399 Days: An American Adventure

399 Days:

An American Adventure

By

Jim, Pam, Caitlin, Ben, Lindsey and Abby Taylor

AuthorHouse™

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©

2017 Jim, Pam, Caitlin, Ben, Lindsey and Abby Taylor. All rights reserved.

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Published by AuthorHouse 03/29/2017

ISBN: 978-1-5246-7018-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-7019-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017901642

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New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Day 1 – California (by Pam)

Day 2 – California and Oregon (by Jim)

Day 3 – Oregon (by Pam)

Day 4 – Oregon (by Caitlin)

Day 5 – Oregon (by Ben)

Day 6 – Oregon (by Lindsey)

Day 7 – Oregon (by Abby)

Day 8 – Oregon (by Caitlin)

Day 9 – Oregon (by Jim)

Day 10 – Oregon and Washington (by Pam)

Day 11 – Washington (by Caitlin)

Day 12 – Washington (by Ben)

Day 13 – Washington (by Lindsey)

Day 14 – Oregon (by Abby)

Day 15 – Oregon (by Ben)

Day 16 – Oregon and Idaho (by Jim)

Day 17 – Idaho (by Pam)

Day 18 – Idaho (by Caitlin)

Day 19 – Idaho (by Ben)

Day 20 – Idaho (by Lindsey)

Day 21 – Utah (by Jim)

Day 22 – Utah (by Lindsey)

Day 23 – Colorado (by Abby)

Day 24 – Colorado (by Pam)

Day 25 – Colorado (by Caitlin)

Day 26 – Colorado (by Ben)

Day 27 – CO, WY, NE, SD (by Lindsey)

Day 28 – South Dakota (by Jim)

Day 29 – South Dakota (by Abby)

Day 30 – Wyoming (by Abby)

Day 31 – Wyoming (by Pam)

Day 32 – Wyoming (by Caitlin)

Day 33 – Wyoming (by Ben)

Day 34 – Wyoming (by Lindsey)

Day 35 – Wyoming and Montana (by Abby)

Day 36 – Montana (by Jim)

Day 37 – Montana (by Jim)

Day 38 – Montana (by Pam)

Day 39 – Montana (by Caitlin)

Day 40 – North Dakota (by Ben)

Day 41 – North Dakota (by Lindsey)

Day 42 – N. Dakota and Minnesota (by Abby)

Day 43 – Minnesota (by Pam)

Day 44 – Minnesota (by Jim)

Day 45 – Minnesota (by Ben)

Day 46 – Minnesota (by Caitlin)

Day 47 – Minnesota (by Pam)

Day 48 – Minnesota (by Lindsey)

Day 49 – Minnesota (by Abby)

Day 50 – Minnesota and Iowa (by Caitlin)

Day 51 – Iowa (by Jim)

Day 52 – Iowa (by Pam)

Day 53 – Iowa and Nebraska and Kansas (by Caitlin)

Day 54 – Kansas (by Ben)

Day 55 – Missouri (by Abby)

Day 56 – Missouri (by Lindsey)

Day 57 – Missouri (by Ben)

Day 58 – Missouri (by Jim)

Day 59 – Illinois (by Pam)

Day 60 – Illinois (by Caitlin)

Day 61 – Illinois (by Ben)

Day 62 – Illinois (by Lindsey)

Day 63 – Illinois (by Abby)

Day 64 – Illinois (by Lindsey)

Day 65 – Illinois (by Jim)

Day 66 – Illinois (by Pam)

Day 67 – Illinois and Wisconsin (by Caitlin)

Day 68 – Wisconsin (by Ben)

Day 69 – Wisconsin (by Lindsey)

Day 70 – Wisconsin (by Abby)

Day 71 – Wisconsin and Michigan (by Abby)

Day 72 – Michigan (by Jim)

Day 73 – Michigan (by Pam)

Day 74 – Michigan (by Caitlin)

Day 75 – Michigan (by Ben)

Day 76 – Michigan (by Lindsey)

Day 77 – Michigan (by Abby)

Day 78 – Michigan (by Jim)

Day 79 – Indiana (by Jim)

Day 80 – Indiana (by Pam)

Day 81 – Indiana (by Caitlin)

Day 82 – Indiana (by Ben)

Day 83 – Indiana & Kentucky (by Lindsey)

Day 84 – Kentucky (by Pam)

Day 85 – Kentucky and Ohio (by Abby)

Day 86 – Ohio (by Jim)

Day 87 – Ohio (by Pam)

Day 88 – Ohio, Kentucky & Ohio (by Caitlin)

Day 89 – Ohio (by Ben)

Day 90 – Ohio (by Lindsey)

Day 91 – Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York (by Abby)

Day 92 – New York and Canada (by Caitlin)

Day 93 – New York and Canada (by Jim)

Day 94 – New York (by Pam)

Day 95 – New York (by Caitlin)

Day 96 – New York (by Ben)

Day 97 – New York and Vermont (by Lindsey)

Day 98 – Vermont (by Abby)

Day 99 – Vermont (by Ben)

Day 100 – Vermont & New Hampshire (by Jim)

Day 101 – New Hampshire (by Pam)

Day 102 – New Hampshire (by Caitlin)

Day 103 – New Hampshire (by Ben)

Day 104 – New Hampshire (by Lindsey)

Day 105 – New Hampshire (by Abby)

Day 106 – New Hampshire (by Lindsey and Daddy)

Day 107 – New Hampshire and Maine (by Jim)

Day 108 – Maine (by Pam)

Day 109 – Maine (by Caitlin)

Day 110 – Maine (by Ben)

Day 111 – Maine (by Lindsey)

Day 112 – Maine (by Abby)

Day 113 – Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts (by Abby)

Day 114 – Massachusetts (by Jim)

Day 115 – Massachusetts (by Pam)

Day 116 – Massachusetts (by Caitlin)

Day 117 – Massachusetts (by Ben)

Day 118 – Massachusetts (by Lindsey)

Day 119 – Massachusetts (by Abby)

Day 120 – Massachusetts (by Jim)

Day 121 – Massachusetts (by Jim)

Day 122 – Massachusetts (by Pam)

