Noe News is Good News

8154 trip 2020 : Day 15 Oregon - California

February 9th 

OREGON COAST 

I really wanted to see some whales on this trip. We had a few stops scheduled along the way, but sometimes we had to keep going to stay on track. We had missed some of the best lookout spots for seeing a whale although we always kept our eyes open while driving along the coast. We did come across a nice whale mural though! Close enough?



We stopped by the house of a friend of my dad's who lived right on Hwy 1. I immediately fell in love with this couple. The Fieirra's were super friendly, but they were also artsy, and  their home was so beautiful. It was like the kind of a museum or antique shop I'd spend hours in. Everywhere you looked was a collection of things that caught my eye, and I especially loved talking to Jacque about all of her found things. She was once an owner of an boutique shop, much like the one Sascha and I want to have one day. She was gold. With her permission, I took a ton of photos of her home! So much inspiration. I took a TON of photos!















































































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GOLD BEACH, OREGON 

As I was researching places to stop along the way, there were a couple of beaches that were known for hiding glass floats along the ocean. We missed one of those beaches, so I made sure we got to stop at Gold Beach. I told my dad I wanted to spend some time here with the kids. We didn't have a long time, but the kids immediately got to work looking for a glass float. We saw many many people coming away with them which made us a little more optimistic. Landen was the one who worked really hard looking. The girls soon gave up and started playing along the beach. Soon it was time to go and no luck. Poor Landen had really wanted one of those glass floats. I started talking to some nice women, and told them all about Landen and how he had really wanted one. I don't know if they were just kind people, or if they were the actual hiders (they were definitely locals) but one of them motioned for me to follow her to her van where she got one out and put it in my hand. I then proceeded to hide it and Landen came across it. He was so excited. I ended up telling him what really happened, but it was a good lesson on how hard work pays off in the end... and I was super grateful for those kind hearted women who made his day. 


















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CALIFORNIA COAST - AVENUE OF THE GIANTS/REDWOODS

By the time we reached the California border, we were running way behind schedule. I was really sad about it because we were supposed to be driving through the Redwood Forest and the Avenue of the Giants. By the time we got there though, it was already starting to get dark. It really made me cry. I wanted the kids to really feel their smallness next to these trees. Going to Muir Woods in San Francisco by myself a few years ago was life-changing and I just wanted to pass it on. Thankfully, we had plans to stop by the Sequoias as well- but that was all dependent on road conditions, so it was a gamble. Still, we got to drive through and see the trees, even if it was a little dark. We rolled down our windows, drove slow, and stopped by a few trees so that the kids could stand next to them. Even though we couldn't appreciate them as I had envisioned in my head, driving down the Avenue of Giants definitely made me feel small again, and the kids were in awe. I would love to go back one day and spend a whole day there. 

8154 day 14 - WASHINGTON COAST - OREGON

February 7th 

LONG BEACH, WASHINGTON

We said goodbye to Amaree and her family and were off early to head to the coast! 






Our first stop was in Long Beach, Washington, the world's longest beach! While there, the kids tried their first clam chowder and loved it! I am definitely NOT a seafood fan, but I took a bite just to say that I had and it was actually really good. The place we went to was called Chowder Stop, a cute little restaurant right on the beach. We saw more bald Eagles and loved watching the powerful ocean waves.






















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CAPE DISAPPOINTMENT, WASHINGTON 

Cape disappointment was named on July 6th 1788 by British fur trader John Meares. He mistook the cape for a bay where he wanted to trade. Anyway, there was a lighthouse there and we took a little walk to take in the amazing ocean air and look at the lighthouse. This little walk was so memorable because Landen put Joselyn on his shoulders and walked for quite some time. I was really seeing all of my children bond during this trip and it was the sweetest thing. Cape Disappointment was my first real taste of the Pacific Northwest coast, and it was far from a disappointment. It was breathtaking and memorable. And cold and windy!




















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OREGON - PETER IREDALE SHIPWRECK

Oregon was my most anticipated stop because it was the only inland state that I had not been to! We crossed a long bridge over to Astoria, Oregon. Crossing over the bridge was really neat. It was rainy and moody and I could see sea gulls flying beside me. 

