We were back on cloud nine during our stay at Hee Hee Illahee in Salem, Oregon, this past week. Jason was able to relax after a long drive, we had full hook-ups that bring with them the luxury of long, hot showers, and the boys were able to get out and explore another new place.
There was a small swimming pool that we took advantage of - Barrett more than any of us. That kid couldn't get enough of the chlorinated water. As soon as we rolled in and the boys saw there was a pool, Barrett started the coaxing. Relentless in his requests, Jason agreed to going to the hot tub the first night, but not getting into the swimming pool - it was just too cold. Since the swimming pool wasn't a part of the equation, Ryan hung back with Cord (who was fighting a fever and some serious congestion) and I in the RV. Jason brought Barrett back with a satisfied smile on his face. Guess who got to jump into the swimming pool after all?
While Jason and Bear were still swimming, Ryan quickly realized he was not content to just sit and wait. Ryan asked if he could go to the game room and work on his pool game. I was so proud that my very shy 14 year old was willing to go somewhere new and by himself. He text about 2 minutes later to let
me know he was in the game room and I celebrated the tiny victory of Ryan coming into his own. The victory was short-lived as Ryan came back into the RV with tears in his eyes just moments later. The game room was only for those that were 16 years and older; otherwise, an adult needed to be present. My heart broke for Ryan - he had been so brave for going on the venture alone, and then succeeding in his endeavor! But then it was quickly stripped away and replaced with complete disappointment. A hard lesson in growing up, but not grown yet.
We stayed two nights at Hee Hee, which meant only one full day to take advantage of everything the resort had to offer. Barrett and Ryan went swimming twice the second day. I grew up in the water, competing with the summer swim team since I was four years old. So when I stepped away from sickly Cord, and went to the pool to see how the boys were doing, my little swimmer's heart just about burst seeing the boys practicing their strokes, lap after lap. They also had to show off their sweet moves they declared to be "underwater break-dancing". Note to self: get an underwater camera.
I'm so thankful to have a husband that also enjoys the water - especially when we have to tag team our boys: One of us with Ryan and Bear, the other in the RV trying to keep Cord calm and resting as Cord fought the fever bug. Our boys are active kids and they want to explore, discover, adventure, play, wrestle, and the list goes on. So when one of them is down for the count, Jason and I have to divide and conquer. After returning from the swimming pool, Ryan and Bear didn't skip a beat - now they wanted to go play pool, as in billiards. Jason didn't even hesitate - they changed and headed out again. Cord and I continued to lay low (read: watching cartoons) and cross our fingers that Cord would get better fast enough to take part in Hee Hee's amenities while we were still there. Realistically, we knew it wouldn't be an option. Cord was too sick, and too contagious to be around the other guests in the resort. But Cord's mood was always positive, and if you were to ask him, Cord would always say, "I'm all better!", or "I feel perfectly fine". Meanwhile, Jason and I can see the tired in his eyes, and hear the congestion in his voice. Not to mention the fever that hung right at 100. Being a parent is not for the faint of heart. We had a little boy that desperately wanted to do something fun in a new place, but our parental instincts told us that he needed rest and recovery time. Jason and I relented though. On the morning we were packing up to leave Hee Hee Illahee, we asked if Cord wanted to go to the resort's playground, "only ten minutes, and NO RUNNING!," we said. Cord was delighted, and all the boys had one last playground visit before we unplugged and started our slow trudge back towards Hermiston.
Jason and I are members of a group called "Harvest Host", which is a group of various businesses willing to host a traveling RV for one or two nights as a quick pit stop along the RV's route. No hook ups, no water, but a free place to stay to break up a long distance. We decided to look for a Harvest Host between Salem and Hermiston to break up our drive back. We didn't need to be back to Hermiston for four more days (for our appointment with the service department for our growing list of issues with our new RV), so thought we could take our time. Jason found a fantastic Host at Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon. I quickly signed on to Jason's Madras proposal when he said a stop along the way could be the Woodburn Outlet Mall for some shopping. I was IN! So we stopped off at Woodburn, bought some needed clothes and masks, ate lunch at the boys' favorite spot, Red Robin, then hit the road towards the Air Museum.