Day 123 – Massachusetts (by Caitlin)

Day 124 – Massachusetts and Rhode Island (by Ben)

Day 125 – Rhode Island (by Lindsey)

Day 126 – Rhode Island (by Abby)

Day 127 – Rhode Island and Connecticut (by Pam)

Day 128 – Connecticut (by Jim)

Day 129 – Connecticut (by Pam)

Day 130 – Connecticut (by Caitlin)

Day 131 – Massachusetts (by Ben)

Day 132 – Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania (by Lindsey)

Day 133 – Pennsylvania (by Abby)

Day 134 – Pennsylvania (by Caitlin)

Day 135 – Pennsylvania (by Jim)

Day 136 – Pennsylvania (by Pam)

Day 137 – Pennsylvania (by Caitlin)

Day 138 – Pennsylvania, NJ (by Ben)

Day 139 – Pennsylvania (by Lindsey)

Day 140 – Pennsylvania (by Abby)

Day 141 – Pennsylvania and New Jersey (by Ben)

Day 142 – New Jersey (by Jim)

Day 143 – New Jersey (by Pam)

Day 144 – New York (& NJ) (by Caitlin)

Day 145 – New York (& NJ) (by Ben)

Day 146 – New York (& NJ) (by Lindsey)

Day 147 – New York (& NJ) (by Abby)

Day 148 – New Jersey (by Lindsey)

Day 149 – New York and New Jersey (by Jim)

Day 150 – New York (& NJ) (by Pam)

Day 151 – New York (& NJ) (by Caitlin)

Day 152 – New York (& NJ) (by Ben)

Day 153 – New Jersey (by Lindsey)

Day 154 – New Jersey and Pennsylvania (by Abby)

Day 155 – Pennsylvania and Delaware (by Abby)

Day 156 – Delaware (by Pam)

Day 157 – Delaware (by Jim)

Day 158 – Delaware and Maryland (by Caitlin)

Day 159 – Maryland (by Ben)

Day 160 – Washington, D.C. (& MD) (by Lindsey)

Day 161 – Washington, D.C. and Virginia & Maryland (by Abby)

Day 162 – Washington, D.C. (and MD) (by Jim)

Day 163 – Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia (by Jim)

Day 164 – Washington, D.C. and MD (by Pam)

Day 165 – Washington, D.C. (& MD) (by Caitlin)

Day 166 – Washington, D.C. (& MD) (by Ben)

Day 167 – Washington, D.C. & MD (by Lindsey)

Day 168 – Washington, D.C. & MD (by Abby)

Day 169 – Maryland (by Pam)

Day 170 – Maryland and West Virginia (by Jim)

Day 171 – West Virginia and Virginia (by Pam)

Day 172 – Virginia (by Caitlin)

Day 173 – Virginia (by Ben)

Day 174 – Virginia (by Lindsey)

Day 175 – Virginia and Maryland (by Abby)

Day 176 – Maryland and Washington, D.C. (by Caitlin)

Day 177 – Maryland and Delaware (by Jim)

Day 178 – Maryland and Virginia (by Pam)

Day 179 – Virginia (by Caitlin)

Day 180 – Virginia (by Ben)

Day 181 – Virginia (by Lindsey)

Day 182 – Virginia (by Abby)

Day 183 – Virginia (by Ben)

Day 184 – Virginia (by Jim)

Day 185 – Virginia (by Pam)

Day 186 – Virginia (by Caitlin)

Day 187 – Virginia and North Carolina (by Ben)

Day 188 – North Carolina (by Lindsey)

Day 189 – North Carolina (by Abby)

Day 190 – North Carolina (by Lindsey)

Day 191 – North Carolina (by Jim)

Day 192 – North Carolina (by Pam)

Day 193 – North & South Carolina (by Caitlin)

Day 194 – South Carolina (by Ben)

Day 195 – S. Carolina & Georgia (by Lindsey)

Day 196 – Georgia and Florida (by Abby)

Day 197 – Florida (by Abby)

Day 198 – Florida (by Jim)

Day 199 – Florida (by Pam)

Day 200 – Florida (by Caitlin)

Day 201 – Florida (by Ben)

Day 202 – Florida (by Lindsey)

Day 203 – Florida (by Abby)

Day 204 – Florida (by Jim)

Day 205 – Florida (by Jim)

Day 206 – Florida (by Pam)

Day 207 – Florida (by Caitlin)

Day 208 – Florida (by Ben)

Day 209 – Florida & Georgia (by Lindsey)

Day 210 – Georgia and Alabama (by Abby)

Day 211 – Alabama and Georgia (by Pam)

Day 212 – Georgia (by Jim)

Day 213 – Georgia & North Carolina (by Pam)

Day 214 – North Carolina and Tennessee (by Caitlin)

Day 215 – Tennessee (by Ben)

Day 216 – Tennessee and Mississippi (by Lindsey)

Day 217 – Tennessee & Mississippi (by Abby)

Day 218 – Tennessee and Mississippi (by Caitlin)

Day 219 – Mississippi (by Jim)

Day 220 – Mississippi & Louisiana (by Pam)

Day 221 – Louisiana (by Caitlin)

Day 222 – Louisiana (by Ben)

Day 223 – Louisiana (by Lindsey)

Day 224 – Louisiana (by Abby)

Day 225 – Louisiana (by Ben)

Day 226 – Louisiana (by Jim)

Day 227 – Louisiana and Arkansas (by Pam)

Day 228 – Arkansas (by Caitlin)

Day 229 – Arkansas (by Ben)

Day 230 – Arkansas (by Lindsey)

Day 231 – Arkansas & Oklahoma (by Abigail)

Day 232 – Oklahoma (by Lindsey)

Day 233 – Oklahoma and Texas (by Jim)

Day 234 – Texas (by Pam)

Day 235 – Texas (by Caitlin)

Day 236 – Texas (by Ben)

Day 237 – Texas (by Lindsey)

Day 238 – Texas (by Abby)

Day 239 – Texas (by Abby)

Day 240 – Texas (by Jim)

Day 241 – Texas (by Pam)

Day 242 – Texas and New Mexico (by Caitlin and some by Ben)

Day 243 – New Mexico (by Ben)

Day 244 – New Mexico and Arizona (by Lindsey)

Day 245 – Arizona and Nevada (by Abby)

Day 246 – Nevada and California (by Jim)

Day 247 – California (by Jim)

Day 248 – California (by Pam)

Day 249 – California (by Caitlin)

Day 250 – California (by Ben)

Day 251 – California (by Lindsey)

Day 252 – California (by Abby)

Day 253 – California (by Pam)

Day 254 – California (by Jim)

Day 255 – California and Arizona (by Pam)

Accommodations Archive

Caitlin’s Shower Commentary

Lindsey’s Laughter Log

THE TAYLORS TAKE A YEAR OFF TO TRAVEL!

