Sunriver

Let me start by telling you that it is darn stifling hot in our home this evening. Temperatures were in the 90’s today which is why I’m coming to you from my backyard patio where it is cool and comfortable. Thank goodness for laptop computers eh?

Yesterday we arrived home from our trip to Central Oregon’s Sunriver Resort where we spent seven full days basking in the beautiful wood along the Deschutes River. This trip was a refreshing departure from our usual jaunt to the coast where normally we spend our time in the surf of the salty Pacific Ocean. Not this time. No sir. Not this time. Instead we traveled to the high dessert where we biked, canoed, swam, skateboarded, made S’mores, ate ice-cream, marveled at deer, chipmunks, prairie dogs, owls, bats, hawks and so much more.

The trek to Sunriver was time consuming and my only hope as we began our journey was that the girls brought enough toys, coloring books and stories to keep them busy for the duration. We bought them neck pillows for when they felt the need to dose off and quickly learned that those neck pillows are mostly cute and not at all functional. We brought snacks and plenty of junk food to tide us over. The long drive ended up being relatively painless . . . save for the one time we ended up in an area beneath the canyons where there were no bathrooms for miles. We ended up pulling over where Alex had to crouch down behind what looked like a tumbleweed to take care of her business. After that, we hauled arse to our destination.

While on the long winding road, when the coloring books lost their appeal, I kept the girls occupied by reading them The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. What an exhilarating tale. Then, when the girls decided to play on their own, I kept myself busy with this month’s issues of Vogue and In Style magazines. I also brought along Martha Stewart Living which I gotta say, I didn’t much care for. Stewart by all accounts is a fascinating woman but her magazine made me feel like I wanted nothing more to do with her. Anyways, I digress. On a positive note, I read The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson which is the second book in the trilogy {I had already read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo the week prior}. Talk about exhilarating. Goodness me. Now I just need to get my hands on the third and final book, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. I’m completely hooked.

When we arrived at our vacation destination we were pleasantly surprised to find that all we’d heard and read about were spot on. This place did not disappoint. The only downer, we would only be staying one week. Darn.

There are paved bike paths all over Sunriver. There are no steep hills or treacherous areas to bike along so kids and adults can enjoy the ride. We however opted to ride our longboards and Rollerblades along the paths when a very nice officer friendly came along, on bike no less, to inform us that the paths were strictly for feet and bikes ONLY. No skateboards, Rollerblades or scooters allowed. Dagnabit!!! Lucky for us the house we rented was on a cul-de-sac where we were able to ride our boards, skates and scooters without The Man spoiling our fun.

There are two pools in Sunriver -- North Pool and South Pool. We loved the South Pool with it's large water slide and open waters. My girls are happiest when wet as you can plainly see.

We took a minor detour from our fun in Sunriver to visit The Longboard Store located in Bend, Oregon. Here Sammy had her pick of hundreds of skateboards. Sammy has been asking for a skateboard for her birthday so where better than The Longboard Store, a skateboard distributor, to find the perfect one.

Jon decided he needed a new board too. Hence there are two skateboards at checkout. Jon opted for the longboard and Sammy, the mini.

I think it's funny that she caressed her board with such tenderness. HA!

Alex was feeling a wee left out and decided to pout.

Then we canoed. It was absolutely luxurious paddling down the quiet river. At least it was as luxurious as could be with two small children dangling this way and that causing the boat to list to one side and then the next.

Yum. S'mores.

Jon peeping at Saturn at the Observatory.

I have to confess that Saturn with the perfect rings looked fake through the telescope. I mean, I know it was real, it just looked so unbelievable that I almost felt it was staged. Same with Venus and Mars too. Unreal.

Sundress, sandals and skateboard. Okay then.

Rollerblading in style.

We had an excellent adventure in Sunriver. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Even though our trip wasn't as long as I would have liked . . . I am glad to be home.

Sometime this week I'll tell you about the Lemonade stand the girls setup today where they earned a nice chunk of change for themselves.