West Coast Whirlwind

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WEST COAST WHIRLWIND
Spring Break, March 11 - 20, 2005

We had a marvelous but whirlwind trip to California and Oregon during spring break! First, we spent three and a half days with Bill and Shirley and our handsome grandsons, enjoying their gorgeous new landscaping, several meals at the Club, touring the Battleship Midway in San Diego, taking the boys for haircuts and a movie, going to Mass, touring model homes in the area, and just playing with Will and Henry.

On Tuesday, March 15, we drove up to Guadalupe, California, to see Cousin Larue, stopping at Buellton for its famous split-pea soup and the Danish village of Solvang on the way. After touring the beautiful and unique Guadalupe Sand Dunes Park, we spent the night with Larue, and then the three of us took off northward to visit Cousins Herb and Mary, stopping to tour Mission San Juan Bautista and have lunch in Old Town Sacramento.

Mary and Herb were perfect hosts in their beautiful home on Lake Wildwood in the Sierra Nevada foothills. We enjoyed reminiscing about family, devoured some of Mary’s fabulous cooking, and toured a couple of beautiful and fascinating parks in the area: Yuba River State Park with a scenic covered bridge and bizillions of California wildflowers that were in full bloom plus the intriguing Empire Gold Mine, California’s oldest gold mine, near Grass Valley.

The final leg of our trip took us to Portland, Oregon, for a two-day stay with our nephew Wade, his wife Basia, and their precious and precocious little Sarah. We visited Wade’s mortgage brokerage office, Basia’s chiropractic clinic, and the Tulip Festival with fields of tulips as far as the eye could see.

It was a great trip, and we thank all the relatives who put us up and who put up with us!

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Photos

Deutschen Jungen
Our grandsons, Will and Henry, model their dad's Lederhosen, which he wore as a boy in Germany.

Bridgeport Covered Bridge
Trails, scenic vistas, and a treasure trove of history abound in the Yuba River State Park. Built in 1862, at 251 feet, the Bridgeport Covered Bridge is the longest single-span covered bridge in the U.S.

Cousins
Bill, his cousin Larue, and her brother Herb

Sarah and Family
Basia, Sarah, and our nephew Wade at their home in Oregon

Tulips
The annual Tulip Festival near Woodburn, Oregon