What are your life dreams? Jim asked Pam this question years ago. The answers led us to this year of travel. We dreamed of traveling to new places and spending time together as a family. In pondering our family’s long-term trajectory, we saw our kids ahead of their peers in school, having each skipped a grade. We wanted to maximize each person’s enjoyment and our family togetherness, so we targeted the school year 2010-2011. In all this, we recognize our Heavenly Father’s hand directing us. He implanted desires and engineered circumstances that combine to make this an emerging reality.

Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money. Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that. (James 4:13-15, NRSV)

With the above Scripture in mind, we establish a plan. As the Lord wills, we leave one July and return the next. We spend eight months in the US, traveling by RV, visiting the forty-eight contiguous states – our American adventure. Then we fly to Europe – but that is the topic of our second book.

Adventure is out there is our motto and, indeed, adventure is what we find as we travel around America.

Distances Traveled in the U.S.

Total Mileage: 28575.97 miles

Day 1 – California (by Pam)

Saturday, June 26, 2010

It has been a crazy week of celebration, packing, and preparing. Friday night (6/18) we had our going away party. Over 87 people had responded that they’d be there. It was a fun night. One highlight was having everyone suggest places to visit. We had a big laminated map of the US and Europe (Thanks Uncle Scott!!) and everyone wrote their ideas and suggestions on sticky notes and soon the map was covered with color. Later we met as a family and entered all the suggestions into our itinerary.

On Tuesday, 6/22, Abby graduated from 6th grade and gave a speech as part of the ceremony. On Thursday, 6/24, Lindsey turned 13 – another Taylor teen! We celebrated with family, fettuccini and Mom’s famous chocolate cake. The last time she’ll make that from scratch for 13 months.

We were able to pick up the RV on Thursday at 4pm and Friday and Saturday were spent packing the RV and cleaning the house for our houseguests – Mike, Karen and their son Paul Herscowitz. We didn’t quite make Ben’s countdown deadline of leaving at 9am, but in the end everything fit, we took some pictures with our neighbors, the Fongs, and after a trip around the block to go right, right, right so we could go left, we were off.

Today we headed up Interstate 5 to Mt. Shasta. Lake Shasta was beautiful and very full, the fullest it has been in years. We stopped for gas and dinner in Redding. Abby was to cook fish tacos, but we didn’t want to wait around for the rice to cook so we had a picnic dinner and were on our way. The rest of the drive was beautiful, watching the sun set on Mt. Shasta turning it orange then pink. We are camping tonight at Abrams Lake, formed by the last eruption of Black Butte, over 9,000 years ago. Jim was going to sleep out under the stars, but when he saw his options were rocky gravel, he opted for the comfort of the RV.

Tomorrow we’ll check out a Nazarene church in Mount Shasta and head on to Ashland, OR to see Hamlet at the Ashland Shakespeare festival. To prepare, during our ride today, we all took turns reading the different parts. Abby made a great ghost and a fair Hamlet and Caitlin has now had so much experience with Shakespeare that she was providing the color commentary and proper pronunciation of the olde English words.

Day 2 – California and Oregon (by Jim)

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Walking around the town of Mount Shasta this morning, I observed a bell-shaped flower with brilliant blue blossoms. I also saw a whole bunch of mobile homes. I guess that when such beautiful scenery surrounds you, you don’t fret about the appearance of your house.

The free showers at Abrams Lake RV Resort were clean and spacious, but I think the water supply was intended for just one person. With six of us trying, we got a trickle that varied abruptly between tepid and scorching hot. So our first adventure of the day was surviving the shower puzzle.

We worshipped with the Church of the Nazarene in Mount Shasta. With the six of us, we may have totaled 25 people in the pews. That could have felt very awkward, but the people were very welcoming. Pastor Andy and two others introduced themselves before we even got inside the church, and by the time worship began, we had met most of the people there. The church was built by the pastor’s dad, designed so that Mt. Shasta appears through the large window at the front of the church.

Many folks mentioned that today was the The Day in the Sun celebration in the park. After further probing, I learned that this was not, after all, a celebration of the summer solstice, but was rather a city-wide gathering of all the area churches for music and games and free food (and the name was A Day in the Son). We decided that we should give it a try. The band playing in the park was called Fret Not (love the name—see Psalm 37), and they played some excellent Christian bluegrass that kept us bouncing and swaying in our seats (on the grass).

We drove to Ashland’s beautiful Lithia Park and spent some time reading Hamlet out loud together. Pam braved the non-air-conditioned RV to prepare for us our first one-pot meal. Then we watched the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s production of Hamlet—intense and captivating. The play ended about 11:30, and then we drove to River of the Rogue State Park to camp. We’ll be here for three nights.

Day 3 – Oregon (by Pam)

Monday, June 28, 2010

Today was a quiet day of rest in the Valley of the Rogue State Park, OR. It sort of had to be since the day started at 12:30am with us arriving in the campground after seeing Hamlet at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Hamlet was 3 hours 15 minutes long and did not start until 8:30 pm. Both Jim and I nodded off at times, but all the kids stayed awake and attentive throughout! The resilience of children! We reached our campsite early this morning and after my miserable failure at using flashlights to direct Jim’s maneuvering of the RV, we finally hit the sack at 1:10am.

