Eastern Oregon & Walla Walla, Washington

During spring break we drove to Oregon to visit family. We spent the first half of the week in the northeastern corner of the state, about 20 miles south of Washington. This is dry land farming country and because it is spring, everything was in bloom and the colors were very vivid. The soil in this part of Oregon is very good and so a variety of farm crops are highly successful. I had never been to Oregon prior to this trip but most of what I had heard about were descriptions of the western half of the state with all of the forests. Despite not having a lot of trees in this corner of the state, it is very beautiful in a different way.

I loved that this water tower had a watermelon painted on it, apparently they grow some of the best melons in the country. 

We were in Hermiston, Oregon on Easter Sunday and we attended a sunrise service that morning. Even though it was cloudy, it was fun to see the city from above. And there were amazing orange rolls and hot chocolate to go with the views so it was a perfect morning. 

My husband's family own two goats named Spook and Spot which my girls absolutely loved watching and feeding. They also have a cat and dog. 

During one of the days we were there, we went on a tour of nearby points of interest. On the way to Walla Walla, Washington is this landmark called the "Twin Sisters." The legend is that "the large basalt pillars in front of you are actually two Cayuse Indian sisters. Coyote, a spiritual hero of many Indian legends, fell in love with three sisters who were building a trap in the river to catch salmon. Always the trickster, coyote watched them and at night he would destroy their work. The sisters rebuilt the trap daily but coyote would destroy it each time. One morning coyote saw the sisters crying, they were starving for fish. Coyote promised to build them a trap if they would become his wives. The sisters consented and he kept his promise. For many years coyote lived happily with the sisters but after a while he became jealous of them. Using his supernatural powers, coyote changed two of his wives into basalt pillars.The third wife he turned into a cave downstream. He then turned into a rock so that he could watch over them forever."

This is the Wallula Gap, where the Columbia River flows. We passed through it on our way to Walla Walla, Washington where we stopped for lunch. 

Walla Walla was a beautiful city. I especially loved a little aviary that they had in one of their parks. I had never seen a white peacock before this and so I had to get out of the car to get a closer look.

On the way back to Hermiston we passed by this gorgeous barn where weddings are held and magazine photos are sometimes taken. 

We also stopped at the Pendleton Woolen Mills to admire the gorgeous wool blankets. Some of them were so soft! I wanted one but I decided to wait and save up because the smallest ones start at around $70 and the bigger, softer blankets are often a few hundred dollars. There is a fun little Native American museum in the back of the store.

Under Our Favorite Tree

Every spring my girls and I eagerly anticipate the blossoms on our cherry tree. At full bloom they usually only last for a day or two until the wind starts to carry them away, so we make a special effort to spend as much time outside under the tree as we can. Sometimes this is easier said than done because during the sunny hours of the day the tree is literally buzzing with hundreds of bees. This year I was so afraid that the tree would bloom while we were away in Oregon and that we would miss it, thankfully we did not. 

The buds right before we left on our trip. 

Showing off in full glory two days after we came home from our trip!

Mostly we sit under the tree and eat popsicles, ride bikes, and read. But I also like to pull out my wedding dress each April around our wedding anniversary and let the girls look at it. This year I couldn't resist letting them try it on by the tree and then taking a few pictures of my dress with the blossoms. I know that many people think that wedding dresses sticking around are just clutter, but I like that I still have mine. I still love the light and silky chiffon fabric and the simple but classic beading on the dress, eight years later.

My favorite time that we spent under the tree this year was after the peak bloom when the wind was blowing the blossoms down upon us like snow. We brought out the afghan that my great-grandma made for me and had a fun little tea party and even had real chocolate cake with it. Both girls enjoyed themselves so much that we plan to make this a yearly tradition.