The Oregon Trail

That's right! Just like the old computer game from Elementary school! I know you're all now imagining us fording rivers, stopping at trading posts and hunting our own meals but it really hasn't been quite that exciting.

Our first big river was actually the crossing into Oregon. We went from Vancouver WA, across a huge bridge into Portland Oregon! Then through that crazy town and into the wild lands. We trekked up Mt. Hood, over 5000ft and stopped at the top for lunch. The ski hill up there looked a little welfare and I don't know if I'd trust myself on that lift...for a second I thought we almost saw snow, it was FREEZING! On the way down we found ourselves staying pretty steadily at 3000ft and we arrived at the weirdest landscape. We were up high but it was flat like the prairies. The was no one around, it was like being on the moon! Very few trees and lots of sage grass.

The only wildlife we saw were the RV trailers: Cougars, Big Horns and Taigers (as Mom calls them. We then had to explain that no, it is pronounced tIger, not taiger or tigger). So hunting was out of the question. Instead we went to Papa Murphy's Pizza. Did you all, oh pardon me, y'all (we are in the States after all) know that it's like a Subway but for pizza!?!?!? Its crazy! We ate them tonight with only a slight mishap when the paper platter started burning...anyways, I got sidetracked. Where was I...ahhh yes, the Oregon trail, weird landscape...

So we came to a deep valley that kind of just pops out of nowhere in the tabletop prairie land and were welcomed cordially to Warm Springs. It was a pretty little town and the start of civilization. Back out of the valley we came to rich farmland where fields of barley, dill and onion were cultivated. The coolest part came as we drove across a HUGE bridge which spanned the Crooked River Gorge. And what a gorge it was! 300ft deep with signs warning that "many dogs have died here". We pulled a U-turn in the middle of the highway and turned back for a better look. I very much doubt our fellow travelers on the Oregon Trail years ago made it across that thing!!

Our last adventure of the day involved driving into the forest for 4 miles on a dirt road in search of the Lava Cast Forest. That was my idea and we never got there because Mom and Dad didn't really think bumping and crashing for another 5 miles was really good for our brand new trailer. So sadly, we will always be wondering what we missed, that is unless we stop in tomorrow and unhitch...I can always hope right?

Oh ya, the final funny was getting into Cascade Meadows...Danae saw a sign to turn left for Cascade Meadows but Dad kept going, following Maggie...she told we had arrived in the middle of the highway. We stopped there (Only in the middle of Oregon can you stop dead in the middle of the highway without bothering anyone-one lane too!) and looked to the left and there was the campground, all spread out and full of RVs. Of course, we had to pull another Looey.

But now we are here, full of chicken artichoke pizza and ready to drink tea and play a game. You're all jealous, I know! Well, goodnight! Tomorrow is the long haul to Idaho so it should be fun!

Oh ya, did I mention it's still FREEZING!