This summer we attended the once-every-three-years Nuttall Family Reunion. This year it was held near Crater Lake in Southern Oregon. In a nutshell, our trip went as follows:
Day One: Saturday morning, July 26, we dropped Dobie off at our friend's house (we are swapping pet-sitting) then we headed northwest. Our first stop was in Baker, Nevada, where we ate lunch at this great little local diner. Then drove up to the newest National Park and took the 90-minute tour of Lehman caves – they were neat. Then we drove the rest of the way across Nevada and slept at Fallon, near Reno.
Day Two: On Sunday, July 27, we got up and kept driving west. We drove all the way to Eureka, California, on the coast, after passing through a lot of smoke from the forest fires around northern California. I’ll tell you, the smoke from the fires made it hard to see and breath. We drove slowly through several fire camps but the traffic never had to completely stop. That night we ate dinner in downtown Eureka, at an old logging cafeteria, and then had fun walking up and down the historical district, checking out the old historical houses.
Day Three: On Monday, July 28, it was misty and cool when we got up. We headed up to the Redwood Forest for a look around – the girls didn’t remember much about our trip through there in 1996. We took a small hike through the tall trees, taking time to climb a few and take a bunch of photos (see photo above.) At around lunchtime we left the trees behind and headed north to Oregon. By evening time we got to Diamond Lake Resort where the Nuttall reunion was being held. We were in time for the end of the burger and hotdog fry and chatted with family members until past bedtime. Wow! The mosquitoes and gnats were thick!
Day Four: On Tuesday, July 29, we got up early and hooked up with Meredith and her three youngest boys (Ben, Stephen, and Timothy) and we went over to Crater Lake. We bought tickets for the boat ride and then took a drive around the lake on the rim drive for an hour until our appointed boat time. The boat ride was two hours long – someone mentioned that it was a lot like two hours in sacrament meeting, although I thought that it was at least marginally more interesting. The 1-1/2 mile hike back up out of the crater was tough, but not too tough.
Day Five: On Wednesday morning, July 30, we lounged around the resort for the Family Reunion; Les and the girls participated in the arts and crafts and made themselves visors. Then I did laundry while the girls went kayaking with Ben, while Les, Meredith, and Timmy played on the paddleboats. That afternoon we went out for a two hour jaunt around the lake in a patio boat with cousin Michelle. That was a lot of fun. In the evenings we played cards and chatted with cousins. I spent a lot of time talking politics with aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Day Six: On Thursday, July 31, we got up, packed up the car, checked out of the hotel, and headed south, toward San Francisco. That night, after we checked into the hotel near San Francisco, we drove in to Chinatown, where we walked up and down the streets, had yummy Chinese food for dinner, and then shopped for Chinese souvenirs. On our way back to the hotel we drove up and over the hills of San Francisco, checking out the neat old houses and steep steep roads.
Day Seven: On Friday, August 1, we drove back into San Francisco and spent the morning on Fisherman’s Wharf, checking out the wax museum (Annie’s choice) and a WWII submarine and Liberty Ship. Of course we had seafood for lunch right there on the wharf. Then we took the ferry ride over to Alcatraz Island and toured the prison until they closed the island down – it was fun. Back on the mainland we had seafood again for dinner, visited Ghirardelli Square (the chocolate factory) for ice cream, and then drove on down the coast for a couple of hours.
Day Eight: On Saturday, August 2, we visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium – we went there after the Nuttall reunion in 1996 but the girls didn't remember it either. Anyway, we spent the whole day at the aquarium, until nearly closing time at 8:00PM. The girls were enchanted with the otters and Annie really loved the octopus. That night we drove a ways out of town, to a hotel in King City.
Day One: Saturday morning, July 26, we dropped Dobie off at our friend's house (we are swapping pet-sitting) then we headed northwest. Our first stop was in Baker, Nevada, where we ate lunch at this great little local diner. Then drove up to the newest National Park and took the 90-minute tour of Lehman caves – they were neat. Then we drove the rest of the way across Nevada and slept at Fallon, near Reno.
Day Two: On Sunday, July 27, we got up and kept driving west. We drove all the way to Eureka, California, on the coast, after passing through a lot of smoke from the forest fires around northern California. I’ll tell you, the smoke from the fires made it hard to see and breath. We drove slowly through several fire camps but the traffic never had to completely stop. That night we ate dinner in downtown Eureka, at an old logging cafeteria, and then had fun walking up and down the historical district, checking out the old historical houses.
Day Three: On Monday, July 28, it was misty and cool when we got up. We headed up to the Redwood Forest for a look around – the girls didn’t remember much about our trip through there in 1996. We took a small hike through the tall trees, taking time to climb a few and take a bunch of photos (see photo above.) At around lunchtime we left the trees behind and headed north to Oregon. By evening time we got to Diamond Lake Resort where the Nuttall reunion was being held. We were in time for the end of the burger and hotdog fry and chatted with family members until past bedtime. Wow! The mosquitoes and gnats were thick!
Day Four: On Tuesday, July 29, we got up early and hooked up with Meredith and her three youngest boys (Ben, Stephen, and Timothy) and we went over to Crater Lake. We bought tickets for the boat ride and then took a drive around the lake on the rim drive for an hour until our appointed boat time. The boat ride was two hours long – someone mentioned that it was a lot like two hours in sacrament meeting, although I thought that it was at least marginally more interesting. The 1-1/2 mile hike back up out of the crater was tough, but not too tough.
Day Five: On Wednesday morning, July 30, we lounged around the resort for the Family Reunion; Les and the girls participated in the arts and crafts and made themselves visors. Then I did laundry while the girls went kayaking with Ben, while Les, Meredith, and Timmy played on the paddleboats. That afternoon we went out for a two hour jaunt around the lake in a patio boat with cousin Michelle. That was a lot of fun. In the evenings we played cards and chatted with cousins. I spent a lot of time talking politics with aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Day Six: On Thursday, July 31, we got up, packed up the car, checked out of the hotel, and headed south, toward San Francisco. That night, after we checked into the hotel near San Francisco, we drove in to Chinatown, where we walked up and down the streets, had yummy Chinese food for dinner, and then shopped for Chinese souvenirs. On our way back to the hotel we drove up and over the hills of San Francisco, checking out the neat old houses and steep steep roads.
Day Seven: On Friday, August 1, we drove back into San Francisco and spent the morning on Fisherman’s Wharf, checking out the wax museum (Annie’s choice) and a WWII submarine and Liberty Ship. Of course we had seafood for lunch right there on the wharf. Then we took the ferry ride over to Alcatraz Island and toured the prison until they closed the island down – it was fun. Back on the mainland we had seafood again for dinner, visited Ghirardelli Square (the chocolate factory) for ice cream, and then drove on down the coast for a couple of hours.
Day Eight: On Saturday, August 2, we visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium – we went there after the Nuttall reunion in 1996 but the girls didn't remember it either. Anyway, we spent the whole day at the aquarium, until nearly closing time at 8:00PM. The girls were enchanted with the otters and Annie really loved the octopus. That night we drove a ways out of town, to a hotel in King City.
Day Nine: On Sunday (August 3) we got up and drove straight home – it took us about ten or eleven hours, but we made it without any problems. Gas was expensive everywhere we went, so there was considerably less traffic than we might have expected otherwise. Also, unemployment is up over 5% for the first time in a long time, so there are lots of people feeling the money pinch. But now we’re back home, safe and sound, with our photos downloaded and we’ve picked up Dobie from our friends, so we can count this as another successful family trip.
