More Scouting

The kids continue to be active in Scouting. My son spent last week at Camp Makualla on Crescent Lake south of Bend.

Meanwhile my daughter was rewarded for being the top Girl Scout cookie seller in her Council with a lunch at the Pine Tavern downtown.

But they keep active other ways as well. This week they attended a sports day camp.

Washington National Parks Part 3

 

Wednesday we drove south to Clarkston, then turned east and drove into Idaho to visit the Nez Perce National Historical Park and learn a little about the Nez Perce tribe and life under the Indian Agency.

After the kids earned their Junior Ranger badges we headed back east to Lewiston, and spent the night at the Hells Gate State Park campground next to the Snake River.

 

From there we continued southwest to Bend, stopping at the Whitman Mission National Historic Site to earn one more badge. The kids learned about the Whitmans, their role in establishing the Oregon Trail, and how they were killed by an angry native tribe.

Washington National Parks Part 2

Sunday morning, we turned east and entered North Cascades National Park, where the kids completed Junior Ranger programs for the park as well as Ross Lake National Recreation Area. We then continued east to the town of Twisp, where we camped for the night.

Yesterday morning we continued east, stopping at the visitor center at the Grand Coulee Dam.

In the afternoon we visited Fort Spokane, part of the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. We stopped for the night outside Spokane, and were able to see Independence Day fireworks from our campground.

Washington National Parks

On Thursday afternoon we left on another week-long RV trip, this time to several National Park sites in Washington. Our first stop was in Hermiston, where we visited with friends and camped nearby. Friday morning we drove north to Yakima, where we stopped at Costco for supplies. We then turned west and entered Mount Rainier National Park from the east.

We drove to Paradise, located on the south face of the mountain, and the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center, where we looked at the exhibits and picked up Junior Ranger packages.

We then continued west to Longmire, where the kids learned about the history of the area and were awarded Jr. Ranger badges. On Saturday we turned north and drove to the Sea-Tac mall, where we met friends for lunch at the Rainforest Cafe. In the afternoon we continued north to Burlington, where we camped for the night. 

Job's Daughters

 

When Susan was a teenager, she belonged to a Masonic organization called Job's Daughters. After we moved to Bend, I joined the local Lodge, and when some of the Masons learned we had a boy and a girl, they began asking us if we'd be willing to help with the youth groups.

This spring, Susan agreed to be the Bethel Guardian and helped the incoming Honored Queen plan her installation. In April, she helped organize a promotional party for the Bethel. 

Last week the Bethel held its spring installation. It had a circus theme, and afterward we had refreshments with circus games.

This afternoon we held a car wash fundraiser at the lodge. 

Scouting

In April, my son went with his troop on a camping trip to Horse Ridge, east of Bend.

He also earned a new rank at his troop's Court of Honor.

Last month, my daughter's Girl Scout troop started selling cookies.

This weekend, the Girl Scout troops in the Bend area held their annual "Big Tree" campout in LaPine State Park.

Southern Oregon National Parks

On Tuesday we drove northeast, and stopped at Oregon Caves National Monument for a few hours. We enjoyed the cave tour, and the kids earned another Junior Ranger badge.

Water from the cave flows out into a small pond, then joins a stream. Nearby is a nice visitor center and a lodge that was built in the 30's by the Civilian Conservation Corps. We camped that night at Stewart State Park, which was really nice. It's on the shore of Lost Creek Lake, which feeds the Rogue River.

Our final stop was at Crater Lake National Park. Once again some of the roads were blocked due to snow. We were able to go up to the Rim Village visitor center and the Lodge, but couldn't drive Rim Drive or go out through the north entrance.

The kids earned their Junior Ranger badges by viewing displays in the visitor center about the geography of the area. We also watched two videos; one about the park in general and one about annual snow removal efforts. We then headed home.We had to go back out the south exit and around the park on the west.