 






Once in Astoria, we headed to the Peter Iredale shipwreck. This was my find, and I was so excited to see it. Thing is, we had to get there when the tide was low to be able to go right up to it. We lucked out and it was crazy cool! Even though it was windy and cold, it was definitely one of the coolest things we saw on the trip. And even though it sounds mysterious, the story of how the shipwreck got there isn't what you'd think. 

"The wreck of the Peter Iredale is shown in this photograph, taken by Portland photographer Leo Simon on November 13, 1906, nineteen days after the ship ran aground near Ft. Stevens.

The Peter Iredale was a four-masted steel bark built in Maryport, England, in 1890 and owned by British shipping firm Iredale & Porter. On September 26, 1906, the Iredale left Salina Cruz, Mexico, bound for Portland, where it was to pick up a cargo of wheat for the United Kingdom. Despite encountering heavy fog, they managed to safely reach the mouth of the Columbia River early in the morning of October 25. The captain of the ship, H. Lawrence, later recalled that, as they waited for a pilot, “a heavy southeast wind blew and a strong current prevailed. Before the vessel could be veered around, she was in the breakers and all efforts to keep her off were unavailing.” The Iredale ran aground at Clatsop Beach, hitting so hard that three of her masts snapped from the impact. Fortunately, none of the crew were seriously injured. Captain Lawrence ordered that the ship be abandoned, and rockets were launched to signal for help.

The lifesaving station at Point Adams quickly responded, sending a team of men to rescue the crew. It was a dangerous task, but the lifesavers managed to bring all twenty-seven crewmen, including two stowaways, safely to shore. William K. Inman, one of the lifesavers who helped Captain Lawrence ashore, remembered that the red-bearded captain stood stiffly at attention, saluted his ship, and said “May God bless you and may your bones bleach in these sands.” He then turned and addressed his men with a bottle of whisky in his hand. “Boys,” he said, “have a drink.” The British Naval Court later ruled that the sudden wind shift and the strong current were responsible for the stranding of the ship, and that the captain and his officers were “in no wise to blame.”

The wrecked bark became an immediate tourist attraction. The day after the ship ran ashore the Oregon Journal reported that the wreck “proved a strong attraction…and in spite of the gale that was raging scores flocked to the scene of the disaster.” They noted that the Astoria & Columbia River Railroad was already planning to run excursion trains to the site.

Although the ship has been broken up by wave, wind, and sand over the years, the wreck of the Peter Iredale continues to be a popular tourist attraction."

From: https://oregonhistoryproject.org/articles/historical-records/the-wreck-of-the-peter-iredale/#.X0RIuMhKiM8

 

We also made a quick stop to Cannon Beach, but we didn't stay long at all because it was really windy and cold. We had to get a picture though!





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OREGON - TILLAMOOK CREAMERY

This was a fun stop for the kids and Grampz! It was interesting to see how ice cream and cheese was made for sure, but it also kind of breaks my heart a little when I think about the baby cows being taken from their mothers, so it was a little hard for me. Anyway, it was our last stop of the day!

8154 trip 2020 : Day 13 Poulsbo & Bainbridge Island WASHINGTON

February 6th

POULSBO, WASHINGTON

This was our last full day with Amaree and the kids, so Benson and Olivia got to come hang out with us and take the day off of school. We loved having them come along to explore with us. When Amaree found out we loved Leavenworth, she suggest we go visit Poulsbo, which has been nicknamed Little Norway. If I had to choose between the two, Poulsbo would for sure be the favorite. Even though it had a bit of a touristy feel to it too, the shops were more interesting- with local artists selling their things and such. We also went to the world famous Poulsbo Sluys bakery (home of the Poulsbo bread) where the kids got donuts as big as their heads! Its Nordic charm and foggy skies stole my heart. 












































Another fun free attraction was the Poulsbo Sea Discovery Center. They had a tide pool petting zoo which was incredible. We got to see sea life up close and personal and "pet" the starfish, sea cucumbers and anemone. It was neat to touch them! The starfish were a little tougher than you'd think, and the colors were so vibrant it was almost unreal. The anemone was super sticky and would stick to your fingers. The Sea cucumbers, although they looked spiky, were actually soft and squishy like Jello!













































