Day 1: Left San Leandro at 10:30, with the car packed full and two happy kids. Drove out to I5, and after a lunch stop near the Olive Pit, made it Lake Selmac Resort in Oregon by 7pm. Set up camp next to Geoff and Jack (14) and Helen (12), Jonathan’s friends from Portland. Long day of driving, about 7 hours.
Day 2: Lazy morning at camp with a yummy breakfast, then piled in the cars by 11am. Drove about 1/2 hour to Oregon Caves National Monument. Jonathan, Geoff, Jack, and Helen enjoyed the 1.5 hour tour, while Rebecca, Mira, and Elaina did their best at the Junior Ranger activity book in the visitor’s center. All gathered together again for lunch, then back to the campsite by 4pm. Temperature peaked at 107ยบ so it was time for a swim in Lake Selmac. Then dinner and games (wearing shorts and t-shirts) until 10:30pm.
Day 3: Packed up camp and on the road by 10am, with a stop at the boardwalk at Eight Dollar Mountain. Then back on the road, headed south, by noon. Another long day, this time about 8 hours of driving down 101. By 8pm we finally met up with Dick and Joanne at Benmore Valley Ranch, a secluded vacation rental halfway between Hopland and Lakeport.
Day 4: Exploring our little slice of heaven. 800 acres all to ourselves. We saw deer, jackrabbits, turkeys, quail, lizards, snakes, coyotes (heard only). Swimming in the warm lake, hiking, Jonathan’s fabulous beouf bourgiugnon for dinner, followed by soaking in the hot tub under the milky way.
Day 5: Steel cut oatmeal for breakfast, then Grandpa and Mira headed to the pond to catch a “whopper.” Everybody took turns canoeing, then back to the cottage for lunch. Some more swimming and sunning at the lake, then packing up and heading home. Stopped at Saigon II for pho for dinner, then finally home to bed.
