The Streets of San Francisco

We just took our first vacation together! Our official honeymoon that we had been planning for a few months now. It started out in hurry. We planned to head down to San Francisco early to see a baseball game on Sunday, but I still had to work on Saturday till 5:00! So off we went. We drove to Redding and got there about 1:00am. Then, we got up about 7:00 and raced down to San Francisco and got there in plenty of time to see the game. It was great. The rest of our time there was exciting too. Take a look:

Day 1: Giants vs. Dodgers

It was a great day to watch a baseball game. AT&T Park is one of a most beautiful parks in the country. There were lots of fans for both teams there. The Dodgers won 5-3.









































After the game, we decided to ride the cable car up the hill. Here's Andrea taking her first cable car ride.

























Day 2: Golden Gate Park

Monday was kind of a free day. We were supposed to check into our official hotel today (we stayed at a different hotel in Pacifica on Sunday), so we had an extra day to play. Andrea wanted to see Golden Gate Park, so we walked around checking out the sights:

Stopping to smell the roses at the Rose Garden.



























Here's the Horticultural Center.






















The wonders of the Arboretum










































After getting done at the park, we went and checked into our hotel. Mom and Dad have had a time share here since I was little. Here's a view from the window of our room.















Next, we hopped onto another cable car and went down to Fisherman's Warf and Ghirardelli Square to get some chocolate. Here's Andrea standing on the running boards for the first time.















Here we are with the loot.

















Well, that's all I have time to show you today. There's lots more from San Francisco, and then we'll head to Lake Tahoe and beyond! Stay tuned!

The War of the Roses

I discovered aphids crawling on the roses the other day! This upset me. Aphids are bad. I don't know how they ended up on a second story deck far from any flowers. I think they came in with some other flowers we were given. I discovered them on the double delight, and soon they were found on the other two bushes as well.

In the words of the great philosopher, Bugs Bunny, "This, means war."

More Walupt

Time for the annual Walupt Lake camping trip. This year, like the last, was not without adventure. We had two additions to our traveling party this year. Andrea's cousins, Kate and Michaela (8 and 12 respectively) were in town from Upper Michigan, and we invited them to come along. It was cool to show them the mountains of the Northwest. There was only one disappointment that later turned into a blessing.

Andrea and I love going through Trout Lake on our way to the lake. It's a great place to stop and eat and pick up anything to do with huckleberries! Last winter though, was devastating to the roads in the mountains. In particular, it was devastating to the road that we use to get from Trout Lake to Walupt Lake. This was a big bummer. It meant that we would be driving the boring way up I-5 to US 12. With two young girls in the car from out of town, that was not a pleasant option.

So, off we went at 5:30 on Saturday evening on a drive that was supposed to take close to 4 hours (I had to work that day, so we couldn't leave till then)! Let's just say I managed to get there in a lot less time and set up camp quickly. It was good to see Mom and Dad and Curt and Marie and their friends there. We all have a great time together!

We took the girls for a hike on Sunday and then hung around camp and the lake. It was fun, if uneventful. We hiked to the creek and back, stopping on the other side of the lake. Picture time!

Michaela:













Kate















Kate and Michaela


















Then it was our turn.





















The next day, we headed home a different way. I just have to say that it was a glorious drive! The sun was shining, the temperature was mild, the road was winding. A man cannot ask for anything more!

Too bad the kids weren't more excited. ;)






Kirby actually enjoyed being between the girls, who lavished attention upon him!









We went up to Windy Ridge to see Mt. St. Helens. Along the way, we got a great view of Mt. Rainier.

















Here we are, less than six miles from the crater.














Here's an interesting stump that Andrea got a picture of.



















One more stop in Cougar, and the obligatory shot with the statue of the town's namesake.



















Andrea and I had a great time showing the girls around the mountains. They are really fun to hang out with. I Hope we can do it again! Next time, girls, we won't do so much driving. I promise!