Following Lewis and Clark

Yesterday our family went on a little adventure! My parents, my sister Lori's family, and I headed down to Oregon early in the morning for a brunch cruise on the Columbia River. My parents and I left at 8:00 for the 3 hour drive. I'm not very fond of riding along in the back seat, but I kept myself amused by drinking a Starbucks chai, reading a Kingsbury book, playing the alphabet game, and admiring all the lovely green countryside we passed. When we arrived at the river, Lori's family was already there, and we waited around about half an hour for the sternwheeler's 12:00 departure. It had been cloudy in the morning, but by noon it had cleared off and turned into a beautiful day.

The sternwheeler looked like something on the Mississippi, and I felt like Mark Twain should be somewhere around there! The captain looked like what a river captain should look like -- a big Santa Clause in a black and gold uniform. We boarded the boat and were seated at a long table near windows. The kids were all agog and were eager to be outside. Candy did serve to occupy their attention some of the time, though. After we took off, we went through the brunch buffet and were treated like royalty by the friendly staff.

After the brunch, which wasn't anything to write home about, we went up to the upper decks for a better view. It was fun to do something like this with kids, because their excitement is contagious and you end up seeing so much through their eyes! It got pretty windy out there, but the sun was warm enough to make it the perfect temperature.

The scenery we saw was absolutely breathtaking! It was almost too much for the eyes to take in. Besides the lush green hills and cliffs on either side of the river, we saw the Bonneville Dam, little islands, lots of birds, and much more. Windsurfers, kite boarders, and jet skiers kept weaving around the boat for our entertainment. The captain kept up a little commentary about the history of the area. Lewis and Clark came down the river 200 years ago, braving the challenges of dangerous rapids, savage Indians, animals, etc. It's amazing they survived, but the Pacific Northwest probably wouldn't be what it is today if a few good men hadn't risked their lives to explore the unknown.

After the ride, my explorer dad decided to take an alternative route home. A route we'd never tried before. A route we'll never try again. On the map it looked pretty straightforward and probably quicker than the usual I-5 route. Well, maybe if you're a crow. But what we actually discovered was miles and miles of little back roads, poorly marked, and as windy and rough as something I'd imagine in the Appalacian Mountains. Oh, maybe not that bad, but sitting in the back seat, it was bad enough. I kept hoping to see something exciting like a bear or cougar (to keep up with Claire), but nothing more wild than a rabbit crossed our path. What kind of wilderness is this, anyway? However, despite the poor roads, we saw some of Washington's most beautiful scenery. We skirted Mt. St. Helen and overlooked vast valleys. And all the little wildflowers on the sides of the road made me want to stop and pick a big bouquet to take home.

Eventually we made it to civilization again and had dinner at a Mexican Restaurant in the little hick town of Morton. We got home about 8:30, quite exhausted, but overall satisfied with our day's adventure. I love summer!