Friday, May 27, 2011

Home Sweet Home




I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again (because I am the Queen of Redundant) … I love, love, love to travel, but I’m always glad to be back home! 

We had a good trip along the Oregon coast.  It was a very busy trip … my youngest sister L was our “tour guide” aka “itinerary director”.  Her idea of how to travel differs from ours … she likes to go, go, go whereas we prefer a more relaxing trip with a few sightseeing trips.  Don’t get me wrong … we had a great time … but still, had it just been DH and me, the trip would have been different (more time on the beach, less time in the city, and a much less hectic pace). 

We drove down to Florence to see the dunes.  We took a dune buggy tour of the dunes; it was fascinating to learn about the plants and animals who make these dunes their homes.


We also drove up to Tillamook to tour the cheese factory.  We’d visited it when we were on the Oregon coast in 2009, but we were there on a Sunday and didn’t get to see the lines in action.  Of course, we sampled the cheese (fresh Tillamook cheese could make a cheese lover out of me!) … and the ice cream.  YUMMY!


We spent a little time on the beach one morning and saw a baby sea lion who was swimming along the shore line.  We were worried that he had been separated from his mama, but the locals who were crabbing nearby assured us that his mama wasn’t far away.  Since there were close to fifty sea lions on the opposite shore of the cove and another dozen swimming near that shore, we took their word that the baby sea lion wasn’t in any danger.  Of course, that was the one time I didn’t have my camera with me. 

After a couple of days on the beach, we took off for Portland.  We spent an afternoon driving through the Columbia River Gorge.  We’d driven through the Gorge when we were there in 2009, but the beauty of the river and the waterfalls were just as impressive as they were the first time I saw them. 

We spent a day visiting downtown Portland before heading home early yesterday morning.  We flight home included a layover in Las Vegas, so we flew further south than the flight to Oregon … and the terrain along our flight path was absolutely breathtaking!  How anyone could see that and not believe is beyond me.

2011 Trip to Oregon

I’m just so glad to be back home.

8 comments:

  1. The pictures are beautiful. Sounds like a great trip. I know what you mean about go, go, go. You don't want to come home to take a vacation from your vacation!
    Have a nice weekend.

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  2. I'm with you, I love to get away, but it's always great to come back home! Your trip sounds like it was a delightful one :)

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  3. I too love to get away, but is it ever nice to be back home too! Looks like a wonderful trip! Glad you enjoyed it. Have a wonderful week-end.

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  4. Hi there, So glad you had a safe and fun trip but are now back home. I feel the same way about traveling-love to but always love to come home.
    Have a wonderful, relaxing weekend.
    Hugs,Noreen

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  5. There is just no place like home for sure! Good to go,but better to get back home. :o)

    Hubby with be with you, a slower pace, but I'd be with your sister, cramming it all in. :o) We end up meeting in the middle.

    We eat Tillamook cheese all the time. How funny!

    Happy Memorial Day weekend!

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  6. Sounds like a good time! you're right, though: there's no place like home!

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  7. I used to live in Medford and we would go over to the Oregon coast sometimes; it is sooo pretty there indeed! never did the cheese factory, I would have enjoyed that! Looks like and sounds like you had a great trip! We tend to be like your sister, go, go, go on vacation; one time son asked us "can we just sleep in tomorrow and not get up and go?" (of course not, its vacation, we got up and went :)

    always good to be home indeed, that's why I think Dorothy's line always rings true "there's no place like home"

    I downloaded Chrome; no problems getting onto blogs and leaving comments! thanks for the heads up! I've been telling others too that had problems!

    have a great weekend!

    betty

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  8. The pictures are beautiful. Sounds like a great trip. I know what you mean about go, go, go. You don't want to come home to take a vacation from your vacation!
    Have a nice weekend.

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