Wallowa Vacation

The week before Kyle started his new job (August 6-9), we headed here for a family vacation:

This is Wallowa Lake near Joseph, Oregon.  It's known as "Little Switzerland" and is a beautiful area up in the mountains of Northeastern, Oregon.  (Go to LeGrand, then drive northeast up into the mountains and you can't miss it!)

 

We rented a great cabin in the little community and enjoyed being outside, playing at the lake, and exploring the area.  (We had no cell phone coverage and very slow wi-fi standing outside our cabin door, so we felt very un-connected.  It was great!)  We spent most of the time playing/swimming at the lake, but we also enjoyed some hiking, miniature golfing and riding the Tram.

 

The town has deer everywhere.  The kids loved seeing them right out our cabin windows and walking up to them.  One neighbor was feeding them cream-filled cookies and let the kids give them one.  (Healthy diet, eh?)

 

They have a Swiss Gondola/Tram that takes you 3,700 vertical feet up to the summit of Mount Howard.  Up at the top they have a little restaurant and two miles of hiking trails the kids enjoyed.

 

 

Skyler was our little trailblazer: most of the time he was running ahead trying to get us to hurry up!  (That's him in the bottom, left picture, way ahead waiting for us to catch up.) 

Andon is at such a darling stage.  He loved all the exploring of his new quarters, the suitcases, etc.  He loved being outside and seeing everything going on.  And he loved getting dirty and wet in the sand.

It was a wonderful time together as a family discovering a new part of Oregon.  Before if anyone would have asked me why I go to Eastern Oregon, I would have replied: "To get to Utah."  Now, I know there are beautiful treasures everywhere!