Oregon

August 24, 2022 Wednesday

Early in the morning, we head to Mount St. Helens. It is a volcano that last erupted in March 1980. Half of the mountain was blown away during the eruption. Hot ash flew up to 150 km. The effects of the eruption are still visible around the mountain. There are many bare mountains and valleys, and the trees were turned to dust by the pressure of the hot ash. But new water sources, in the form of mountain lakes, have formed.

We walked a few kilometers along the Rim Trail and experienced what it means to be in a dry area under the sun. Our mouths became dry, the air became thinner, and we quickly started sweating.

After a water break, we turn around and cool ourselves off at the visitor center. We watch a 15-minute film about the volcanic eruption. The highlight of the film was when the blinds opened and we could see the volcano through the panoramic windows.

With the hot temperatures, we head to the nearest lake. We go swimming in Coldwater Lake, and we are not the only ones. Suddenly, a water snake appears behind Jens. Since we are not familiar with the native snakes, we decide to play it safe and leave the water. Instead, we play on the shore.

We find a great spot with a view of the volcano for the night. In complete silence, we listen to the sounds of the neighbor's ukulele.

The evening is crowned by an overwhelming starry sky. Since the sun sets quite early, Benedikt can also enjoy this sight.

August 25, 2022 Thursday

In Oregon, there is no sales tax, which makes shopping cheaper. We take advantage of this and go shopping in Portland today. The city offers multiple shopping centers and streets with numerous stores. The first shopping center we visit turns out to be a disappointment. There is hardly anything left besides two stores.

So we continue and fight our way through the city traffic, which gets hotter and hotter. The temperature already reads 34 degrees, and it keeps getting warmer in the car. Fortunately, the stores are air-conditioned, and we even find an indoor playground for the kids.

August 26, 2022 Friday

After a day in the city, we head back towards the mountains. Our next destination is Mount Hood. On the way there, we keep seeing runners, with support vehicles waiting at gathering points. After a short research, we find out that it is the largest 24-hour relay race in the world. Teams of 4 to 8 participants cover a distance of 365 miles, from Mount Hood to the coast.

We make a stop and embark on a 14 km hike. The trail to Tom Dick Herry Mountain is steep and narrow.

We have ascended 600 meters and are rewarded with a breathtaking mountain panorama. At 1,500 meters, we have a 360-degree view of the volcanic mountains Adems, St. Helens, Rainier, Hood, and Jefferson.

We recharge our energy with a snack of fruit and pancakes. Then we start descending. We stop halfway at Mirror Lake and cool off our feet. The path is blocked by bushes of flowers. A narrow bridge leads us to the water.

We spend the night exhausted and satisfied directly at Mount Hood, the volcano.

August 27, 2022 Saturday

We start the day with cloudy skies and cool temperatures. In the morning, we take a hike at the base of Mount Hood. We don't have to walk far to see the first waterfall.

We continue through colorful meadows and forests. At the end of the trail, we reach a second waterfall.

Instead of a short walk that we had planned for today, it turned into a longer hike. The landscape is just too beautiful, and we want to explore as much as possible.

We have the opportunity to refill our drinking water at a natural spring on the edge of the forest. This time, we got pretty wet while filling our water canisters.

After lunch, we continue south for two hours. We pass through the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. As the name suggests, it suddenly becomes hot and dry. We drive into a canyon and see wild horses for the first time. They are big and beautiful, and they are even standing by the roadside.

After driving through the reservation, we leave the canyon. We make a short stop before Redmond at a rest area right next to the canyon. The Crooked River flows through it. We watch bungee jumpers jumping off the bridges into the depths. It makes me a little nervous, and I consider taking the leap myself. But for now, it's postponed.

August 28, 2022 Sunday

Shortly after waking up, Jens prepares the drone and flies it through the canyon. We are a little worried if the drone will be able to handle it since it goes deep into the canyon, and we are not familiar with the air conditions down there. But everything goes well, and we capture some beautiful photos and videos.

For breakfast, we have chosen another special place. In Smith Rock State Park, there are rock formations that are popular among climbers. We explore a small trail around the parking lot and are fascinated by the high rocks that shimmer in yellow, red, and green in the sun. We decide to come back tomorrow and climb one of the mountains ourselves.

Today, we go for a big grocery shopping and visit a playground for the kids.

