Oregon Coast

As many of you may already know, on 7/24 Eric received and accepted a great job offer that will allow us to stay in Boise. He will continue to work from home and perform sales analysis for a National retailer that is based here in Boise. With a start date of 8/14, we decided to take a vacation and head to the west coast for a week and a half. Our first stop for 3 days was on the central coast of Oregon, where we enjoyed some big time sandy fun.





The kids drove their own odysseys while Shelly and I tried to keep up on our quads.

Shelly leads Erica across the sandy playground

After of day of blasting across the dunes, we recovered by exploring tidepools and discovering many rarely documented sea creatures.

A trip to the Oregon coast wouldn't be complete without a visit to a picturesque lighthouse. This historic monument was located at Hecta Head, just north of Florence.

Climbing to the top of the lighthouse gave us a great view of the ragged coast.

Who needs an ATV? These kids get more air with their own wheels.

Additional fun included kite flying and finding sand dollars.

Also on the list of stops was a visit to Seaside, where you have to take a spin on Tilt A Whirl.

Working our way north, we HAD to visit the Tillamook creamery and sample their latest concoction. The 3 chief judges gave approving marks.

After spending a few days exploring the northern portion of the Oregon coast, we traveled up to Olympia, Washington for 2 days of convention. From there, we visited Shelly's mom and brothers in Seattle for a couple days before heading back to Boise.

Happy Birthday Erica!

It is not everyday when you get custom made pancakes for breakfast. But you also don't turn 9 everyday either. Other birthday activities included a trip to the waterpark with family and friends and a beautiful cake from mom.

Weekend Escape

With the kids away at summer camp for a few days, Shelly and I decided to escape the valley heat ourselves and also head to the mountains. Our neighbors offered their "cabin" for us to enjoy, which was directly across the lake from the kids and just out of ear shot.

On Saturday, we attended the wedding of some friends, which was in a beautiful valley an hour north from our mountain hideaway.

On the way back from the wedding, we did some side road exploring and discovered this beautiful mountain lake.

A Birthday Celebration!

A group of pretty ladies wait for the parade to begin.












By far, our favorite float in the parade! Awarded the "Parent's Trophy"

After the parade, it was off to the club house for a great lunch and even better fellowship.




Nana and Poppy with the birthday boy!







No lit candle was safe at this party.






















Even Erica got in on the holiday/birthday action!













Enjoying her first July 4th celebration. Her other check says "Made in..."















A great birthday boy enjoying a great day!

Camping at Fir Creek

Following a recommendation from some friends, we decided to visit Fir Creek Campground. Fir Creek is 3 hours away from Boise on the western edge of the Sawtooth Mtns and is one of the tributaries running into the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. On Thursday, we had the small campground to ourselves but by Saturday it had filled up with rafters and hikers.

Hiking to Bear Valley Hot Springs

On Friday, we left Fir Creek Campground and hiked almost 4 miles to Bear Valley Hot Springs. The wilderness trail wound through the lodgepole pines with the river in view most of the way. After 2 hours, we arrived at our destination. The hot water cascaded down the hillside, forming pools which eventually lead to the river. While the top pools were too hot for our liking, the riverside pool was a very comfortable 95 degrees. We were the only ones there and enjoyed the solitude and beauty of this special place. After several hours of soaking and relaxing, we hit the trail that took us back to camp.

Bruneau Sand Dunes

An hour south of Boise is a magical area called the Bruneau Sand Dunes. At 470ft tall, these dunes are said to be the tallest single-structure sand dunes in North American.

The view from the top is worth the struggle to get there and if you are lucky enough to have brought a sled, it is a ride to the bottom you will not soon forget.