shore. And the absolute best time to hang out down there was the week after the kids went back to school. It was still warm, everything was still open, it was still, technically, summer, and the crowds were gone.

    My husband and I traveled by car out west and back in 1997 in June. That was an excellent time to travel, too. No crowds.

    Happy 2014-15 School Year to you from m & jb

    mvkchampion@gmail.com

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  4. what a truly stunning landscape and I love the picture of the sunburst. Amazing shot

    Mollyxxx

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  5. Such an amazing trip. Lets just say there is not enough camping wine in the world to get me to try to walk that slack line! ~May

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  6. Mountain House freeze-dried meals--so good I eat them at home when I don't feel up to cooking. My favorite is the beef stroganoff with noodles. Easy to make comfort food when I am sick.

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  7. And I thought the photos of your husband and girls rock climbing looked scary enough until...tight rope walking??? Beautiful photos of beautiful central Oregon. It's the smell of the air there, filled with the scent of juniper, that captures my heart.

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  8. What an amazingly gorgeous place to get a vacation!!

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  9. Wow! What a vacation spot for all ~ Beautiful girls and gorgeous photography !

    artmusedog and carol (A Creative Harbor)

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  10. What a wonderful, beautiful, fun-filled trip Wish I lived closer so I could explore with you.
    loved the photos
    LOVE THE FAMILY

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  11. Your adventures, ack, always make me want to run out and find adventure too. We have a trip coming up, I can hardly wait. Those slackline people are crazy!!

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