We slept late, enjoyed a late breakfast, awesome showers and a day of R&R. We cleaned up the RV, moved some things around to provide better access, and generally re-organized. Our new cell phone rang during the organization and we couldn’t find it/reach it before it went to voicemail. After a good laugh, we decided we needed a new storage place for it. We had had a problem with the AC not working when the RV was not hooked up which resulted in me having to cook dinner in a 93 degree RV without a working microwave. Jim solved that problem today after a phone call to the owner and uttered those infamous words we wives love to hear - You were right, honey. After lunch we began our family bible study of the book of Mark, manuscript style. Jim and I had been introduced to the manuscript method of studying Scripture when we were in college and have been eager to share this with our kids. It takes a year to study Mark in this manner so this trip has provided that perfect opportunity. The kids were fully engaged in the process and some good learning took place.

Abby finally got to fix her fish tacos for dinner, a dinner that had been aborted for the past few days. It was delicious, made more so by the pleasant surroundings of the green river valley. Rested and refreshed we are ready for another day in the Valley of the Rogue and the girls and I will take in Pride and Prejudice at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival tomorrow while Jim and Ben find some manly activity in Ashland to keep them busy while we are being entertained.

Day 4 – Oregon (by Caitlin)

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

On June 29, 2010, we woke up, enjoyed breakfast, and had our family devotional time. Afterwards, we dressed and walked the River Walk down to the Rogue River. As we strolled down the path under that beautiful blue Oregon sky, past the glittering trees, with towering mountains in the distance, my mind began to think of the words of a favorite song: I Could Sing of Your Love Forever (by Delirious):

Over the mountains and the sea,

Your river runs with love for me,

and I will open up my heart

and let the Healer set me free.

I’m happy to be in the truth,

and I will daily lift my hands:

for I will always sing of when

Your love came down.

I could sing of Your love forever,

I could sing of Your love forever,

I could sing of Your love forever,

I could sing of Your love forever.

Oh, I feel like dancing -

it’s foolishness I know;

but, when the world has seen the light,

they will dance with joy,

like we’re dancing now.

It was truly wonderful and blessing to experience God’s beautiful nature.

And, if it weren’t already crowded enough in the RV, we decided to bring along a few friends. All our friends have names that are based on the names of their actual labels.

• Our cell phones: Sally and Georgia Daisy

• Our RV: Harvey Aardvark

• Our GPS: Gypsy

• Our Converter: Connie

• Our Air Conditioner (A/C): Jaycee (in honor of Jaycie Wildermuth)

• Our Heater: Peter the Heater – aka Petie

• Our Ceiling Vents/Hatches/Window Thingies: Twisty

• Our Laptop: Toshi (It’s a TOSHIBA computer)

Day 5 – Oregon (by Ben)

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Today was a different kind of travel day. We woke up late (since the girls saw Pride and Prejudice last night) and headed off to Crater Lake National Park. On the way, we saw quite a few quaint little towns along the highway. Also along this road were some fields and pastures framed by rolling hills. It was gorgeous. When we got to Crater Lake National Park, we found our mosquito-filled campsite. It will be a night inside the RV for us all. We dropped by the Crater Lake Lodge for a ranger-talk about a submarine expedition to the bottom of Crater Lake. Later, we played in the snow (yes, snow in late June) and walked down to see a fantastic panoramic view of the Lake. Tomorrow, we will drop by the Visitor’s Center and then head out on a hike down on the Cleetwood Trail to the edge of the lake.

[Addendum (by Pam): Not wanting to frighten our relatives, who were our primary blog readers in the beginning of our trip, we omitted the misadventure of the day. What Ben didn’t mention was that in addition to clouds of mosquitos, which you would expect to find in June, there were also two to three-foot-high snowdrifts throughout the campground. Our campsite was a pull-through site with no hook ups. Snow completely covered the picnic table at the site. Signs everywhere told us to place our food in the food lockers to keep away from bears, but these lockers must also have been buried in the snow. The pull-through had recently been plowed, so we could pull in but had to maneuver carefully to avoid the trees and the snow banks. Poor Jim fought off the mosquitos while I tried to follow his hand signals to situate the RV. Finally settled, we started cooking dinner. No hook ups and faulty coach batteries meant we had to utilize the generator for power to cook dinner and to watch a movie after dinner.

Midway through the movie the carbon monoxide alarm went off. And the craziness began. Our initial thought to evacuate was thwarted by the snow and the clouds of mosquitos. So we opened all the windows, vents and door, praying the screens would keep out the bugs. Then Jim searched through the owners’ manual to figure out how to turn off the alarm and what to do next. Each child grabbed a cutting board, a sink cover, or a magazine to fan the air out of the RV. Finally Jim was able to turn off the alarm. Blessed silence.

Initially Jim thought it must have been a false alarm. But after 10 minutes of silence it sounded again. This time we shut off the generator in addition to turning off the alarm, and the kids’ crazy waving to circulate the air persisted for 15 minutes. Then we discussed with the kids the dangers of carbon monoxide and what to do should the alarm sound again in the night. We decided to sleep with all the windows and vents open to circulate the air. That turned out to be a very chilly decision, as the temperature dropped to 32° and everyone was sleeping in their summer PJs. In the middle of the night I got up and covered each sleeping body with a bath towel. The extra layer helped a little bit, but not very much.

In retrospect, we believe the CO alarm was working correctly and alerted us to a dangerous level of CO in the RV. Because the coach batteries weren’t working (they’d be replaced in Corvallis, Oregon, in a few days) and there were no hook ups, we had been forced to run the generator. Because the snow had just been plowed to clear the site, there were walls of snow surrounding the RV. Thus the fumes from the generator, unable to circulate, were trapped under the RV. Thankfully this adventure had a happy ending.]

Day 6 – Oregon (by Lindsey)

Thursday, July 1, 2010

This morning we all woke up shivering to a freezing 32 degrees! No wonder there is still snow in July here by Crater Lake! Well, we all booked out of our mosquito-infested campsite to have breakfast overlooking Crater Lake. Then we went to the visitor center and bookstore of Crater Lake National Park. In the bookstore, we found many interesting things. My personal favorite was a bookmark that said:

Advice from a Lake

Be Clear

Make Positive Ripples

Look Beneath the Surface

Stay Calm

Shore up friendships

Take time to reflect

Be full of life!

