Summer 2015: Portland Family Visit!

For the final part of this incredible summer, my mom, her boyfriend, my aunt & uncle visited Portland for about a week. All six of us (& Myla, too!) rented an airbnb to spend our lazy mornings in & we spent the rest of our days experiencing the best of what Portland has to offer. We hiked to at least ten different waterfalls, walked along the Pacific coast, ate super scrumptious foods, swam in the Columbia River, stopped to smell the roses (at the International Rose Test Garden), & so much more! In fact, our week together was so action packed that it seemed to go by way too fast. Sad, tearful goodbyes were certainly had & I absolutely cannot wait to see these people again.

Summer 2015: Camping in Colorado!

At the very beginning of August, Burton & I hit the road (after a spontaneous camping trip) for Dinosaur National Monument Park! Our beloved Florida friends drove out to meet us in the middle of the country to camp in the Colorado canyon for 4 nights. And it was GLORIOUS! We lounged in hammocks, hiked to spectacular viewpoints, rafted on the Green River, saw tons of wildlife, & even got up close & personal with DINOSAUR FOSSILS! But one of my favorite parts of the trip was the night sky. Our campsite, in Echo Park, has some of the lowest levels of light pollution in the country! Each night, we'd sit in our chairs with our backs to the fire & watch for satellites, shooting stars, & the Milky Way's movement across the sky. After our four nights of camping, it was really hard to leave our campsite & especially our friends. But at least we took some awesome memories with us :]

  

Summer 2015: Lost Lake, OR!

Shortly after our trip to Vancouver, Burton & I went on a spontaneous overnight camping trip to Lost Lake, OR. We wanted to make sure all of our gear was up to snuff before we left for our Colorado camping trip (more on that later!). Our spontaneous idea wound up being an excellent one because the weather was absolutely perfect, the water was warm-ish, & we had crystal clear views of Mt. Hood! Burton & I visited the lake once before, but it had been so cloudy that we couldn't even see the mountain. Needless to say, Lost Lake was incredible this time around & I kinda sorta wished we had stayed longer than just the one night :]