An End of Summer Trip

In celebration if our 8th wedding anniversary, Todd and I had an end-of-summer trip planned for the family. It was originally going to be a few days long, and we had a couple of destinations in mind, but when it came time for the trip, we were only able to sneak away for one night and 2 days. So, we decided to head down to Bend, OR, which is a lovely town that reminds me a lot of Boulder.
On the way down we spent a few hours at Smith Rock State Park. It was my first time there and it is just amazing. It is like being in Utah, but a whole lot closer. It was hot, and the kids were not able to hike in too far, but what we did see was absolutely gorgeous.
Afterwards, we headed to our hotel in Bend to swim, and then out for Mexican food (and a pitcher of margaritas!). The next morning (after breakfast and another swim, of course) we headed to the Bend High Dessert Museum. It was fascinating. We learned about porcupines, reptiles, and other organisms, as well as the native history of the area. It made me feel good about pulling Finn out of school to be there.
On the way home, inspired by my friend Heidi's photo (check her photos out, they are much better than mine!), we stopped at a place called Little Crater Lake on Mt. Hood. The hike was short and easy (good for tired kiddos) and we ended up at an amazing little spring-fed lake. The water is so clear that you can see all the way down-- my pictures don't show this because of the strong reflections, but trust me, it was beautiful.
Then, back home to real life. The trip was short, but fun. I am glad we managed one more quick getaway before settling in to our school-year routines.