What I Did on My Summer Vacation

 

I figured it had been so long since I blogged that I was going to start getting concerned emails as to my whereabouts/mental health/well-being! I've been busy working on CHA projects and then, right in the middle of that, left for 10 wonderful days in Oregon to visit my family. It was one of those vacations I never wanted to end!

My brother Jon is a fantastic photographer, and one of the first things we did was head up to the Cascades for a little photo safari. Our first stop was Little Crater Lake, which is a misnomer, it's actually 'a geologic oddity, possibly formed by artesian water forcing its way through soft, volcanic rock.' It's incredibly beautiful and very cold - a constant 34 degrees!

After hiking down to Timothy Lake via the Pacific Crest Trail (yes, we were very proud of ourselves for that) we headed to a place called High Rock. It offered a gorgeous view of Mt. Hood.

Our mountaineering done for awhile, we headed out to explore an abandoned homestead a couple days later. I can't help myself - I'm obsessed with going inside abandoned houses and buildings. I'm sure one of these days I'll stumble upon a meth lab and that will be the end of me, but until then, I'll just keep exploring. :)

After leaving my parents' in central Oregon, we traveled down to southern Oregon for a few days. Along the way we stopped at Crater Lake. Yes, that's snow you see on the ground - a lot of snow! It was 40 degrees while we were there and even started snowing/sleeting a little. Gorgeous!

While we were down south, we spent a day in Ashland. It's one of those cities that is absolute perfection to me. After a delicious lunch and a walk around Lithia Park, we stopped for coffee from a little street vendor. He was VERY serious about his coffee! I loved my foam art.

Since reading about my fellow Sizzix DT member Trisha's zip line experience in New Zealand, I've been a little obsessed with trying it. We happened to walk past the little display rack of touristy stuff and I spotted a brochure for one that was just 10 minutes away! I talked my hubby into it and it was probably one of the most fun things I've ever done. I would seriously be happy to zip all day, every day!

If you ever happen to be in Grants Pass, you also need to try the Hellgate Jetboat Tours. They take you up the Rogue River and it is an absolute blast! Not only is the ride a thrill, you get to see tons of wildlife - we got to watch while an Osprey caught a fish in front of us and then flew alongside the boat with the fish clutched in its talons - so cool!

We also got to see two bald eagles. This pic is horrible (all of the photos were taken with my phone - you get very wet on the boat ride and I didn't want to risk ruining my camera), but I love how the eagle just sat there posing for us!

This is me partway through the trip - a little soggy and windblown and starting to get sunburned, but having so much fun!! It was not easy coming home after having such a great time! :)

Back to bloggy stuff - be sure and stay tuned for a fun new monthly challenge from Inspiration Emporium and then, later in the month, a bunch of cool new projects using the new idea-ology (and Sizzix, and Stampers Anonymous, and Ranger!) products from Tim Holtz. I can't wait to share them with you!