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BAINBRIDGE ISLAND - JAPANESE INTERNMENT MEMORIAL

Bainbridge Island was such a beautiful well maintained town. Every home was immaculate and yards were so lovely, colorful and eye catching. Every person I saw was fit, healthy and wearing artsy clothing. It seems like an incredible place to live. The main reason for our visit to Bainbridge Island though was to visit the Japanese Internment Memorial. Much like the Little Big Horn, this memorial moved me to tears. It was quiet and beautiful and solemn. Honestly, when Amaree told me about this memorial, I had to brush up on my history because I didn't really know what it was all about. Why aren't our children learning about these things in school? I never knew how cruel we were to the Japanese people during World War II but I will for sure never forget 

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, 276 Japanese Americans from Bainbridge Island were forced to internment camps (which were basically concentration camps). Most were already American Citizens with land and business and lives... which they left for dry desert in California where they stayed for 4 years. So heartbreaking! The memorial was 276 feet long- each foot representing a Japanese American forced from their home. Each name was written on the memorial along the path that they actually walked to the Ferry that took them to California. Origami cranes hung next to the names, and memorial rocks we left by visitors. The kids used rocks to leave little messages on the memorial too. 

Nidoto Nai Yoni. Let it never happen again. 

8154 trip 2020 : Day 12 POINT DEFIANCE, WASHINGTON

February 5th

We loved point defiance so much that we decided to go back the next day, this time with my dad. We couldn't way to show my dad all the magic that awaited him. This time, we drove around once, but it wasn't rainy so we hung out at Owen beach while my dad drove around. While the kids explored the shoreline, I watched the waves for some whales and was met with a pair of eyes look at me then ducking back under the water. Seals!! Unfortunately, I couldn't get a photo, but that was such a neat thing. Later, we saw two eagles flying together over the water and they were chased off by a bunch of sea gulls! That was kind of funny to watch. We enjoyed our day there at Owen Beach. 

8154 trip 2020: Day 11 TACOMA WASHINGTON

February 4th

TACOMA WASHINGTON 

We started this day driving through Gig Harbor. We didn't get out and explore because it was pretty cold and snowy/rainy. I love little sea towns like this though. We then drove to the light rail station so that we could explore downtown Tacoma! It was completely free, and the kids were so excited about it. Funny how something to everyday to so many people was such a novelty to us.











There were many free and really neat things to do in Tacoma. We started out by going through the Bridge of Glass where we were able to admire glass art by Chihuly. It was all so beautiful!

The Union Station Courthouse had even more Chihuly art displays- but on a much larger scale! The kids thought it was great that we had to go through security to go in. They also really loved the statue in front of the courthouse. They kept goofing off about not being able to pick up the "heavy" luggage. 



















I had found a cute umbrella Mural in Tacoma on Pinterest, and really wanted to go see it. It may be my favorite mural of all time. I also just felt that this was the most fitting mural for the misty/rainy Washington state. 








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POINT DEFIANCE

This just may be one of my very favorite places in the whole United States. It is so magical. From the moment I walked in, I was mesmerized. Our first impression of the place was the Japanese garden. Because I have lived in Japan, my expectations of Japanese gardens are really high. This one met my standards. It was so lovely. The kids and I walked around the garden for a bit and it brought back so many lovely feelings and memories. The flowers were in bloom and it was JANUARY. I kept on thinking about how grateful I was to be enjoying a January full of beauty- because it is usually such a depressing and dreary month for me. (and I didn't even know what was to come in the following months and how lonely and dreary March and April would be) 







































I didn't know I'd be falling in love with Point Defiance. But as we started to drive around the loop, I gasped and almost cried it was so beautiful. I wish we would have had the time to hike and explore more, but it was too cold and wet for that this particular day anyway. Photos could never do it justice. It was a magical fairy forest. We spied some deer almost immediately, and little racoons came right up to our van begging for food. We didn't give them any, but they were so darn cute and added to the fairy tale feel of the forest. Even the deer didn't shy away! A baby came so close to the van that we could have reached out and pet it!

8154 trip 2020 : Day 10 WASHINGTON

February 3rd

MANCHESTER STATE PARK 

Amaree's kids had school on Monday so we decided to get out and explore! We had a few places in mind, starting with Manchester State Park. One of my favorite things about the area of Washington that Amaree lives in are the moss covered trees and ferns which grow EVERYWHERE. It's so lovely. The weather was cool and misty just as you'd imagine Washington state to be. We looked for shells and tried to see if we could catch a glimpse of a whale or orca. We didn't ever see one, but it was a lovely morning exploring and climbing fallen trees and tree roots. 

























