Saturday, March 08, 2008

Back from Vacation

WE'RE BAAACK! We arrived home late last night. I am slowly but surely getting everything back in it's proper place. It was absolutely wonderful coming home not only to a very clean house, but also a newly organized one.

So I'm going to do the proper thing to do when you get back from vacation- make everyone watch your slides! Lol

We had a simply wonderful time. We stayed at a resort that I had acquired a trial membership to- I can now add this to the list of smart things I've thought of (wish that list was longer than it is, Lol). Really though, it way exceeded our expectations. We had reserved a chalet, which is basically a cabin set apart by itself. It also had a deck with barbecue and hot tub. It was absolutely beautiful inside. It was made out of the most beautiful wood and looked so rustic. I am not into fancy or expensive luxury looks, so this was definitely to my taste. I took pictures, but there was no way to do this place justice. It was their slower time of year, so it was very private. They are on a huge piece of land, and you would occasionally see deer prancing by (or whatever deer do).

So, other than relaxing and hanging out together as a family, here is a list of the "big" activities we did:

The High Desert Museum is located in Bend Oregon. While this was a little expensive for us, I knew my kids would really enjoy going here. We didn't realize they closed at 5pm, and arrived around 3:30. When we went to pay, they said since we were starting later in the day, the kids could go free and my husband and I were given a discount. Which means we paid $14. instead of$56., is that an awesome deal or what? We still had plenty of time to view the inside and outside exhibits (in fact, they let us stay a little past closing). It was absolutely fascinating. If you enjoy early American History, this is a must to visit if you're ever in the area. They had life-size models of teepees, a mining camp, a saw mill, mining town, stagecoaches, cabins- I could just go on and on about this place. It would have been worth the full admission price!

The Mount Bachelor Resort is the 5th largest resort in the United States. My husband was raised in Oregon but had never been here himself, as it is a 5 hr drive from where we live. We decided to spend an afternoon at their Snowblast Park. It has 800 feet of rolling hill to sled down! I had decided beforehand that I would sit out the sledding, both to save the extra fee and to do some video recording of the event. But when I got a look at that huge slide, the child in me took over and I knew I had to join in the fun! Unfortunately, when I got at the top of the mountain, I came to my senses- I was terrified!!! I'm not kidding, my heart hasn't beat like that in a long time, I was just so scared! I decided I would go back down and video tape as planned; the only problem, the only way down was on a tube! Okay- so to make a long story short, I did it- and it was a blast!!! I have been talking about it ever since, more than anyone else in the family. We all agreed it has to be a yearly tradition now, and I can't wait til next year!

By the way, my little 5 year old daughter never skipped a beat, her only complaint was she had to go with us for the first slide! She definitely doesn't get her fearless streak from me!

The Peterson Rock Garden was the hands-down winner of the best attraction of our trip, atleast to my two boys. It was created by a Danish immigrant to the United States who settled around the Cascade Mountains around the turn of the century. After years of collecting a great variety of rocks and petrified wood (much of it from his own land), he began building miniature castles, monuments, towers, and bridges. It eventually spanned 4 acres of land including a farmhouse, museum, picnic area, and pond. They have a self-pay box on site; for our family of five it was a suggested donation of $7.50 total. While we were dashing around looking at all these creations, a woman stepped out of a building and volunteered to open the museum which was closed. They had the most incredible rocks. I know- rocks? God's natural creations far out-trump anything man-made! Each of the kids picked out an animal carved out of rock- what an awesome souvenier! Oh- they also had about 10-15 peacocks that let you come right up to them as they rotated 360 degrees showing off their beautiful plumage. The kids also were able to pet a 3 week old goat the owner had on site. It was a wonderful, invigorating visit. We are planning to attempt a small rock monument in our own front yard this summer after visiting here- the kids can't wait!
We also did light hiking, hide-n-seek, and were just plain lazy in-between!

One last confession: while I did not visit the many outlet stores located in a near-by town, I couldn't resist visiting the local Walmart. I found two matching comforters for my boys beds, original price $49.99 each, clearanced to $9.99! As well as some Easter shirts and ties for my boys, for some reason they only seem to have the better quality dress items around this time of year.

Oh, and I picked up a Looney Tunes Spotlight collection dvd set for $9.99- that meant almost 4 hrs of peace and quiet (not counting the many "What's up Doc?") while we drove home!

So we're all a little tired out, but have added some wonderful memories to the family log. As well as 250+ pictures!

Have a wonderful weekend- and don't forget to set your clock ahead if you live in the great NorthWest~


*While I was gone, my blogging friend Minimalist Mommy tagged me- which happens to be my first tag as a blogger! Which also means I'm not quite sure how it works, but I'm hoping I can still participate. So I plan to get to that soon.

6 comments:

Mrs. Darling said...

Oh isnt that museum to die for? I love that place. I am amazed that your boys liked Peterson Rock gardens better than Mt Batchlor! Of course, I kinda see it with E. He's sorta that type.

Uh, way to go sliding down that hill. I wouldn't have done it for love nor money! LOL

Im soooo glad you all had a blast!

Stylin said...

That looks like it was a great trip!
You must be exhausted!!!

Marva said...

Sounds wonderful! Glad you all had a glorious time! Just 250+ pics?;) Share them when you can and blessings!!!!

Nikki said...

It sounds like you had a lot of fun on your trip. Now back to real life!

Little Natural Cottage said...

It looks and sounds like your family enjoyed an absolutely wonderful time! Welcome home!

~Kristy @ Homemaker's Cottage

Unknown said...

Welcome back. We missed you.