Mt St Helens from one of the many viewpoints along the highway. I was really surprised that it was so green. I expected desolation and destruction, but I guess the eruption was nearly 30 years ago, and new life is now abundant.

Grandma Jane getting some quality time with baby Alex.

Aunt Corky getting her quality time with little Alex. He seemed to have no problems getting comfortable in Corky's arms to take a little nap.

Just a few miles from our rental house in Neskowin lies Cascade Head. On our last day on the coast, we decided this area with Nova, Paul and Paige before heading inland. What a good idea! This short hike has a huge payoff at the end. The first section takes you through beautiful old growth forest, which is great....But the best part is when you leave the forest and find yourself standing on the edge of the world. This picture was taken looking South along the Coast at the empty beaches towards Lincoln City. We made a promise that day that we would find some way to explore those beaches on our next trip to the Oregon coast. Thanks for inviting us along Nova, Paul and Paige!

Paige stopping for a snack along the Cascade Head trail.

I thought this was a cool picture when I took it....but wasn't really sure why. When I showed it to Oneea, she said, "Oh, that's basically a self portrait of you, only you're not in the picture!" I think she summed it up perfectly...crazy beautiful scenery, calm waters, and a camera bag.

The Blue Pool (aka Tamolitch Falls) Our first real hike on the trip took us to the Blue Pool which is along the McKenzie River. It is truly an amazing spot that is so unique that I really can't compare it to any other spot that we've visited. The pool is fed from below by water that flows through lava tubes and porous lava rock. We hiked two miles on a nice, easy trail to get to this natural wonder. Once we set-up the baby tent and got situated, I took off around the pool to climb down to the bottom and take some pictures. The lighting was a real challenge because some areas were dark, other areas receiving direct sunlight. So rather than get a picture of the entire pool, I started working on some reflection shots since the water was so calm. This picture was one of my favorites because it shows the color of the water (Where the sun was hitting), and shows the reflection of the tall trees that loom a hundred feet above the pool.

Oneea and Alex hanging out at the Blue Pool. Oneea was great as she watched over the kids while I got to explore the area and hike down to the water to take some pictures.

Along the trail to Tamolitch Falls. This small bridge was made to allow hikes to easily cross a small stream that flows through the forest and eventually drains into the McKenzie.

Oneea and Alex out on the patio of our hotel room in Sisters. The Best Western in Sisters is actually really nice. It's set in a ponderosa pine forest, with lots of deer that come and visit every morning.

A very happy baby on his first road trip.

Kayakers paddling in paradise....This picture was taken at Sparks Lake along the Cascades Lake Highway. Just a short hike takes you to this vantage point. The mountain in the background is called Broken Top, and is the mountain that I hiked to several days later while staying in Sisters. It was during this hike that Oneea and I decided Bend, Oregon might not be a bad place to settle down some day.

Mt Bachelor from the Cascades Lake Highway. This is a great drive with lots of scenery throughout. We started in Bend with a stop at the Original Pancake House (gotta try the Strawberry Crepes) and then headed up the highway. Along the way, we stopped at Sparks Lake for a hike, and then just pulled over on the side of the road a few times. We ended the day by completing the loop through Sunriver and then back to Sisters for some fish and chips at the Gallery. This part of Oregon is quickly becoming my favorite.

Just outside of Sisters, Oregon lies one of the great hikes in Oregon. The trail is called Tam McArthur Ridge and is just a quick 30 minute drive from downtown Sisters. I woke up early to hit the trail and hike up the Ridge and try to summit Broken Hand Peak. It was a beautiful morning, and I had the trail all to myself when I started hiking at 6:30am. It took me about 3 hours to get to my final point, which was near the base of Broken Top Mountain and where I took this picture. The scenery from this point was unreal..Mt Bachelor, Broken Top and the 3 Sisters are all in clear view. In addition, there were several lakes, lots of snowfields and even a few glaciers in plain view. Definitely a great hike that was worthy of another visit someday.

This is the gravel road that takes you to the Painted Hills. We've traveled it many times and this is about as busy as it gets.

The Painted Hills just before sunset. I'm constantly amazed by the beauty of the Painted Hills. They are no doubt a favorite spot of mine, and probably the place I've photographed the most since taking up photography 5 years ago. This time around, I spent less time photographing and more time just taking it all in. On this night, which was over Labor Day weekend, we were the only people in the entire park. Just astonishes me that more people wouldn't come see such a natural wonder!!! Not that I'm complaining though...that's part of what makes the Hills so special I guess.