Dear Etrain,
We just got back from the most awesome vacation. Your dad and I wanted to go somewhere new on vacation. Because your attention span on an airplane is limited, we were trying to think of a destination within a 2-3 flight radius. I had never been to Portland and it had been a while since Dada had been. Also, we have a friend that lives there now so it'd be great to see her and her family while we're up there.
You were so excited to go on the "jet plane" because you wanted to watch a movie. I must say, you were great on the plane. You watched your movie...and let Dada and I watch one too. Score! It was one of the most peaceful flights I've had with you so far. As always, the people around us thought you were adorable. I agree.
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| Focused. |
Once we landed and got our luggage, we waited what felt like forever to get our rental car, but then we were off to explore. First stop was food. I got you some pizza and you really liked it...and loved being goofy with the crust. The rest of the day we checked into our apartment, and walked around the area. We bought some groceries at the store next door, and then just relaxed for the night.
The next day was supposed to have beautiful weather so after a delicious breakfast, we decided to go on a waterfall adventure. I had been wanted to take you somewhere in nature, other than the beach. I had wanted you to experience green trees everywhere, rivers or streams, and just general beauty in nature. Boy did Portland (or just outside of Portland) deliver.
On our way to our first stop, Dada saw something cool on the side of the highway, and decided to take a detour. Our detour took us to Rooster Rock State Park, which is next to the Columbia River. At the time I didn't even realize that across the river was Washington state. Anyway, while I was snapping some photos you found a little flower to give me. You loved how tiny it was.
There was a little playground, so we decided to play a little bit before heading out. It was one of the most beautiful locations for a playground. I think you enjoyed the tether ball and swings more than the sights, but that's ok. There was something for everyone.
Next stop was Latourtell Falls. This was maybe my favorite part of our whole trip; mostly because it was just breathtakingly beautiful. I took a million photos, but they don't really do it justice. Not only could you get up close to the falls, but there were awesome trails to walk. I loved that it wasn't too crazy, so you could walk it all, and you seemed to love it. It was so fun just watching you explore.
After that we went down the road to Multnomah Falls. This spot was a little more touristy, but we heard there was food. Ha. Really, our friend mentioned that there was a lodge that had a restaurant, and after all our exploring, we were ready to eat. After a nice lunch, we went to check out the falls. They were super tall (some say the 2nd largest year round waterfall, and 4th largest in the US), and beautiful, but the trails to get closer were closed. There had been a fire several months earlier and some roads and trails were still closed.
On the way back we made another detour before going home. We had seen Vista House on the way to the falls (actually the reason Dada detoured in the morning), and decided to check it out since we were driving by. Vista House had great views and you could see more of Washington State, past the Columbia River. You enjoyed the sights, but were more interested in climbing all over everything. After a stop in the gift shop, we headed home and you were pooped.
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| For some reason you started licking random stuff on this trip. You've since stopped - hallelujah. |
The next day we spent the morning at a local park. There were a ton a kids there and you had fun playing with them. You did get a bit frustrated when you couldn't keep up with the big kids, and do the same things as them, but overall we had a good morning and accomplished our goal of tiring you out so you would take a nap. Which worked!
After your nap we headed to our friend's house. They have two kids, one close to your age. You loved driving their little car, playing basketball, and playing with all their toys in general. We had told you in advance that you were going to have a sleepover and seemed pretty excited about it. So when the babysitter showed up, you didn't seem to mind that all us parents were leaving at all. The report from the babysitter was that you and our friend's daughter partied until about 10 pm.
It was nice for Dada and I to have a night out with the adults, meanwhile you got to have a fun night with other kids your age. And the next morning you kids were up bright and early. Their daughter was playing dress up and you said you wanted to wear something too. We told you to pick something out and you chose the skirt below. I'm not sure if you liked it because you acted a bit awkward and didn't wear it for too long. It was pretty cute though.
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| Dada and I are trying to break you of your nose and lip picking habits. Ugh. |
After leaving our friend's house, we headed back to our apartment to clean up, then off to a new adventure...the zoo! The Oregon Zoo is probably one of the most beautiful zoo's I've been to. They built it right up in the middle of all the green trees (forest?) and it was gorgeous everywhere you looked. You seemed to get a kick out of all the animals for a long while, but then the lack of sleep started to kick in. I'd say we saw most of the zoo and still had time to get back to our apartment and relax.
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| View from our apartment. |
On our last day, our flight wasn't until middle afternoon, so we had the morning to do something fun. We noticed that next to the zoo was a Children's Museum, so we decided to check it out. They basically had a ton of activities that you could play with. We did the pretend grocery store, race track, construction zone and many more. You also had fun in their pottery studio where you could play with the clay. We explored the grounds outside a bit, then had to head to the airport.
After another successful flight, we got home at a decent hour and you had a great night's sleep. You were such a great travel buddy this trip. We of course had our ups and downs, but overall you did great and it was so exciting to show you something and someplace new. You've been on plenty of vacations, but this time it felt like we were really showing you something and you were taking it in. Who knows what you'll remember, but you also seem to have a memory of steel, so maybe you will. Maybe this blog post will help. Either way, your dad and I made some fun memories with you and that is all worth it.
Oh, and random side note. This trip was the first where you didn't sleep in a pack and play. At our apartment you slept on a queen sized bed and I put blow up bumpers on each side of the bed. At the sleepover you slept on an air mattress. I was so glad you did so well with naps (when we gave you one) and bed time. You're such a big boy now sleeping in big boy beds. Nice job, son.
Can't wait for our next adventure!
Love,
Mama
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