Slither Part II: The Redwood Forest

Not to be outdone by Crater Lake:

1. More creepy moss
2. Dirt road into the woods
3. No nature sounds
4. Moth-free van off roading
5. Banana slugs. 'Nuff said.
6. Famous last words, "We're perfectly safe."

Pacific Ocean and the California Redwoods

Went to the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park in northern California. Chris, Veronica, Karen, Julie-ana, Bill, and I had a great time exploring these gigantic forests. On the way, we also stopped ocean-side at the Pacific Ocean. Wow! What a shoreline. So beautiful!

We heard about the banana slugs, and finally saw a few. Yes, they are disgusting! But the splendor and quietness of the forest is impressive.

Post Wedding Reception

And finally, some post-wedding reception photos. We had a great time!

Our Little Family

And one more official photo of just our little family:

Family Wedding Photo

And here's our family photo!

Dave, Marilynn, David, Kellie, Emily, Carla, Jean-Luc, Mariah, Anton,
Julie, Bill, Karen, Chris, Veronica, Kat, and Julie-ana

Our New Family

Meet the Anways! Mariah's family.

Lynn, Don, Mariah, Anton, Keelie, Dylon, Elise, Grey, and Sarrie.

Married!

Anton and Mariah, the newly married couple!!

Instagram Wedding Photos

Movies in Oregon

Saw Alien: Covenant with Bill's sister Karen. My sister Julie and her family and Marilynn all saw Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. And JL, Chris, and Veronica saw Baywatch.

Alien: Covenant was good, but there was nothing really new. It is a prequel to the original movies. There was plenty of chest-bursting goodness with lots of horror/gore. I was sort of dozing through the first 20 minutes or so, but with the first chest burst, I was wide awake. And there was a little twist at the end that set up the first movie.

Crater Lake Horror Story or Camp Crater Lake

Signs you're heading into doom (really, we had a lovely time, but noticed all these things along the way):

1. Most people come prepared, we are not
2. Rope-like fungus on the trees
3. No cell service
4. Signs are covered up in plastic that no one noticed but one person
5. There's always that lovey dovey couple (Julie-ana+Kat)
6. Reading from the brochure about the forewarning of the disaster of future volcanic eruptions
7. Spooky deserted half covered camps
8. Stragglers (Marilynn) disappear
9. Abandon vehicle, go by foot
10. Smiling picture in front of sign that says "Danger, Keep Back" (ok, this was badly photoshopped using my phone, but there was a sign)

Crater Lake National Park

Went over to Crater Lake National Park this morning. It was almost a 2 hour drive, but well worth it! It's way up in the mountains. The lake is completely fed via snowfall and rain, there are no incoming water streams or rivers. Late May, there's still a ton of snow in the area. In fact, most of the road around the lake is still closed due to excessive snow. Julie-ana, Kat, Karen, Chris, Veronica, Marilynn, Bill, and I made the trip. On the way, we started coming up with a horror story, but I'll leave that for another post.

The lake itself is stunning!

Oregon

Some more random shots around Medford, Oregon. We went to dinner at Mariah's family. They are all so nice! Her mom Lynn made us feel very welcome. She even made a cake for Anton's 20th birthday. And the boys fit in well with all of the Anway kids and Grey (Sarrie's new husband).

Oregon

A few random shots around Medford, Oregon. We went up to a local winery for tasting. And the view out our hotel window. By the way, our hotel room is absolutely fabulous! Huge!! Mariah's dad Don is the Director for a hotel chain, a pretty nice hotel chain at that. Full kitchen, living room, dining room, bedroom, and huge bath. Luxurious!

Karen and Marilynn shared a room. They both brought nearly identical dresses to wear to the wedding!!

Heading Out to Oregon

Flew out to Oregon today in anticipation of Anton and Mariah's wedding. We went first class on United, and Veronica joined us at the last minute. Here's a few pics of the flight over.

Anton flew over a few days ago. In coach...

The Boys!

The boys came over for fun and food! And I got a little relaxation in as well.

Project Graduation

Chris, Veronica, and their buds went to Project Graduation at Shore Lanes. They had a blast!

Chris Graduates!

Chris graduated today!! My baby! With honors too!! So proud of him! He's going to Eastern Florida and finish up his AA degree. Then on to UCF to major in Accounting.