So much weather, sand, & surf!
So many friends, so much fun!
But first a little pre-trip birthday-on-the-road-prep.
I REALLY wanted to paint dinosaur sugar cubes. I knew that I could dye sugar before molding, but I wanted to experience painting with dilute food coloring onto the sugar cubes. Depending upon the dilution of the food coloring, I got some interesting coloring mixing through absorption. If I do this again, I may try a combination coloring techniques.
*****
On the road to the PNW!
Seen at a rest stop.
And we could here the baby birds in the nest!
*****
Our Stay at Gong-gong's!
Reached Gong-gong's house!
Making magic in the kitchen.
Cooked by Gong-gong!
***
Saw dear family friends for lunch.
Stopped by a cool Asian import dollar store.
They found the stuffies aisle.
She was satisfied
Meet Mater-Welon (the water melon penguin)
SeaLemon (the lemon seal)
& last but not least: Kwhale (the kiwi whale)
Another masterpiece dinner by Gong-gong!
Sleep overs at Gong-gong's.
Going through tunnels to Seattle!
A favorite bookstore.
And coffee in the rain.
Miss picked a Dogwood blossom for me.
Visiting a dear friend in here cozy Capitol Hill Condo!
Thanks for dinner and wonderful conversation!
Back at Gong-gong's, we decided to be brave and explore the backyard.
Water envy.
Everything grows here.
I think that those fig trees are only 3 years old.
Garden envy!
Gong-gong at his art.
Yummy and nice stay with Gong-gong.
Where the dinner is always amazing and CNN is always on!
*****
On to my college friend's house for another stay!
All the kids trying to figure out how to open (and more importantly how to close) the roof box.
And now to sit down for a quick piccie with my friend...
I'm trying not to look too exhausted!
***
We got this game for sharing with friends, where we were staying.
I so recommend it!
Feats of skill, and luck.
And there's betting involved!
So much fun for all.
Here, to retain her betting chips, Miss is trying to get three balls into the cup with two bounces before the timer is up. Everyone gets a turn.
Erik is demonstrating another, rather dizzying game.
Go around the cup, while touching the center, 27 times, then turn the cup right side up and bounce a ball into it, first try.
Flip the cup using a chopstick see-saw to land rightside up.
Time limited.
Use the chopstick to flip three cards into the three cups before the timer lets up.
Dropping cups onto cups to stack them.
It sounds easy.
But...
These two have be penpals on and off for a long time.
Looking over a collection of some very old correspondences exchanged.
Hanging out.
Meeting an old Chinese School classmate and friend at a local Redmond Park.
Loves the zipline.
Loves it even better with a sister.
So much fun getting together!!!
Back at the house...
Preparing for a little birthday shindig for one of our Miss's.
Taking out the sugar cube dinosaurs.
My helpers unwrapping!
For the most part they survived the journey!
Did I mention that they are raspberry flavored and taste just like cotton candy?
Ready for the birthday girl!
She be of the wanting.
The lighting...
The smile...
Make a wish!
She loved them!
Taking my dear friend out for coffee!!!
Back at the house.
We brought some crafts, including this one...
Laminated cardboard animals!
Made by this delightful New Zealand company.
The resultant parade of animals!
Next we tried a new kit for a crafting thing that I've been curious about but had not yet tried:
Diamond painting!
Painted these small stickers with facets all over and it turned out to be pretty fun and kind of meditative.
Dear friends are such a treasure!
Thank you for the lovely time!
<3
*****
Onward down the coast!
Lunch.
Hello to this PNW slug.
Don't worry, it we made sure not to step on it.
Hello Astoria Bridge!
Goodbye Astoria Bridge.
Lovely hotel room.
They approved.
Hello Cannon Beach!
The weather was splendid.
It was warm.
And the sky was magnificent.
Hello Haystack rock!
Mango sorbet is the best.
We love libraries!
A totem of poulet!
A little lending library!
It was the kids' idea...
<3<3
This bunny likes.
Next day.
More sun.
Sisters!
More surf.
Checking out the tidal pools.
Making a sand castle.
Sand dripping sculptures.
Changing weather in the afternoon.
All found animals for safely returned after a short lovely observation for the purposes of scientific education.
Here with fellow tidepool enthusiasts.
So many interesting species.
All gently returned.
Pelicans fishing in the surf.
*****
More tunnels.
More driving.
On the way to Tillamook.
The Tillamook Cheese Factory tour!
Little Miss is at the wheel.
Nope, it doesn't go in there.
Yes, there.
Cheese samples were a plus.
After the ice-cream break and before hopping in the car again.
Off to see the Air Museum in Tillamook.
The inside of the flying guppy.
Back into the car.
Let's make a stuffie stack!
*****
Onto Newport!
But first, we must visit this novelty.
They don't have Goodwills in Utah.
But Miss really wanted to visit one...
So this one in Newport will do most nicely.
Because she had heard about their jewelry jars!
To the beach at Newport!
We reach our hotel room.
Where Miss proceed to tear into her jewelry jar.
The spoils!
For the entirety of the trip, we have managed to avoid actual sit-down restaurants.
So to top off our stay in Newport, we thought we'd make it novel by letting the kids try out T.V. dinners.
Hot Pockets and Hungry Man were an entertainment.
Oregon Coast Aquarium!
Got her to tough the sea urchin in the touch tank - for the reward of a sticker!
So, hats.
Yes, please!
Tasty little hands...
Penguins are tasty!
***
Spotted at a local Starbucks, your favorite hotel-breakfast-bacon hoarder.
*****
Our final stay is with a dear friend who use to live in Utah.
Ice cream.
For starters.
The next day, it was lunch at the local Food truck hub.
Time for some fun with airdry clay.
Cake, anyone?
So I got interested in needle punch and tried it for the first time.
Definitely going to do more!
Our first time learning Magic!
Only a few decades late!
;)
Time for another (of many) game of Tag.
These two.
They loved being "it" together.
Dinner!
Yum.
***
A lovely hike in the rain.
Stuffie play.
The river/stream was breaching its banks all over the place.
The weather system that filled this stream would continue its travels over to Yellowstone for a couple of days and cause a bunch of flooding and temporary closure of Yellowstone.
Let the splashing begin.
But first more stuffie play.
And venturing into deep waters...
And a rock tossing competition...
On to a classic arcade!
At least this bridge crossing was still safe.
The trail became flooded.
What ensued was much running...
...And splashing!
And more running back & forth.
Even Erik ventured forth.
Much wetness.
Dumping out her water filled boots.
Much water.
Back across the bridge.
Up the hill.
More stuffie play.
Back to the house.
Much more emptying of water out of the boots!
***
Making Minecraft Lava Soda!
Mmmm!
***
Shooting zombies and vampires.
Fun!
All the kids in a row.
From the other direction
She was in "the zone"!
Fun times!
<3!
Goodbyes.
<3
Homeward bound.
Thanks for the lovely times!
<3<3<3<3<3
