Ashland, Oregon

Monday we arrived in Ashland, Oregon – which is actually just above the California border & camped at a great spot called Glenyan Campground. It's only about 6 miles from downtown (such a cute downtown) but you are in some serious nature! Truman found a black widow, a salamander, and lots of squirrels and birds. We spent a whole day walking around Ashland and exploring lots of shops & galleries. There is a great park in the middle of downtown – Lithia Park. There’s a great play spot for the kids to burn some energy – incredible plantings & we even saw some deer in the park! We visited a glassblowing shop & got to watch them make some pieces…that was fun. We had dinner at the Standing Stone Brewery…it was very good. We drove around a few neighborhoods & saw some gorgeous houses…it was a great day.

back roads through Nevada

Sunday came all too soon and we had to pack up and hit the road. The kids were so sad to say goodbye to Grandma & Grandpa, but we still had many miles to go and our 3 weeks are flying by.

After breakfast we headed north toward Salt Lake City and then turned back west on Hwy 80 headed toward Reno. We had been talking with my dad about how just about everywhere in the country has some beauty to it, and it is all different. I think on this road we did pass one of the few places lacking any sort of beauty to speak of. After we passed the Bonneville Salt Flats we passed through the Salt Lake Desert, & it really is something that only a mother could love...it is UGLY! THE salt flats were very cool, almost surreal, how white and incredibly FLAT it is.



The wind was howling, which made driving harder for Kerry -- it seemed like we were going uphill the whole way. After the novelty of sitting in the car hour after hour wore off I started snapping pictures of our journey as we saw it...through the window. Even though it was a very long day, Kerry and I both commented on how much we enjoyed the journey, the adventure of not knowing what is just over the next hill or around the next bend in the road. At the end of our day we pulled into Winnemucca, Nevada. The crossroads of the west, did you know all roads lead to Winnemucca? I didn't until we got there!

field trips and fun

Friday was my cousin Tiffany’s wedding, and the reception was in my parents yard, so most of the day was spent prepping for that. Kerry & I did sneak out for a bit & took the kids to a movie – another treat for us! We saw “Hairspray” and laughed really hard! Saturday morning we went with Grandma & Grandpa for a tour of the Kennecot Copper Mine. It was the most impressive display of corporate propaganda I’ve seen in a long time. We saw a 14 minute video in their visitor center about the mine, I think 4 minutes was about mining & the uses of copper and 10 minutes about how “safe” Kennecot is & what a great “corporate citizen” they are. The mine was pretty impressive though, it is HUGE! The trucks they use to haul out the dirt looked like little Tonka trucks at the bottom of the hole, but in the video they briefly mentioned that really they are the size of a house. Saturday afternoon we had a birthday party for Truman. He is now officially 5! I can’t believe how quickly my tiny babies are growing up. We had a great party with Grandma & Grandpa, Aunt Amy & Uncle Christian, Lily, Gwen, Emmy & Billy. Truman’s cousin Emmy, who is also turning 5 has her birthday a few days after Truman’s, so we had a joint party. We had a great time playing games & decorating cupcakes & eating lots!

Timpanogos Cave

It’s been a few days, but we’ve been consumed with spending time with Grandma and Grandpa, aunts, uncles & cousins while we have the chance and haven’t spent much time blogging. We’ve had some great adventures though! Thursday we hiked up to Timpanogos Cave with my dad and toured the caves. Somehow I misunderstood & thought it was a half mile hike up to the cave & then a cave tour and a half mile back. I told our grumbling kids, “it’s like a walk to Starbucks…no big deal”! When we got to the ranger station she told us it was a 1.5 mile hike, with a change in altitude of 1100 feet.


The kids all gave me a fairly dirty look, but like the troopers they are started marching. We had a little chuckle when we passed the sign that warned those with heart problems or breathing difficulties to turn back, but took it a little more seriously as we saw the switchbacks ahead going straight up. We all made it to the top & really enjoyed the caves – they were very cool (literally – since it is a constant 43 degrees!), Truman thought they were “really good”…he really liked “the things sticking down”.

grandma & grandpa's house

We made it to our first rest stop...Grandma & Grandpa's house! The kids love visiting here, there are always treats & someone willing to sit and play a game! Grandma & Grandpa also have an incredible pumpkin patch and garden! We'll be here for a few more days, then we'll hit the road headed for southern Oregon. While we're here we are planning a few fun outings, so we'll keep you posted!

Bryce Canyon, Utah

Today we packed everything up, hooked up the trailer and drove to Bryce Canyon. It was a really pretty drive up Highway 89, just to the east of 15. We saw mule deer just off the road as we were driving & some gorgeous views of the mountains. We got a campsite at Ruby’s Inn, just outside the park at Bryce, and then took the shuttle into the park. Just like at Zion we went to the Visitors Center and watched the movie that explained about the park. We got back on the shuttle and went to Bryce Point, which is that furthest spot the shuttle will take you & got our first view of the canyon. It is pretty amazing! The hoodoos and rock formations are incredible. We realized that from Zion you spend most of your time looking up & here at Bryce you are staring down, down, down. From this point it is almost too big & removed to truely appreciate. We took the shuttle to Inspiration Point for another view and took some more pictures. We’re all pretty tired & the kids are not really in the mood for more hiking so we decided to call it a day & head back to the pool at the campsite. We’re learning a lot about camping, and so far…we’re having a trailer fabulous time!

Trailer Fabulous

Day 1 of the Schaeffers roadtrip...so far fairly smooth, except for the hour and a half we spent PARKED on the 15 N. in 108 degree weather while a big rig burned to the ground a few miles ahead of us. Aside from that delay, the drive was a little slower than our usual journey to Utah with the trailer behind us, but not too bad. We were a little worried though as we headed out from home at 4:10 am, the trainer was a little (ok, really a lot) jerky, but once we hit the open road and got up to a good speed it was fairly smooth. That was a sigh of relief! Now that we've gotten past our rocky start, the trailer has been a blast. While we were parked on the highway we went in the back & made some lunch & Truman said, "Mom, I'm so glad we're bringing a house with us"! We finally made it here to Zion around 4:30 pm and were amazed at the scenery. It is spectacular. I wish we had a way to get a picture that gave the feeling of enormousness (I"m not sure if that's a word, but looking around that's what it makes me think of!) of the cliffs and rocks here. I can't wait to get into the park to see more! I'm sure we'll have more good stories to share tomorrow, hopefully none of delay, but just of adventure, awe, and wonder!

a day at the zoo

Maddie could have spent all day watching the apes.



Since we've started homeschool, we decided Tuesdays were going to be our days to get out, explore, see and do. Today we went to the zoo and had a great time! It was a cool morning, so the animals were pretty active, but by noon it was hot and we were ready to get home for some lunch.

cute kids

Playing with the PhotoBooth on the new Mac is one of the big crowd pleasers around our house. We've got some really cute shots & some very "artistic" ones too!

Blogging Begins

I thought this would be the perfect time to start a blog, chronically the life of our family here on Schaeffer Farms. Sometimes I think it should be called Schaeffer's Zoo with the usual craziness of a family with four kids, 12 chickens, 2 behives, and a husband who loves dirt and everything associated with it.

We are about to embark on our first true camping trip. We've rented an 18' Fleetwood Pioneer, had a hitch and brake controller installed and I'm making piles of essentials everywhere! This should be a real adventure - Schaeffer style. Itinerary...somewhat loose. Reservations...only a few. Excitement...extreme!