We Had a Blast at Mt. St. Helens

This month we took our family vacation to Mt. St. Helens. Ezra has been very interested in volcanoes and it seemed like the perfect short trip. I went to one of the visitor centers when I was really young, and Corey had never been there, so it was new for all of us. Claire did pretty well in the car, there was some crying, but she slept for most of the trip.

There was a two hour construction delay the route we were planning on taking, so this guy is smiling because we got to take "the scenic route." Doesn't he look smug? Although it added a few hours, it was a fun drive. We went over Chinook Pass and this place was just before the entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park. I fed Claire while these guys scampered around. I think my favorite part of a trip is the beginning where everyone is well rested and excited. We arrived at Guesthouse Inn at Kelso around 5 pm. After checking in and unpacking we walked to Azteca and enjoyed a good dinner. After that we went swimming in the motel which was probably the kids' favorite part. The next morning we headed to Johnston Observatory, only 5 miles from the mountain. Corey thought Mt. St. Helens was more impressive in person than in any pictures he had seen. The explosion caused the largest landslide in recorded history when she blew. Corey was 5 years old when it blew, I was born 2 years and 1 day after. There was a sensor you could jump on that made the needle on a seismograph move, the kids really liked that. We listened in on part a Junior Ranger activity where the kids made a handshake that demonstrated how tectonic plates grind, slide, and divide. Or something like that. I forgot to post the picture, but wildlife has returned to the area. There was a squirrel (that is a hard word to spell!) that ran really close to Ezra, like a few inches from his foot. Ezra loved seeing it up close, but it makes me nervous when they get that close. I always wonder what they'll do when they figure out we don't have any food. That night we put the kids to bed before 8 pm because they were really tired and it took them an hour to wind down. In the morning we had a last swim and took the short way home. It was great- fun and short. Vacationing with three young ones isn't very relaxing, but it was worth it. The next day we went to church and then it was back to work for Corey. I'm glad we had a fun ending to Corey's week off since it began with Audrey's tooth accident and then the garden project. Staying in a motel was a nice change of pace since camping is more our style (or budget-level.)