On Saturday we packed up and drove to Slappy Cakes, since our previous trip there seemed to be the highlight of the kids’ Portland experience. Since it was Saturday, there was an HOUR long wait. Candace and her kids played in the restaurant while we took a walk around the nearby neighborhood.
We admired a lot of gardens, and as we were admiring one, a voice replied to one of our comments from the porch. An older lady named Amy came down to us and started chatting. She invited us to her back yard and let the kids hold her chickens, harvest some eggs, and pick some of her vegetables. She was so, so sweet and told us to come back so she could make us omelettes next time!!
Then we went to slappy cakes and had fun there. I had order envy of Candace the last time so this time I ordered her order from our last trip. Everyone else had the greatest time making pancakes. Abe made an amazing dolphin playing in the waves, and he drew a chocolate pancake arrow through a buttermilk heart pancake I made. That was so memorable for me and I wish I had taken a picture.
And obviously, the kids loved every second. Also, Abe made that dolphin. Isn’t it amazing?! Candace also made a great pikachu which we didn’t get a picture of. Everyone except me got so creative!
Then we said goodbye to Candace and her lovely kids and drove to Crater Lake. The drive was beautiful beyond words. Oregon is to the west coast what Maine is to the east coast. It is insanely beautiful. We felt so spoiled by all of the natural beauty at every turn. And much of the way we were not on major roads, so it was extra solitary and gorgeous.
When we got to Crater Lake, Abe wanted to hike a bit on the rim trail. We did this, but there were parts of the trail that were sheer cliffs to the lake with almost no space to navigate. Teensy tiny Mary had to carefully place one foot in front of the other to avoid falling over the cliff. At that point, I suggested we cease and desist. Abe, who had been happily walking along completely oblivious to any sense of danger, realized that our children were inches away from death…and very kindly obliged to turn around. Lydia and I were especially grateful, since Lydia was great at vocalizing her fears throughout the entire hike. Lydia and I scrambled over to the highway as quickly as possible and walked back to the parking lot holding each other’s hands.
The lake was not very blue because the air was smoky from California fires to the south. But we were thrilled to squeeze a national park into the trip.
We ate in a lodge right outside the park and then drove to Klamath Falls, where we spent a very memorable night in the Best Western there.