On the way out we picked up the ‘Junior Ranger’ packets, for ages 12 and under, for all four of us, even though only Abby is young enough! We went down to the visitor’s center and learned how Crater Lake was formed and about all the things that live in Crater Lake. Then we hopped back into our RV and headed down the road again. We stopped for lunch along a beautiful viewpoint and then drove some more. Finally, we got to Cleetwood Trail, a trail that leads down to Crater Lake. We slathered on sunscreen and insect repellent and started walking down the dusty, long, steep trail. On the way, we got glimpses of the gorgeous blue of Crater Lake. After about 30 minutes of walking, we reached the edge of the lake.

The blue was indescribably beautiful and we were all very in awe of it. We made our way down to a private little rocky cove where Abby and I immediately threw off our shoes to wade in. We dipped our toes into the freezing water, and then we waded and were having so much fun that we convinced Mom to dangle her feet as well! After a while, Abby’s feet turned blue and we sat on rocks to dry our feet and gaze at the pretty lake. We dipped in a water bottle into the lake water and Daddy made it clean with his handy dandy Steri-Pen and we all sipped a little of Crater Lake! Finally we headed up on a long journey upwards. Daddy ran ahead, but the rest of us took our time, stopping at every bench, there were about 12 of them and finally made it to the top! We were all a mess of dust and mosquito bites. But, Daddy had gone to the car to get snacks and we ate on our way back to the RV. We cleaned up and then headed to our next campsite, Hi-way Haven RV Park. The showers there were amazing and we all went to bed feeling clean and well accomplished.

Day 7 – Oregon (by Abby)

Friday, July 2, 2010

Today started with a trip to the refreshing showers, and Dad, Ben, and I going to play horseshoes. After we left our campsite, we drove to Historic Oakland in Oregon and stopped at an Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor that also served lunch, called Tolly’s.

Tolly’s claims to have the best hamburgers and whoopee pies. We saw this on a billboard and pondered over what whoopee pies were, finally deciding on delicious pies that make you say, WHOOPEE‼ After trying these delicious burgers, we proclaimed that they were indeed delicious, and that In-N-Out burgers were the only burgers in competition. For dessert, Dad got a German chocolate cake- with FIVE layers, Mom got a chocolate milkshake made from scratch, Caitlin got a banana split, Ben got a chocolate whoopee pie, Lindsey got a caramel sundae, and I got an old fashioned ice cream soda – with caramel syrup. We sampled each other’s desserts, and decided that all were delicious, but everyone, including me, thought that their dessert was the best. (OLD FASHIONED ICE CREAM SODAS ARE THE BEST‼) We all say that you can’t pass through Historic Oakland, OR without going to Tolly’s. I highly recommend you visit Tolly’s.

After we left Oakland, we drove for a couple of hours before coming to our Grandma and Grandpa’s house in Corvallis, Oregon. We had a delicious dinner and enjoyed a walk around the neighborhood with their dog, Jeanie. Then the parents slept in the house, while the kids got to sleep in the RV. Each of us was able to sleep in our own bed and Mom set up a rotation so by the end of our time here in Corvallis we will each have a chance to try out all the different beds in the RV.

Day 8 – Oregon (by Caitlin)

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Still at Grandma’s house, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast of oatmeal (Grandma’s way – the best way!), homemade sweet rolls (HEAVENLY!), scrambled eggs (DEE-licious), fresh strawberries, orange juice, and so much more food that I forgot what else there was.

After breakfast, Grandma took us to Blueberry Meadows to pick blueberries. We learned about a new fruit pest that harms any soft-skinned fruits. Oregon got the bug from California, who got it from Southeast Asia. To prevent the bug from visiting the blueberry farm, we disposed of the berries we picked but didn’t want in smaller buckets separate from our good berry buckets. I like picking blueberries because it isn’t tedious. We don’t have to bend all the way to the ground or pull really hard. Mom was in blueberry heaven because she loves blueberries. She claims that they are the only reason that we came to Oregon, but in my opinion, blueberries aren’t as good as other berries.

After picking 14.25 pounds of blueberries, we visited Fred Meyer and Winco. My sisters and I all love Fred Meyer stores. We don’t have any in Elk Grove, so it was a new experience for us. That place has EVERYTHING! There was a deli, a shoe store, a clothing store (with fashionable clothes!), the regular items of a typical grocery store, couches, and even a Chase bank and a jewelry store! We Taylor girls (Caitlin, Lindsey, and Abby) even formed the Fred Meyer Club, in which the objective is to dawdle and try to see absolutely everything cool in the store. We actually didn’t form the club on purpose, but it was always us three girls who were dawdling and sauntering way behind everyone else, so we decided to make a club of it in honor of Fred Meyer stores everywhere.

After the visit to Winco and Fred Meyer, we went home and packed sandwiches and lunches. We took off in Grandpa’s really awesome car that fits eight people and headed west for Newport. Along the way we stopped for lunch at a beautiful rest stop with a backdrop of heavy green forestry practically dripping with dark, soft moss. We ate our delicious lunches at a picnic table in the shade in the middle of a field of daisies. It was beautiful. Then Lindsey picked daisies and, once we were on the road again, she made a daisy chain in Grandpa’s car. Sorry, Grandpa, about that mess in the very back of your amazing car. The Fred Meyer club, who just happened to be sitting all together in the back, stuck the extra daisies in the hair and shirt collars of the family members sitting in front of us, who quickly became quite annoyed. The car ride to Newport was very entertaining for some, and very long for others.

The Oregon State University Marine Center was our first destination in Newport. We met up with our friends, the Hellestos, there and had a very fun time exploring all the types of ecosystems and different species and invasive species of the Pacific Ocean. We got to touch and explore many different ocean animals. One stuck to whatever touched it, while another retracted its tentacle thingies. A colorful, spiky sea creature closed its spikes on our fingers, as if to ensnare its dinner. And there were also a few fish and eels that would hold still long enough to be touched, some scaly, others slimy. We also watched an educational film about dolphins. I learned that the part of a dolphin’s head behind its eyes is called the melon, and I also discovered how to tell a male dolphin from a female dolphin.

