Day 46 - We finally found the insects

 We woke up to another cool morning with clean, crisp, mountain air.  This really doesn’t get old - a great way to start the day.  The boys were asking for some breaks from the hiking and so Amy and I set off to see the Annie creek trail on our own while they stayed back to work on giving their reviews of the parks we had seen.

We had been warned that the Annie Creek trail was steep to get back out of the canyon and full of mosquitoes.  The warnings were accurate on both accounts, though the mosquitoes seemed much worse than even the warnings suggested.  But there were some nice scenic views even if it was impossible to stop and enjoy them.


We had a long drive today as we again pushed north.  This time we were approaching Portland.  While our initial plan called for a hotel day, we looked mid-trip and discovered that Silver Falls State Park (aka the crown jewel of the Oregon State Park system) was available for tonight so we snatched it up.  They had a late check in so we figured there was no need to rush.


We stopped in Eugene because that was where a Panera was which the boys wanted for lunch.  However, before we got to Panera, we made a stop at the Pantheon of US Track and Field - Hayward Field.  We did the museum tour but it looked like the field itself was closed.  But one of the gates was open so we started to walk in.  We were initially stopped, but when the guy working there found out what fans we were and that this was our only chance to see the field, he let us get a quick picture.  Amazing to look down on the place where so many US track and field moments have happened. Who knows why there's a waffle iron pictured?





After I gawked at the field with the rest of the family waiting, we grabbed lunch and did some grocery shopping. 


Then we got back on I-5 and continued north passing through the grass seed capital of the US (probably the world) - Linn County!  Shortly thereafter we were at camp.  Everybody pitched in and we were quickly set up and ready for the day.  While we were getting dinner ready, we all got to meet a Newfoundland that was super friendly.  He really was a standout dog.


Dinner was a rare treat of burgers and veggie dogs.  Because we had done grocery shopping today and had electricity, things that needed to be refrigerated were an option - a rare treat.  The meal was delicious.





After dinner we started to explore Silver falls.  We did a hike to the South falls which not only included some forest walking, but also the opportunity to hike near and behind some of the falls on the river. While the scenery was spectacular, the trail also included some wild raspberries that were in season.









We returned to camp - Robinson started a fire while I got another treat - a haircut!  We took some showers (with hot water!) and called it a day.  Based on our visit so far, I’d certainly recommend Silver Falls!


7,212 miles

# States/Provinces Visited - 15


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