Oden Adventures

To spend time with family & friends in Oregon, we made a bold move, forewent the airplane this time, and took our 14-month-old on a road trip adventure!  We did this with at least a little fear & trepidation at what we might be getting into, but, as Vianne has been a great traveler in the past, we figured we'd risk it anyway.  We left at 4:30am on the last Monday of June, and Patrick took the early shift...

All smiles, a few hours in to the drive...

Thoroughly enjoyed exploring the rest areas...

...and 12 hours later, thrilled to be at our hotel for the night (in Weed, CA).

With promises of seeing Grandma, she's ready to get on the road again in the morning!

Timed it to arrive in Roseburg at lunch time and cross another McMenamin's off our list :-)

Made it to Mom's/Grandma's by about 5pm...V settles right in!

Happy to explore Grandma's house & yard again

For some adorable reason, she kept giving speeches to the fence. (Captive audience, perhaps?)

The path to the raspberries, one of the great delights of our trip...picking & eating them every day!

Not a stock photo - our very own raspberries!

Vianne embraced this like a native Oregonian :-)

Did a little exploring of Oregon City with Mom/Grandma.

Patrick was the only one brave enough to cross the foot bridge over the highway

Trying to make the paper mill look scenic....... (we learned this area is soon to be under development to be much more community-oriented & lovely - very interested to see what it'll turn out like!)

Willamette Falls in the background

Happily, Vianne got in lots of play time with her cousins.  Watching VeggieTales...

...and enjoying Grandma's backyard water park.

Armed & Dangerous

 

 

 

 Eating with the big girls!

 

Playing with cousin David at his house

Vianne's first trip to one of my favorite places - the Portland International Rose Test Garden

Soaking up summer

More raspberry picking...

...and a picnic at the Hsiehs with the Lincolns & Terwilligers (entertaining Kirstin & Thommy here).