Saturday, July 27, 2019

Vacation!!!

We just got back from an amazing week of  camping at Diamond Lake. We traded in cell service and showers for the outdoors and focused family time. From fishing and swimming in the lake to biking the almost 12 miles around the lake, to seeing Crater Lake and the Oregon caves.. it was a week to remember, and we all had the very best time!

Heading out and all smiles!
We have silly kids!
Lunch in Oakridge
Our amazing campsite, right on the lake!


All set up!




These two were roommates for a week and survived..haha!! I am so thankful for their love (and tolerance) for each other! 

Fishing with Dad. 
He was a pro by the end of the week. 



Sunset, night one. 


Mornings by the campfire with hot cocoa are the best!
See that welt by my eye? That would be a mosquito bite. Evelyn and I got eaten alive on this trip.. the only negative for the whole week!
Morning fishing.. he almost caught a few!

Camping isn't camping without Qwirkle!!
Our campsite was full of cool  logs and other obstacles for the kids to climb and jump on. They had a blast!

We ate very well this week! 
Camping would also not be camping without a movie night in the kids' tent! The Greatest Showman was what they picked. 
Sunset night two. 

We got up super early one morning to get to Crater Lake right when the Customer Service Kiosk opened to buy tickets for a boat tour around the lake. Sadly when we got there we found out the -information we received was wrong and we didn't get tickets. :(  We still had a lovely time exploring this amazing and beautiful National Park. 









The snow was our favorite! 


Swimming the the lake was SO much fun! It wasn't too cold, especially in the hot afternoon sun. 
Prairie Dogs. These little guys were everywhere and we so cute!!! 
We rented a pedal boat one afternoon at the lodge. It wasn't in the best shape and we almost had to be towed into the dock but we made it back with only one photo to show for it!! HA!
Love this boy!
We went on bike rides every day. There is an almost 12 mile loop around the lake the Doug and I have done before. We knew the kids could do it but they really didn't want to. So we just rode around the campground and to the lodge and back once or twice a day. Until the last night of camping. 
We set off on an evening bike ride and Doug was hopeful it would turn into a full lake loop ride.  We did it, with only one big crash (Matthew..he was fine) and lots more mosquito bites later! 
Crater Lake in the distance, on the north side of the lake. The ride was so beautiful!

We DID it!! So proud of the kid.. they were pretty jazzed about it too!!

Last campfire
Last sunrise

We stayed up late to see the amazing stars. They did not disappoint!

Evelyn carved our name into this big log before we left the campground. 
Hot, tired, sweaty, and happy!

We made our way to Grants Pass to our hotel for the night. They have a pool, it was super hot out, and we took advantage of it! 

Jumping in cold turkey.. it felt amazing!!

After we all got showers (finally!!) we got to do something super fun for dinner.. In and Out Burger! 


Yummy and iconic! :) 

The next morning we got up and headed to the Oregon Caves. 
Our guide Zach was so great and engaging! We saw bats and other beautiful things in the caves and had the best time on the tour!



From the caves we started our trek home!

The Milepost 97 fire was ablaze on our way home. It was so close to the freeway!!



 We HAD to stop at Rice Hill for ice cream! Such a iconic place with yummy treats!

We made it home, tired but refreshed after a fun week together. Thankful for my little family and for a great vacation!!