Olympic Peninsula 2016

Our big family trip for the Summer has come and gone. Our "Trip to Canada" turned into our "Trip to the Olympic Peninsula". That's what happens when mom is not willing to get everyone a passport. Let's just say we could SEE Canada from our ferry boat. Does that count?

This is our picture after a 1 hour 45 minute flight.  Gracie travels like I do...not great.

We stayed our first night with Barkley.  He lives with my friend, Michele in Camas, WA.  He is a good dog except he has hair.  Tons and tons of fluffy, falling out hair.  Aeva didn't seem to mind.

Michele's passwords to her WiFi are awesome.

Morning of day 2.  Yow would think we had been going for days and days.

Our drive to the Puget Sound.

Our house!  Can't beat it.  An awesome view, and incredible deck and right on the water.

Kayaking was the first order of business.  

Found a miniature crab.  He was dead so...pretty easy to find floating about.

BBQ chicken anyone?

S'mores!!!

What happens when you aren't careful with your stick.  Blackness everywhere.

Troy trying on his new fuzzy socks that Michele gave us in our awesome care package.  

Blackberries just outside the house.  Scrumptious.

Our first stop was the Olympic Game Farm.

Apparently it is a requirement that everyone have an entire loaf of bread.  We had no idea what was about to take place.

Michele took this picture...being attacked by yaks.

Let the feeding frenzy begin!

These animals are NOT shy.  

A little kiss for Troy.

Troy was less impressed with this guy wanting to come in through the window.  How much do you have to pay if your rental van gets attacked by wild beasts?  Didn't see that on the disclosure form we signed.  Fingers crossed that all horns stay away from the paint.

Finished off our wild game day with a ride on the camel.  Why not?

The Lavender Farms are everywhere and so cool to see.

Aeva is on high bee alert.  There were millions of them.

She didn't want to climb in the middle of the flowers because of the bees.

We convinced her to stand on the edge instead.

Dinner...or at least dessert!

Michele went crabbing the week before we got there.  She just happened to have a few of the crispy little fellas left over.  We ate them for lunch!

Our drive around the Puget Sound.

Back for a night of weenie roasting!

Ferry ride to Seattle.

Souvenirs

The gum wall.  Disgusting.

Pikes Place Market

A real coke for lunch.

The Space Needle

The Children's Museum

Henna Tattoos

Whale watching.

We saw a pod of Killer Whales.

Slight sea sickness kicking in.

Our last night by the fire.

Tour of Olympia on our way back to Portland.

Don't see many of these in Utah.

A day to tour the city of Portland.  OMSI - Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

We tried to tour the submarine but it was sold out.  So...a few pictures of the outside would have to suffice.

The Rose Garden

Gracie found her "Queen Gracie" plaque on the walk way.

The smallest rose I have ever seen.  Slightly bigger than my thumb.

Aeva tried to smell this rose and it fell apart.  Major guilt.

We are goofs.  What else could explains these pics?

We came to the Rose Garden in May 2008 and took this pic.  We decided a "recreation" was in order.  My awesome family has changed a little over the years.

This driveway was ridiculous.  We had to drive up and down it just to say we did.  Good thing they don't get any snow here.

Looking  back up the driveway.

VOODOO Donuts

Happiness in a box.

Taco Trucks for dinner, Mt. Hood from the airplane and Aeva after she made it home to her stuffed animal collection.

An incredible trip with some of my favorite people.  To think, we only saw a small portion of everything.  I think there might have to be a Part 2 of this trip down the road.