The Dynamic Duo

I started thinking about this week of vacation quite some time ago. Since Johnny would be graduating this year, and Jim planned to transfer up to northern Idaho for school next year, this might be the last chance we had to spend some quality time together and I was determined to make it happen. I put in early for this week off of work, but true to form, didn’t start actually thinking about where we might go til about a month ahead of time. The boys mentioned, vaguely, that they might like to go to Canada. John stated, emphatically, that he did not wish to return to Las Vegas. So, the Oregon Coast seemed like the logical choice (Yes, I know, not many people can follow the brilliant path of UltraMom’s logic, so don’t feel too bad)
Jim mentioned that it would be fun to camp the whole time. Johnny mentioned that it would not. Since we really didn’t have camping gear, we opted for the motel route, though staying in a yurt did sound intriguing…............
So, Ultra Mom got busy on the computer. The time frame started coming together. Jim went to an outdoor fair in Boise and talked to some people who book fishing charters from the coast. Johnny found culteral events in Portland and got us tickets to see the famous Andrew Lloyd musical “The Starlight Express”. Travelocity seemed to be the cheapest way to go for booking motel rooms along the way. Different routes were mapped on Rand McNalley endlessly til Ultra Mom had dark circles under her eyes and a permanent Mouse-holding conformation of her right hand. Reams of paper were employed to print maps and information. Of course when the time came, UM had printed all the wrong things, mapped out all the wrong routes and had not gotten the information we actually needed. I think its one of those Murphey’s Law things. It semed that most everyone I talked to had fond memories and favorite places on the Oregon Coast. One friend loaned an Froders Oregon travel guide. Another, a copy of Oregon Coast magazine and a waterproof hooded sweatshirt. A lighter water proof windbreaker found its way into the suitcase from another pal, and yet another loaned a map and brochures. The planning really was a lot of the fun.
We had a week and two weekends to complete the trip. Figuring a full day of travel there and back, and a day or two in Portland and we would still have 4-5 days on the coast. The boys had it a little easier; Boise is on the way, so they could stay put and avoid 4 hours of the trip. Finally it came time for UltraMom to stay up half the night packing and set her alarm for 5:30 the next morning. The great adventure was about to begin! Stay tuned…....................

to be continued