After the Oregon State University Marine Center closed, we decided to go to Beverly Beach. We spent about an hour enjoying the cool ocean breeze. Ben joined Karl and Clark Hellesto in building a fort of sand and seaweed, while the Fred Meyer club entertained the two youngest Hellestos, Ingrid and Jannie.

When it was time to end our visit to the beach, we said goodbye to the Hellestos, and our wonderful grandparents took us to Mo’s, which serves THE BEST clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl (called a Cannonball Bowl). Before we were served our meal, we devoured at least fifty soup crackers as a family. The ride back to Corvallis was less eventful than before because we were all tired and cranky and sandy from the beach. However, it was a lovely ending to a beautiful day in Oregon.

Day 9 – Oregon (by Jim)

Sunday, July 4, 2010

One of the enduring benefits of staying with my Mom is that we are always well fed. Whereas in my childhood days we would simply enjoy whatever she put before us, she has now become something of a short-order cook. So at the breakfast table this morning were tea, orange juice, milk, fresh blueberries, yogurt, cream of wheat, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, and cinnamon buns. As you might have read, yesterday’s morning selection was even broader.

We worshipped today with Calvary Chapel Corvallis. Being July, we gathered in the amphitheater outside, made of beautifully landscaped terraces and a baptism pool. The worship service was a well-designed holistic experience: a period of silence prepared us for singing, focusing us for the teaching, leading naturally to baptisms accompanied by more singing.

After church we enjoyed a Fourth of July party with friends from my childhood days, the Hellesto and MacDonald families. They were curious about our RV, so we gladly showed them our home on wheels. After a week on the road, Harvey (our RV) was caked with bugs and dirt, so I gave her a wash. We ended the day with sparklers and fireworks on the deck. Happy 234th birthday, USA!

Day 10 – Oregon and Washington (by Pam)

Monday, July 5, 2010

Today we awoke early, which was difficult given the firework fun the night before, and headed out on the road. It was hard to say goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa and all the amenities of a home that doesn’t move. However we left with full bellies, clean clothes, a few twisted arms (from Ben’s unsuccessful attempts to flub up his Grandpa) and grateful hearts for a good time spent with family and friends. We were headed to the Columbia River Gorge.

After enjoying breakfast on the road and some quiet down time during the drive, we arrived at Women’s Forum Overlook at the western end of the Columbia River Gorge. We had planned to meet up with our friends, the Van Bergeyks, former across-the-street neighbors and we were all eager to see each other again and catch up. Once they arrived, we all piled in Harvey (our RV) and set off to explore the 11 waterfalls and other various scenic viewpoints of the gorge. Abby and Emily, 11 and 10, soon renewed their friendship and after a few minutes of shyness, Miriam and James could not get enough of Ben, Lindsey and Caitlin. The adults also had a great time talking, sharing and catching up.

Our first stop was Crown Point Vista House, a magnificent pavilion built on a cliff in the early 1910s. It was full of history and exquisite pictures of the area documenting how the scenic drive had developed over the years. Then it was on to Latourell Falls. What we thought to be a short hike to view the falls turned out to be a 1.5 mile hike, first to the base of the falls and then up to the top of the falls. It was overcast and cool, but the hike through the temperate rainforest was amazing.

Next came Shepperds Falls and a 0.4-mile hike to view the falls. As we drove on we found that many others had similar plans for their July 5th holiday, and parking a 30-foot RV was growing increasingly difficult. We found a spot to tuck Harvey, a half mile from Multnomah Falls, at the base of Wankeena Falls. A short hike, 0.5 miles, lead us to the base of those falls, and Ben had to be deterred from hiking to the top as everyone else was growing weary.

Then it was a hike to Multnomah Falls, the second tallest waterfall in the US. (Trivia question: Which California waterfall beats it out for first?) The gorgeous falls plummeted 620 feet to an upper pool then fell another 69 feet to a lower pool. We hiked to the bridge by the upper pool and Jim got a picture of all of us in our Stanford sweatshirts on the bridge at the base of the upper falls. I had had us all pack our Stanford sweatshirts for easy recognition in a crowd, but didn’t realize how much it made our crew stand out – in more ways than one. Upon our return, we were all treated to ice cream by the Van Bergeyks and then trooped back to the RV.

Then it was on to Puyallup, Washington, the Van Bergeyk’s home. After a dinner stop at Hometown Buffet, a great place to take 11 people with varying tastes and appetites, we arrived, tired but satisfied with our busy day. Abby enjoyed a sleepover in Emily’s room and Jim and I enjoyed the comforts of a home again while the older three kids slept in Harvey. Not that they really minded as it meant someone got the master bed in the RV and no one was required to share a bed. Our time in Oregon was over and our time in Washington State has just begun.

Day 11 – Washington (by Caitlin)

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Today we woke up at the Van Bergeyks’ house. What’s weird here - but still kind of cool – is that the neighborhoods have no sidewalks. Their beautifully manicured, lush green lawns just keep going, and then end at the street. The people walk in the street and ride their bikes in the street and drive in the street. Maybe I’m spoiled to have had sidewalks in all the neighborhoods I’ve ever lived in, but the absence of a sidewalk did strike me as kind of odd. I wonder what the residents think when they visit neighborhoods that actually do have sidewalks.

Anyway, this morning we had an amazing breakfast consisting of Mr. Van Bergeyk’s special pancake recipe, with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves with real Canadian maple syrup. Also, they graciously served us kiwis, sliced peaches, and fresh blueberries. After breakfast, we packed up our RV and they packed up their van for their camping trip. We followed them to the nearest Costco with a gas station, at which we spent over $125 (!) filling up our gas guzzling machine and said our goodbyes to the Van Bergeyks.

Then we went on to visit the Museum of Flight in Seattle, WA, seeing how planes have changed through time. Ben liked seeing the designs of different ways of traveling through air and space in comparison to one another. Abby enjoyed the WASP exhibit, while Lindsey and I enjoyed asking Pete Conrad about his life in the Rendezvous in Space exhibit. My favorite part was the interactive kids’ section, The Flight Zone, in which we got to sit in real planes and control them. After the Museum of Flight, we went home and had a relaxing evening watching the new family favorite television show, America’s Got Talent. And we all got to sleep in real beds! No one slept in the RV, as the Van Bergeyks were gone camping, and graciously left us their entire house, complete with five beds, just enough for the six of us! Thanks so much, Van Bergeyk family!