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THE HOBBIT HOUSE

Port Orchard has a really cute greenhouse/nursery with a hobbit house! There are only a few hobbit houses in the US and so we were excited to go check it out! It was magical and whimsical. And then let's talk about alllllll the fairy house stuff they had in their shop. We about died when we found the little food and the mice!



























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NAVY MUSEUM in BREMERTON

Since we were in the area, we also stopped by the Navy Museum in Bremerton. It was pretty neat, but the kids were most interested in the kids area with puppets. They had me laughing hysterically with their little show. 













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SCENIC BEACH STATE PARK 

Our last stop of the day was Scenic Beach State Park. More shell hunting and just enjoying the views!

8154 Trip day 8/9 : WASHINGTON - Benson's Baptism

February 1st

After 7 days of driving and spending hours in a car, it was nice to spend a couple of days just relaxing and being with family, with the highlight being Benson's baptism. Then the kids got to spend some time with their cousins taking walks and playing. Sure wish they lived close! They all enjoyed each other's company very much. 























Lyla is our little chef and loved spending time in the kitchen with Amaree, who is an amazing cook! Lyla helped Amaree make some Orange rolls which she is famous for. She had so much fun bonding with Amaree and learning some new skills. Also, my kids wouldn't stop talking about those orange rolls!

8154 trip 2020 : Day 7 WASHINGTON

January 31st

WASHINGTON

We made it over the Idaho mountains and into Washington! I'd always thought of Washington as mossy trees and flower fields, because up to this point it's all I knew from my previous visits near Seattle. I was in for a surprise when we passed through plains, canyons, apple orchards and more mountains. Washington is lovely. We saw more bald eagles and pulled over numerous times to just observe them. They are so majestic! 







We stopped through a little town called Wilbur, and took pictures next to Wilbur. Charlotte's Web is one of those books that will always have a place in my kids' hearts (and mine) so this was a sweet little stop. Such a fun, creative and cute town sign!

 

The first part of our drive in Washington was mainly just plains and farm land. It was flat and foggy, but I was enchanted by the colorful barns, little towns and ghost signs.













Then all of the sudden there were lakes and canyons. I was amazed to see so many canyons in Washington. I had no idea huge canyons like this existed outside of Arizona! 



















And just as fast as they came, the Canyons vanished and turned into mountains and apple orchards as far as the eye could see. You could almost smell the apples as you drove through the orchards... we stopped at a cute little stand on the side of the road and bought a huge bag of the tastiest honeycrisp apples EVER for $5. So juicy and crisp and tangy and sweet all at the same time! Those apples went pretty fast. 



























At one point, the fog was so thick in the mountains that it looked like the trees were floating. It was a stunning sight. 



My dad stopped at a gas station and found some candy he loved as a child. He had never seen it anywhere else ever since he was a kid, and it was kind of fun to see him get excited over it. I put sentimental value on things like that as well, so I appreciated his excitement. He said he hadn't seen them in 47 years! That's a long time. They melted in your mouth like... ice cubes. Haha. 

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LEAVENWORTH, WASHINGTON 

Apple Orchards turned once again into snowy mountains and led us to the charming Bavarian town of Leavenworth Washington. We weren't sure when we started the trip if we would be able to make it there with road conditions, but because we had been SO very blessed with the best road conditions, we were able to make it. Leavenworth was definitely a little bit of a tourist trap, but it felt like I was stepping into Germany. It was still decorated for Christmas and the buildings were all so cute. I feel like I read somewhere that they town really needed to attract some business, so they thought up this idea to make it a little German town and it worked! People come from all over to visit. We enjoyed some large pretzels and stopped in some of the shops. I was kind of disappointed that so many of the shops were so "touristy". I was hoping for some German crafts! Thankfully, we stopped in the Nutcracker museum! We didn't actually go on a tour, but were able to see some antique nutcrackers in the gift shop. Nutcrackers are a bit special to us because of our many years participating in the Nutcracker with Lexington Ballet. I bought a few tiny handmade animals because they were just so darling. 


































We didn't stay too long because we had to meet Amaree at the temple that evening. So we headed on to Steven's pass. Again, we were very blessed that the road conditions allowed us to go over the mountain roads! We didn't even need chains!