During the ride to our next stop, I was really enjoying myself. It felt like we'd hit a good groove in our family's dynamic. Ryan and I laid on the bed in the back to read our books and get a little distance from the noise that Barrett and Cord were creating, and Jason was behind the wheel. I took a picture from the bed because I wanted to remember that exact moment: Jason driving, Cord laid back in the passenger seat, Bear straddling the middle, and Big Dog Sage panting on the floor. Jason, Cord, and Bear were in the midst of deep conversations about Minecraft, animal fights, and the road ahead. I smile remembering that moment. It was one for the memory books. Another reason for the new Class A rig over the Class C was how much better the driver's seat was incorporated into the living space. Jason was cut off and detached from us in the Class C, but just as he had hoped, he was back in the midst of the hustle and bustle of his family in this Class A.
We reached our pit stop at Erickson Museum mid-afternoon. It was too late to take the Museum tour, but too early to go into town for dinner. When we parked in the large gravel lot that would be our home for the night, we found an old War Bird to be our only neighbor. No big deal, just a giant fighter plane right outside our front door! We all got out and stretched on solid ground. Home, sweet home. We went for a long walk down the sidewalk and took in our surroundings. Boys on bikes, scooters, and hoverboards, while Jason and I walked Sage. When we returned to the RV, Jason set up our disc golf basket and we spent a couple hours battling the wind, and working on our frolfing game.
Packing up the games, eating dinner, and tucking in, I remember thinking how strange it was to be in a new place, again, and yet still be in our own bed for the night. It's surreal to think that everything we own is in a 33-foot mobile box. We travel, sightsee, explore and discover, but always come back to home. Home is truly where ever we make it. What a comforting thought.
We did have a strange encounter after we turned out the lights though. An old, beaten, low-riding Datsun pick-up truck drove down the road about 10:30pm. It was weird because we were in a gravel lot, right next to said road, and that said road is a dead end. There is absolutely zero reasons for any vehicle to come down pass a gravel pit on a dead end road at 10:30pm at night. No good reason anyway. Jason and I were watching the crime show NCIS when the mysterious truck drove by. We peeked out and watched the truck go to the end of road, turned around in the dirt, and park with it's headlights pointed at our RV. My mind went straight to the obvious conclusions. We're about to witness either a drug deal, or a murder, right from our bedroom window. We laid on our stomachs, peering through the bottom of our back bedroom window, watching and waiting. The headlights would flicker, so clearly that was a dangerous mob boss crossing in front of the light, on his way to rob and/or slaughter us. Jason got out of bed to save the day. He got dressed and armed himself. With a flashlight. That was our weapon of choice. You coming at us with headlights in the dead of night, well guess what? We have blinding lights, too! Jason went out with a flashlight and grazed the surroundings, including our visitor, with a bright, white light. Jason stayed out there for a bit, casting light back and forth over the pick-up, then came back in and laid down. All the while, I'm watching the dangerous masterminds from the window, expecting gunfire or a bomb to go off. But a flashlight wielding Jason must be super intimidating because the truck simply pulled back on the road and drove away. End of story. I guess I should clarify that Jason never thought we were in any sort of danger. He figured just a couple of teenagers that were needing a private place to park. And with the uneventful drive off, I suppose I'll have to secede from my crime drama, and agree with him.
The next morning, we went on the Erickson Airplane Museum tour. It was a fantastic glimpse into the days of war and the history of the planes that eased the American's tribulations during wartime and beyond. Most of the aircraft within the museum were acquired and then resurrected back into fully working planes - some of which you can actually sign up to take a flight in! That place is a very cool hidden gem of history that is on a dead end road in Madras, Oregon.
After our self-led tour through the museum, we headed into town, ate lunch, and were back on the road towards home: Hermiston, Oregon. Jason has made a fairly exhaustive list of all the issues and repairs we need done on our newest RV purchase. We have a service appointment today and every digit and limb is crossed hoping and praying that the RV dealer can work a miracle by fixing our most pressing issues (ie. our septic holding tank isn't emptying!). Perhaps the dealer will tell us that they can fix everything on our list, but they will need to keep the RV for a few days, or maybe a week or two. If that's the case, then we're thinking we can pack a few bags and fly out to look at some boats our broker has emailed us. I can't wait to get the boys on some boats so they can get a sense of excitement for what we have in store for our family! Or maybe we'll rent a condo for a couple weeks down in the tropics. I am thoroughly enjoying the freedom that we have with our choices and this lifestyle.
So here's to great memories logged, history learned, and getting our boys on some boats.
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