Day 12 – Washington (by Ben)

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Today, we departed from the Van Bergeyks’ house in Puyallup, WA. We headed north to Seattle, where we toured Pike Place Market. After being overwhelmed by all the colors and delicious smells of seafood and produce, we found Rachel, the bronze pig mascot of the Market. We wandered around until we found Pike Place Fish. It was incredible watching the fishmongers at their work. Whenever a customer chose to purchase any seafood, they would yell out the name of the food. The cashiers would echo the name, and then hold up paper to catch the whole fish or crab as it was hurled up to 30 feet through the air. They never missed a single catch. Then, we got to sample some delicious delicacies from the Daily Dozen Doughnut Co. We bought a scrumptious assortment of cinnamon, powdered, sprinkled, and plain mini-donuts. As we passed by later, we saw the donuts being made and fried. Next, we got a glimpse at the famous Gum Wall, where thousands of pieces of gum are stuck to a brick wall all the way down the alley. It was disgusting but cool at the same time.

We drove on towards North Cascades National Park with the intent of camping there for the night. However, we were running late. When we pulled over for a rest break in a ‘park’, we walked around and found it was a very nice RV site along the Skagit River. We played Frisbee, volleyball, and football in the grass behind the site until it was time for our superb chicken dinner. Tomorrow, we plan to tour the North Cascades National Park.

Day 13 – Washington (by Lindsey)

Thursday, July 8, 2010

We started today with a late morning. We all got dressed, but decided to wait on breakfast because our milk supply had diminished. After stopping to refuel and picking up some milk (only 2% lowfat milk was available – yuck!), we stopped at an overlook and ate breakfast there. Then, we started our journey to North Cascades National Park.

First, we swung by the Visitor’s Center and checked out all of the exhibits there and then walked out of the back of the Visitor’s Center and went on a short interpretative walk to an overlook of Picket’s Range. The interpretative walk had all these signs identifying birds we might see, and if you looked very closely you could see wooden model of the bird tacked to a tree. Abby also became a Junior Ranger and received a patch with a butterfly on it.

We drove a little more, passing a few waterfalls on the way. We then hiked Thunder Knob Trail, a steep nature walk. This trail had a guide and trail markers to teach us about the area. Caitlin really liked the lichen moss and Dad made a piece of it into a long funny-looking moustache. Then we headed out for lunch at Diablo Lake Overlook. Diablo Lake, like all the lakes in the North Cascades NP is a glacier fed lake. The glaciers pick up rock flour as they move and deposit them in the lakes, turning the lakes a gorgeous green color. The lakes were beautiful, but Dad was disappointed when he realized they were all manmade.

We then drove to Rainy Pass. Here we had a choice between hiking part of the Pacific Crest Trail (Dad and Ben’s choice) or hiking the Rainy Lake Trail which would take us to Rainy Lake (the girls’ choice). After 5 minutes on the upper trail and no view in site, we switched to the Rainy Lake Trail. This lake was not manmade. It is a subalpine kettle lake, made from the depression of a melting glacier. A melting glacier feeds it and there were two huge beautiful waterfalls on the opposite side of the lake. We all dipped our toes in the cold lake, nearly freezing our feet.

We made our final brief stop at Washington Pass Overlook. This has a path that goes out on top of the cliffs and overhangs. From here you can see the Liberty Bell Rock, but we didn’t think it looked very much like a bell.

Then we drove to a seemingly very populated campground and, after a pleasant mosquito free chicken dinner, went swimming in the nearby lake that was a short walk from our campsite. The water was surprisingly warm and we all swam out to the buoys and had a lot of fun trying to balance all four of us kids on the buoy until we all fell off. But we were persistent and even though in truth we never really succeeded, we had a lot of fun! We had decided to use the RV’s shower instead of the camp showers and this led to some fairly interesting showers - we had to use pitchers of water to rinse out our hair because of the light flow of water. So it was decided that we will use the camp’s showers the next time, (no matter the cost), and we went to bed after an active and eventful day.

Day 14 – Oregon (by Abby)

Friday, July 9, 2010

We were on the road early this morning, hoping to get to our friends, the Janssens’ house by 4:00. Actually, mom and dad got on the road at 6:30am and drove while the rest of us slept. We stopped for a scenic breakfast about nine at the Dry Falls State Park, learned about it, and then got on the road again. At about 2:00, we decided to have lunch on the road. Mom made some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while Dad continued to drive. Since Corvallis, we have been trying to go through the 14.25 pounds of blueberries that we picked. Mom found out that, instead of using jelly, a peanut butter and fresh blueberries sandwich is much better. To make this you need two pieces of bread, peanut butter, and about a cup of blueberries. Spread the peanut butter on both pieces of bread so that the blueberries will not fall out. Sprinkle the blueberries on top of the peanut butter however thickly or thinly you want. Squish the pieces of bread together and you have a blueberry and peanut butter sandwich. It is delicious, although Mom describes it as tasting a bit of heaven.

After lunch we continued driving. As we grew nearer to the Janssen’s house, we became lost. We think that Gypsy, our GPS, was drunk, because she told us to drive straight in a parking lot and we decided not to follow her directions when we almost ran into a building! Then a deer raced across our path. Finally we called the Janssens for directions. When we arrived, we were greeted by Isaac (4), Zeri (3), and Taya (2), running all around the house yelling HI! HI! HI! HI! over and over again. Zeri and Taya, adopted from Ethiopia, are extremely cute, not to mention Isaac, who decided, after touring Harvey, our RV, that he wants his own RV. His dad explained that it would take a lot of quarters to get him an RV, but that didn’t stop Isaac from requesting one. After a delicious Indian dinner, with spicy chicken, naan (a type of bread), and Indian rice, we played outside until it was time for the little ones to go to bed. The Janssens, like our friends the VanBergeyks, in Washington, love the game Settlers of Catan, and we got a chance to play it for the first time. We played it until late at night, and the team made up of Mrs. Janssen and I eventually won this fun game. And so we went to sleep after a long, fun day. 

