22 September 2007

Oregon, Trip for Two

So I have been silent recently because Jerry and I took a trip to Oregon by ourselves. Yep, that's right - no kids. Four whole days by ourselves. Did I mention that we got to go alone???

We went to a beautiful cabin that my parents bought this summer. The cabin is just outside of the Mt. Hood National Forest. It was great because it is secluded in the woods, with a large creek running just outside, on a mountain. But it still was only 45 minutes from the Portland airport! This is what the cabin looks like:

It was nice, too, because although it is a wood cabin, it isn't so rustic that it feels like you're roughing it. It has a full kitchen, laundry, bathrooms, wood burning stove...Very comfortable.

The first full day we were there, we went for a sceninc drive all the way around Mt. Hood, up to the Columbia River, and back around. Here's a picture of Mt. Hood we stopped to take on the trip.

We stopped at some fruit stands along the way and got some varieties of apples that I had never heard of before - very tasty. We picniced for lunch on the river, and then stopped at several water falls. The biggest fall along the route is Multnoma Falls.

We actually did the full hike up to the top of the falls! Round trip it was 2 1/2 miles! After hiking over a mile straight up a mountain, we were really winded. Talk about motivation to get to the gym more often! But it was great to get some exercise since most of our day was in the car making the drive around the scenic highway. We would love to live in a place that we could do stuff like that all the time. As wonderful as Dallas is ::said tongue in cheek:: there is no scenic beauty, nowhere to hike, nothing to see. Everywhere you looked on this trip, you saw beauty. Our boys would love going...maybe soon we can take them too. Although I think we'll skip the hikes that are straight up a mountain with them!

After exercising our bodies on the hike we stopped at an outlet mall and exercised our debit card! Jerry found some really nice things, which is great because normally on stops like that *I* am the one racking up the charges! I found a few things, but *I* also exercised my self-control! Anyway, now we are back in reality...getting stuff done, dealing with a vomitting child, doing school lessons...yep, regular life again. But I have to tell you, even just four days gone and we were really ready to see our children again. It is good to go away, but it is oh, so good to come home again.

6 comments:

Tina said...

ooooooohhhhhhhhh... I am so jealous!! The pictures are so beautiful :-) That sounds like a trip I would love to take!

Marie said...

oh my gosh! gorgeous! reminds me of Hawaii, how it's impossible to take a bad picture. all your pictures look like postcards. i think we should have a Mothers of Invention Convention there someday :)

Johanna said...

Name the date! Of course I think we'll all have to convince our husbands that they'll be okay with the kids by themselves!

I, on the other hand, have never been to Hawaii and think that's an ideal spot for the MoI Convention! :)

Kainoa said...

hawaii mother of invention convention...sign me up!

Kainoa said...

Wow. Sounds like you had fun! Sometimes it is great to just gt away just the two of you, that is important in a marriage too! You need time to each other. Glad you got to see beautiful things and have a great time! Just remember, life will always be there, you have to take care of your self too!

M said...

I know that not all moms agree with me on this, but I think that just as much as we like to have just the two, I have a hard time anymore knowing what to do without a kid trailing along. I mean, who would make me want to laugh, cry, and pull my hair out all at once if it wasn't for my midget shadow? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the time without, and it never seems to be enough of it, but when i get the opportunity to not have a midget along, I end up doing the exact same thing I would have anyway cause I no longer know any other way of doing things. To go shopping and not have someone to talk to... (even if it is wow look at this its a cool empty box!) would just make me sad. Sorry but going shopping with the hubby just doesn't do it for me.