Trip to Oregon in July

It seems we're always late? We were one year late in going to Oregon and picking up Bradley from his mission. Brianna and Jason got married 2 days after Bradley came home from his mission, so we couldn't go pick him up then. We decided we'd go later, and July worked out good since Brad just finished summer semester at school and had some time off. Rick, Alisa, and Brad all went to Oregon for a 6 day trip in July. BTW, the weather was perfect everyday!

Day1 Travel: Rick & Alisa flew from home to Portland and arrived in the early afternoon. Bradley flew from Salt Lake to Portland and arrived about an hour and a half after us.

We went to a "conveyor belt sushi restaurant" [small plates of sushi rotate around on a conveyor belt and you just pick up the ones you want.]

We then drove to Salem, OR and Bradley went to the McKay Park Ward camp out for a few hours. We just stayed in the hotel and watched TV. We stayed in Salem that night.

Day 2 Portland: We saw some of Bradley's friends in Salem, then drove up to Portland and went to the "Saturday Market".

Alisa bought a blown-glass hanging vase from this booth...


We met up with the Newsome family there and hung out with them for the rest of the day. It was great fun!


Portland Japanese Gardens






Portland Temple






In the evening we all went to eat sushi. We laughed and laughed and had a great time and ate lots of sushi. Bradley, Gaylon, and Craig kept eating spicier and spicier sushi. Finally Brad decided to drink nearly straight liquid wasabi [Japanese horseradish]. Here's a photo taken after his drink...



We stayed in a Portland hotel.

Day 3 Portland: We went to church at the Edges Creek Ward where Brad had served for 6 months. It was very enjoyable. Bradley went to another ward and Rick and Alisa drove around sightseeing. We went to dinner at a ward member's home.

Day 4 Portland & Lincoln City: We went east of Portland to Columbia River Gorge area.

Here's a view of the western edge of the Columbia River Gorge.




Latourell Falls...




Multnomah Falls...




We hiked 1.5 miles to the top of Multnomah Falls. This deck is sitting at the very edge of the falls. It is 620 feet straight down just on the other side of the hand rail. The hike was tough on Rick and Alisa, but no problem for Bradley.


View from the top.




We then went further upstream and stopped at the Bonneville Dam. We saw a boat go thru the lock, and we took the public tour. We saw large salmon swimming upstream thru the "fish ladders". They were heading upstream to spawn.

We then drove back west thru Portland and on to the coast. We spent 2 nights in Lincoln City.

Here's our beach front condo. It was really nice...


Here's our rental car.


Here's our condo looking up from the beach...


Day 5 Oregon Coast: We drove up the coast this day.

Here's lunch in Pacific City. "Haystack Rock" is in the background...






Cape Meares Lighthouse


Cannon Beach








Day 6 Travel: We got up and drove back to Portland to the airport. Rick flew home and Alisa and Brad flew to Salt Lake so they could drive Brad's car home.

All three of us had a great time. It was very enjoyable to see all the places that Elder Massey had served in and meet so many nice people. Rick and Alisa really loved Oregon. Too bad it's so far from the Midwest, because we'd really like to go again.

NASCAR Race in St. Louis

In July the NASCAR Truck Series & Nationwide Car series came to Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis. [I'm not sure why they put "international" into the name. Maybe because it's across the river in Illinois?]

I was luck enough to be a guest of Toyota Racing Development [TRD] for the race again this year. That means we have access everywhere even pit lane during the race. We stood out on the pit road with all the teams during the national anthem of both races.

Friday night I went with Alisa, and Saturday I went with Jason. All of us had a blast! I hope to go again for the October Nationwide Race that will be back at Gateway.

We met and talked to quite a few drivers. Including lots we don't have photos of like ; Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, etc.

Here's some of the photos we took...

Todd Bodine


Mike Skinner


Ricky Carmichael


Max Papis


Max Papis & Steven Wallace


Kevin Harvick


Us on the pit wall


Jason at the start finish line


"The Raminator" squashing a Honda Civic

Brianna and Alisa went to the Brad Paisley & Darius Rucker Concert. It was a hot and steamy night and we weren't even on the stage. It was so fun! We sang along and had a great time.




Darius Rucker "Hootie" was so fun to watch dance.

Brad Paisley "Live and in person." He gave a great concert and even came out into the audience and was quite close to where we were sitting. Check out his cool shirt.

We just had to have one more photo to remember the night.

July in Utah [ hiking to Timpanogos Cave]

Okay this is show cave #3 for this year. Alisa and the three younger boys hiked up to Timpanogos Cave while in Utah this summer.




We couldn't pass up this photo op. What a beautiful setting!!!! We hiked up Timpanogos Cave with Alisa's brother David and his family. The weather didn't kill Alisa, but the altitude and the switchbacks up to the top of the cave almost did. Of course, the kids walked up like it was just another 'walk in the park'. Alisa arrived a little later.






A week before we went to Timpanogos, we were at Carlsbad Caverns. So after the splendor of that Natural Wonder, Timpanogos was a let down and a loooooong hike up. But a wonderful way to spend the day with family.




Boys and rocks. What is it about rocks that makes boys want to collect all of them? Spencer found a rock that looks like a fish and thought it was way cool. Thankfully it was too big and he left it there for the next boy to find.