August 2018

The summer marches on……

John & Sheri invited us to an Edsel car show 

and pizza party at their friends home…..

Then later in the week, we drove to Keizer, OR 

to an “Official” Edsel Car show.

This classic car and the matching vintage trailer were so cute.

We spent a week on the Oregon Coast and while we were there,
we drove up to the Tillamook Air Museum. 
This was the home of Oregon’s Blimp force. 
It was very interesting.

We also saw several older fighter jets as well.

After leaving the coast, we came up to Ridgefield….

just north of Vancouver.

Brandon & Karen live just a few miles from here 

so we have been able to

spend time with them, Ben and Anna too!

We had a great dinner with my sister and her husband.  

So good to see them.

Ben drove us (yes – Ben is driving now) 

up to the Mt. St. Helens Visitor center. 

Remarkable visitors center – but – with all of the smoke

there was nothing out the window to see.

One day, we took a short hike up the Lewis river to Lucia Falls.

The river area and falls were beautiful.

We took MAX (Portland’s light rail) into the city.

First stop was Portland’s Saturday Market.  

It was like College of the Desert on steroids.

So many vendors….. so many people.

We took MAX over to our very favorite! 

Lunch at Goose Hollow – best Rueben sandwiches EVER!

Another day we had lunch over at Jantzen Beach with John & Sheri!

The St. John’s bridge over the Willamette River

Is gorgeous! 

The weather in the Portland area has been warm this summer

But the smoke has been terrible.  We are so glad

the fires are getting under control and the smoke is clearing out.

July 2018

We started July with two wonderful weeks
with great friends in Chimacum Washington.

Chimacum is located just a short distance from
Port Townsend on Puget Sound.

We thought this was so cool.  They strapped up this
boat out of the water and drove it off for repairs.

We stayed near our friends, John and Bonnie Kearsing.

Kayaking was so much fun.  We took the kayaks out three different times.

One day we took a ferry over to Seattle and
went to Pike Street Market

Beautiful fresh veggies at the market

We had lunch down on the waterfront.

One of several wonderful dinners out.

One day we drove up to Hurricane Ridge.

I was so impressed.  It was amazing… so beautiful.

Next we drove to Sherwood Oregon just two days before Marc and Maria along with their kids were taking off for 17 days in Europe.  Amazing vacation for them.

We are watching “Jake” their chocolate lab.  😊

We have kept busy visiting friends… on the go each day.

We spent a great weekend in Sunriver at
Brandon and Karen’s new vacation home.

While out kayaking the river,
Anna was showing us her gymnastics routine.

How does she do it? 😊

Our Jake….. missing his family. 

July has been a great month!

June 2018

June 1^st we headed from Indio toward the Portland area……

Lake Shasta is full of water awaiting the summer boaters…..

We arrived at Marc & Maria’s in time for Camryn’s awards night.

And Colby’s baseball awards night as well.

Camryn has graduated from Sherwood High School.

We are so proud of her 💗💗💗

Camryn had an outstanding Grad Party.

On Father’s Day, Marc, Maria, Brandon, Karen and families
along with Mike and I…. all spent a really fun afternoon
at Top Golf!

Colby participated in a junior golf tournament in Portland

Marc, Maria, Camryn, Colby and Camryn’s new
college roommate, along with Mike and I all went to
Marc & Maria’s new house in Sunriver.  It is so gorgeous. 

While the guys played golf, us girls rented kayaks

And floated the Deschutes.

We had such a great time

Next stop…..Neskowin RV Resort – down on the Oregon Coast.

A week here with absolutely gorgeous weather.

One day we took a trip to the Tillamook Cheese Factory.

A great tour of their new visitors center.

We took a 5 mile hike to Cape Lookout.  The trail was beautiful

Looks like a postcard.

Another day, we kayaked in D Lake in Lincoln City.

Yet another day, we drove south along the coast

We saw so many whales along the shoreline. 

They were breaching and flapping their tails.

Is was AWESOME!

June has been a really fun month….

July, we will be heading up toward

Port Townsend.

May 2018

 May was our month in Mexico….. Puerto Vallarta!

At the LA Airport waiting for our flight….

We stayed the first week at an all-inclusive resort – Fiesta Americana

There were 12 of us – all together to celebrate Pat Shinavar’s

70^th birthday.  We all took a trip to “Los Muertos” Brew Pub.

Mike loved it!

The pool, the drinks, the food- all of it was fantastic!

Pat with her birthday flowers!

Mike went parasailing…….Serena and Rollie also went –

All of them had a super time!

Downtown Puerto Vallarta is great –

the old part of town has so much charm.

We all went on a “Luxury Snorkeling Trip”

If you look closely, Rollie is getting close to letting the seal

“Sexy Rexy” give him a kiss.

All 12 of us…… what fun!

Night time at the resorts in Puerto Vallarta is almost magical.

After one week, our friends all left.  Mike and I

moved over to Vallarta Torre (we stayed there last year too)

We love it there – feels like home.

One day we took the city bus up to Bucerias – a  town
north of Puerto Vallarta

Many open air shops, a nice beach.  A fun day.

Vallarta Torre – our home away from home.

(for 2 weeks)

Dinner one night at our favorite….. Pipi’s.

The Marina Vallarta is fabulous…… yachts from

All over the world

Dinner at “Victors” on the waterfront.

A HUGE alligator lazily swimming thru the boats…..

Another day, we took the city bus up to Sayulita. 

Very busy town…… many, many north americans…

many, many surfers, many, many souvenir shops

Very touristy cute little town… Sayulita

Another day we took the city bus as far as it would go south.

A little fishing village Boca de Tomatlon.

We took a Mexican cooking class…… what fun. 
After shopping at the local market, we went to the chef’s home

where we made 2 kinds of salsa,

guacamole, tortilla soup and
the most wonderful Chili Rellenos. 

Downtown Puerto Vallarta – in the Zona Romantica

Nice area……

What a beautiful colorful tree growing
in the middle of the road.

Yet another day, we took the city bus to Punta Mita.

Another sleepy fishing village until

folks found about it.  Now the homes sell for 1 – 3 million.

A cruise ship coming in to the Puerto Vallarta harbor.

We both love Mexico and had so much fun there.

Now we are back in Indio.  Tomorrow we head north. 

Can’t wait to see the kids and grandkids!