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SEATTLE WASHINGTON TEMPLE AND JAPANESE GRILL

We made it through Steven's pass and met my mom, Amaree and her kids for a temple night at the Seattle Washington temple! It was such a lovely special experience to do temple work with cousins. Kade had made some beautiful wooden boxes and gave them to the temple to hold all the cards. It was so well made and lovely! 













 After the temple, we went to a Japanese steakhouse for dinner. It was a really expensive dinner but the experience was completely worth it. The chef was doing all sort of tricks with the fire, and then proceeded to throw food for people to catch in their mouths. We were all laughing and having so much fun. 

8154 trip 2020 : Day 6 Montana - Idaho

January 30th

BUTTE, MONTANA

This was a really fun day! A little morning drive had some amazing views and more changing landscapes- I loved the rock formations!





Our first stop was in Butte, Montana, a cute little mining town. The town was so charming with old Victorian homes and ghost signs on the buildings. It is also home to the World Museum of Mining, but it was closed for the season. (That was really the only downside of doing this road trip in the middle of January- so many things were closed for the season)

























While we were there, we noticed a geological museum and discovered a hidden treasure. We all loved looking at the amazing gem and rock collection. They even had a room of GLOWING rocks- just had to turn out the lights!









































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OPPORTUNITY, MONTANA / PINTLER VETERANS MEMORIAL SCENIC HWY

After we left Butte, we drove to Opportunity, Montana. My dad loves those odd named towns, and wanted to take the Opportunity to stop there. Haha. While we were there, we saw that there was a scenic highway (Montana Hwy 1 or Pintler Veterans Memorial Scenic Hwy) that would take us to our next destination to Wallace, Idaho. So glad we decided to check it out. It led us to some beautiful scenery and some amazing hidden gems!



















We came to a little town called Phillipsburg and decided to drive through. We saw a big foot, some cool buildings and a candy shop that claimed to be the best in the world. It didn't seem like much from the outside, but the inside was absolutely epic. The kids were literally kids in a candy store. My dad let them each pick out some things and they went to town. I just took in the cuteness of it all- the mismatched gold buckets and all this vintage candy shop goodness. We got my dad a pickle flavored barrel candy and had him guess the flavor. He guess grassed flavor! That was a fun memory. 

Back on the highway, we saw passed a funny sign on a barn that said "Usually open". It definitely got us curious, so we followed the arrow and discovered the Ohrmann Museum and Gallery, a little museum/gallery started by a father/son artist team. There were some cool statues, some beautiful paintings and some strange interesting paintings too. 














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WALLACE, IDAHO to WASHINGTON

Back on the road, we got to a mountain pass that led us to the Idaho border near the small tip of the state! We stopped to document just how deep the snow was  because it was over our heads! We had never seen so much snow in our lives! But the roads were perfectly clear! Again, we were so very blessed with road conditions. The drive over the mountains was EYE CANDY. Everything was so very beautiful. The Ponderosa pines looked as if they had been dusted with powdered sugar. It was SO lovely. 

Wallace, Idaho was darling! I felt like it could be the scene for a Hallmark movie. Actually, a friend did tell me that a movie was filmed there, but it wasn't a Hallmark movie. It was Dante's peak. We stopped and took pictures in the center of the universe and then had pizza at a local pizza joint. The pizza was delicious. 

8154 trip 2020 : Day 5- Wyoming - Montana

January 29th

We got to Wyoming late on day 4 and stayed overnight in a hotel. We pretty much drove straight through Wyoming until we got to Montana. The changing scenery was incredible and seeing a bunch of bald eagles was the highlight of this stretch!























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MONTANA - LITTLE BIG HORN NATIONAL MONUMENT

We made it to Montana and saw 12 bald eagles!! and stopped at the Little Big Horn National Monument. This monument was very eye opening to me and moved me to the core. I felt a deep sense of injustice towards the Native Americans. The early settlers were so cruel. I was brought to tears as I watched the video at the visitors center, and walked around the memorial with a bit of a heavy heart. The kids all earned another Junior Ranger badge here! 

Even though this was a victorious battle for the Native Americans here, they were eventually forced to give up their land and live on Indian Reservations. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Little_Bighorn

A little hotel fun that evening... Landen loved making himself little forts in the hotel rooms.