San Francisco Weekend

It was a windy weekend in San Francisco, but we enjoyed our Bay Area home exchange. We spent time at Golden Gate Park, Golden Gate National Recreation Area (where the photo above was taken), and explored points south along Hwy 1 - from Pacifico to Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz (including Shark Fin Cove pictured below). Click here for photos.

Meanwhile back in Oregon and Washington... Emily and Coleman were bike-camping in Tillamook; Jake and Elli continue to enjoy their summer at Holden Village; and Drew was racing in a regatta on Vancouver Lake.  More photos from the kids' June adventures are linked here. 

While in San Francisco, we stopped by the de Young Museum of Art to see Kahinde Wiley's Archeology of Silence exhibit... really glad we did. 

We also saw lots of Vellela vellelas on the beaches around Half Moon Bay. These "by the wind" sailing jellies were everywhere.

The first time we visited San Francisco, the twins slept through our bike crossing of the Golden Gate Bridge. Thankfully, they were more alert on future visits, but Drew remains the only member of our family so far to have sailed under the bridge:

Wave Riders

 

The Wave Riders did well at this weekend's Dragon Boat racing on the Willamette River. Emily was paddling and Drew was on the tiller. Click here for photos from their and other team's races. They made it to the semi-finals and missed advancing further by a mere second! It's also Fleet Week on the Willamette, so the album linked above includes some photos of visiting vessels. 

It was a lovely weekend to be on the water, so after the races, we took a sail on Asante and bumped into Drew and his friend Matt, who were test sailing a Melges 15. 

Meanwhile up on Lake Chelan...

Memorial Day Weekend and More

Just ahead of the holiday weekend, we were all together to say farewell to Jake and Elli as they headed off to Holden Village on Lake Chelan for the summer.  By Memorial Day Weekend, we were scatter across 2 states and 2 countries - Emily and Coleman were at Camp Sherman in Central Oregon; Grace was with her family in Eastern Oregon; Jake and Elli were in Central Washington; Drew was sailing the Swift Shore out of Victoria, BC; and Pat and I were on a home exchange in Vancouver BC. 

Our time in Vancouver included lots of hiking, both urban and otherwise. Click here for photos. We spent a day on Bowen Island, visited Squamish for a ride on the Sea-to-Sky Gondola, walked/biked around Stanley Park, kayaked in the harbour, and enjoyed the proximity of our home exchange to Granville Island. Drew joined us after finishing the Swift Shore race. 

Click here for a mix of photos from our other recent adventures - friends visiting from Philadelphia: Asante making its maiden voyage on the Willamette; Jake and Elli's stop-over at Cascades National Park, hikes around Holden and bear-sightings; Camp Sherman visits for Drew/Grace and Emily/Coleman; and more. Summer has definitely arrived, and we're making the most of it. 

Happy Birthday Two You

Lots to celebrate this past weekend - Jake and Emily turned 24, Drew finished 4th in the Oregon Offshore, and the kids made me a lovely Mother's Day brunch. Click HERE and HERE for photos.   

We've always had fun making themed cakes for the kids' birthdays. This year, Emily challenged us to make a dragon boat cake, while Jake wanted German Chocolate. We've made cactus and climbing wall cakes, treasure chests and even a version of the Golden Gate Bridge. Click here for photos of some of our favorites through the years. The one time we made a DIY piñata for Drew's birthday, it was nearly impossible to break. The same was almost true this year, with the 20-sided D&D die piñata Elli made for Jake, but he finally got in!

Last but not least, congratulations to Emily for getting accepted to graduate school at Portland State University. Jake made her a special outfit to celebrate. 

 

Wind and Wave Riders

Congrats to Drew and Grace for winning the Willamette Sailing Club's 2023 Lido Turtle Regatta this past weekend. Click here for photos.  Below is a video clip of Emily's dragon boat team, the Wave Riders, in action, with Drew on tiller. 

Asante

We are welcoming another sailing vessel into the family this month - a Catalina 22 named Asante (thank you in Swahili). A special thank you to Drew and Emily for helping Pat get the boat from Olympia to Portlan while I was traveling. 

Click here for recent photos from my visit to Indiana, Pat's and Grace's birthday celebrations, a Girls Inc. fundraiser, and our recent night out to see Come From Away at the Keller. And here are photos from my trip to Atlanta for an April conference, which was held in the Marriott Marquis where two of the Hunger Games movies were filmed. 

Hood and Coast

Click here for photos from our trips to Hood River and Coos Bay this past weekend. Pat and I hiked the Angel's Rest Trail in the Columbia Gorge, while the kids were off yurt camping on the southern Oregon Coast. 

In other news, it's Dragon Boat season again for Emily. 

And here are a couple of then-and-nows... The boys enjoying the Oregon Coast in 2013 and 2023. Sweatshirts still required.  

And Easter 2023 and 2009. Never too old for Peeps.