August 29, 2022 Monday

New day, new luck! Today, we climb a mountain in Smith Rock State Park. So we wake up early to take advantage of the slightly cooler temperatures. The ascent is steep and steady. It takes us a good hour for just 2 km. Once we reach the top, we have a great view in all directions.

The way back takes us only 20 minutes. The hot sun makes us start sweating. A sprinkler serves as a cold shower.

August 30, 2022 Tuesday 

This morning, we test a new track for scooters, bicycles, and inline skates.

Benedikt zooms up and down the hills on his scooter, and I have a hard time keeping up with him while running. Jessie prefers to ride her new scooter on the straight path. She is making good progress.

After the sports program, we visit the Redmond Caves. These are underground caves formed by lava flows. Unfortunately, we don't have a good flashlight with us, so we only have the light from our phones. It's not bright enough for us to venture deep into the caves.

The caves are quite dusty, and with each step, we stir up the ash. We all stop for a moment, and there is absolute silence. It's cool underground, while outside, it's getting hot and humid.

In the evening, we reach Bend and struggle to find a cool place with a breeze.

August 31, 2022 Wednesday 

Two hours south of Bend, we head to Crater Lake today.

According to legend, there was a monster in the form of a crab-like creature living deep inside the volcano. The Native Americans feared that this monster would erupt and bring disaster to their village. To appease the monster and protect the people, two of the Native Americans volunteered to jump into the crater. The god of the Native Americans was impressed by this act and drove the monster back into the underworld, preventing it from ever emerging again.

Afterward, the crater filled with rainwater and became the deepest lake in the United States and the seventh deepest in the world, with a depth of 594 meters.

The lake's deep blue color is breathtaking. Many different trees, shrubs, and colorful flowers grow around the edge of the steep crater. We drive around the crater on the 60 km long Rim Drive, and each turn offers a fascinating new view of the lake.

After spending half a day up here, we start descending back into the valley. Our goal is to be on the Pacific coast tomorrow, and we still have a few kilometers ahead of us.

We drive along a winding river, going downhill rapidly. We notice the pressure in our ears. We are shocked when there are suddenly no more trees after a curve. A forest fire has turned a huge area into ashes.

September 1, 2022 Thursday

We finally make our way to the Pacific coast in Florence from the hot inland. Within 2 hours, the temperature drops from 36 to 19 degrees.

We have fun playing on the sand dunes at North Jetty Beach. It's hard to climb up the dunes, but sliding down is twice as fun.

From the top of the dunes, we have a perfect view of the water and spot two seals.

The shoreline was secured with millions of tons of stones years ago. This created a safe entrance for boats into the harbor. Otherwise, the rough Pacific would have eroded the land over time.

September 2, 2022 Friday

We spent the night in the parking lot of Sea Lion Cove.

Today, we want to see the sea lions that live in the cave year-round. Along the coast, we can smell, hear, and see the sea lions sitting on a cliff. It is an infinite spectacle to watch them in the water as they try to jump onto the shore with the waves. The first attempt is often unsuccessful, as the sea lions struggle to find their balance. With a little more momentum, they succeed.

Next, we go into the cave by elevator. Up to 200 animals stay in the cave during winter. However, to our disappointment, we don't see a sea lion anywhere. They are currently out in the sea, hunting for fish. From August to December, the sea lions eat to their heart's content. Then they stay inside the cave for the entire winter without leaving.

It is the largest cave in the world inhabited by sea lions throughout the year.

We could watch and listen to the animals for hours. But we drive back to Florence and explore the waterfront of the small town.

There are many small and old wooden houses in various colors. The town offers numerous restaurants, cafes, libraries, and galleries.

Colorful statues of seals are hidden at every corner.

Afterward, we continue our journey south. We don't have specific destinations in mind, we simply go with the flow and stop wherever we like.

September 3, 2022 Saturday

We take a break at the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. The sandy beach is dotted with large rock formations in the sea. The view from the cliffs is breathtaking.

Equipped with a bucket and shovel, we go down the stairs to the beach. We are busy building sandcastles and digging water trenches. It's a lot of fun.

We choose not to take a swim in the waves today as we are feeling a bit under the weather. Instead, we pick blackberries that grow everywhere. We already enjoyed them in Canada.

The coast with its steep cliffs, long sandy beaches, and high waves always has something magical for us. And at night, we are treated to one of the most beautiful starry skies.

We are curious about what the Highway 1 in California has in store for us.