Day 15 – Oregon (by Ben)

Saturday, July 10, 2010

After a fun night at the Janssens, we woke up around 7:30 and had a yummy breakfast of pancakes. After packing our belongings, we tried out Mr. Janssen’s tandem bike around the block. It was very fun being in the back except for the lack of any control over direction or speed. Leaving our friends, we drove onward toward Baker City, OR, in hopes of finding the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. When we got there, we found out it was the weekend of their Music Festival. After listening to a Native American flute, we ventured inside. It was extremely informative, as every exhibit had tons of text, videos, and pictures. After becoming experts on the events of the mid-1800s, we saw an exhibit on the Native American Flutes we had seen performed. Abby, Dad, and I (Ben) all tried the flutes. It was difficult at first, but eventually we all got the hang of it.

We next continued on to Hells Canyon. We found the RV Park we had hoped for and set up camp. Unfortunately, the Snake River wasn’t conducive to swimmers. I am looking forward to seeing the rest of Hells Canyon.

Day 16 – Oregon and Idaho (by Jim)

Sunday, July 11, 2010

I began today with a lovely walk. I awoke at about 6:40 in our new time zone (Mountain Daylight Time). We were camped at Hell’s Canyon Park, right by the reservoir, but I found a dirt road that led back into the hills, away from the sounds of traffic and river. About a mile along this road were some nice flat boulders for me to sit and enjoy the beautiful desert silence. The bees humming in the flowers, the breeze ruffling the leaves, the birds chirping in the distance just magnified the serenity and quiet.

We drove to the Hell’s Canyon visitor center for breakfast. The visitor center was small and had little to teach us. We wandered around the riverside for a bit, watched enviously as some rafters embarked down the river, then got back on the road.

Our next destination was Meridian, ID, where we were royally welcomed by Hugh and Mary Mitzner’s (Pam’s sister’s parents-in-law). After a brief tutorial in the history and geology of Idaho, they treated us to a swim at the community pool. The kids inflicted much pain on themselves by their attempts to dive from the 12-foot diving board. Then we returned to our guest house (also courtesy of the Mitzners) for showers and fresh clothes. We all stuffed ourselves at a super barbecue restaurant and then enjoyed a driving tour of the town of Meridian and Nampa.

Day 17 – Idaho (by Pam)

Monday, July 12, 2010

Jim and I started out our marriage with several adventures on our honeymoon which included almost missing our flight to leave and walking a very long it’s just a stone’s throw away distance carrying too much luggage (no wheels) to catch our ferry home. Then, as now, we were able to laugh at these mishaps and dubbed ourselves The Flexible Taylors. This flexibility and ability to laugh at our mishaps have served us well over the years and in this trip and especially today.

We awoke early again. Only it felt especially more so since we had just crossed into the Mountain Time zone and our 6:30am wake up felt like 5:30 am. My boys were looking scruffy, so I took them out to the patio of the guest house and buzzed them both with the clippers. Then they were respectable enough to join us for breakfast at the Lodge. Breakfast at the Lodge was just another added benefit of our staying at the guest house courtesy of Hugh and Mary Mitzner. We enjoyed a scrumptious buffet feast which left even Ben saying he was stuffed. (And that is a hard thing to do these days of rapid growth!)

Then we went our separate ways. The boys, Jim, Ben and Hugh, departed for the RV repair shop to try to find out why the generator was not turning on the A/C in the coach while we drove. The kids have had to endure 85-93 degree temperatures inside the RV and have been vying to ride shotgun or sit in the seat directly by the cab which we can keep cool. The girls, Pam, Caitlin, Lindsey, Abby and Mary, departed for a walking tour of historic downtown Boise. Mary showed us the Bosque district, a cool plaza with a fountain to walk through, several neat statues and a park set apart to preserve Boise’s history. A highlight for me was the mural illustrating several aspects of Bosque culture including a piece of a Picasso painting protesting the destruction of a Bosque city during the Spanish Civil War.

When we checked in with the boys we found that the solution to fixing our hot RV was as simple as flipping a switch and the A/C was running off the generator. Hooray! However, that joy was not to last. When I suggested Jim start up the A/C as the kids were repacking the RV, the generator would not start. This led to more phone calls with the repair shop, adding oil, more calls and then nothing.

We decided to go on with our day and try the repairs again when we get to Greeley, CO where we are scheduled to spend a few days. We headed off to Costco for lunch, restocking our milk and food supplies and for gas. My kids got a kick out of the Mitzners who had not been in a Costco and the Mitzners got a kick out of watching shopping carts full to overflowing exit the door. Fully thankful to our gracious and generous hosts, we said goodbye and headed out. We had planned to go east to see some sights suggested by the Mitzners, but soon realized that we would arrive just before closing time. So we returned to our original plan to go north to Stanley, ID in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and visit Red Fish Lake. We’ll just postpone the other eastern Idaho highlights a few days.

We arrived at 6pm, pulled into the last available campsite, and enjoyed a dinner of rotisserie chicken, green salad, potato salad, and sourdough bread, all from Costco. The kids were surprised and disappointed that the Costco potato salad is no longer San Francisco’s Finest but a Northwest Potato Salad filled with Idaho potatoes. And the sourdough bread was not SF sourdough, but Idaho sourdough. They didn’t think their beloved Costco brands would change as we traveled, but, being the Flexible Taylors, they’ll adjust.

Tomorrow we have planned a day of rest. We’ll sleep in, take showers, do laundry and continue on in our study of the Gospel of Mark. Then we’ll explore Stanley Lake and maybe Red Fish Lake and just enjoy God’s amazing beauty before moving on to see what else beautiful Idaho has to offer.

Day 18 – Idaho (by Caitlin)

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Today we relaxed and enjoyed the opportunity to not be on the move. We enjoyed a hot lunch on account of the special occasion. Then we visited the Stanley Creek Visitor Center for information about where we could rent a man-powered boat to explore the local bodies of water: Stanley Creek, Stanley Lake, and Redfish Lake. We ended up renting two three-person canoes (green canoes labeled Mackinaw 156) to explore Redfish Lake: Daddy, Ben, and Abby in one and Mommy, Lindsey and me in the other.