Wenatchee Vacation

(The route from Olympia to Wenatchee)

Todd packed the car and even left room for Mauer!

Tuesday- Mauer enjoyed his time in the back seat babbling to himself and playing with his feet. That lasted for approximately 20 minutes and then slept for about an hour. His sleep was interrupted by the descent of the mountain passes. Unfortunately, I think he has inherited my inner ears. I had a difficult time clearing the pressure from my ears. I could not imagine what it felt like for him! On top of that, he is still healing from that ear infection! Poor babe! The terrain from the west side of the mountain is so different from the east side of the mountain. We went from green, lush foothills to desert, rocky hillsides in a very short time. We arrived safely. Todd started working at the local WIC agency after lunch, while Mauer and I unpacked the car and settled in.

On Wednesday, Mauer and I went to Ohme (pronounced oh-me) Gardens. Mauer enjoyed touching lots of plants and watching me hike up and down steep rocks! Check out the link for more information about the family that created the gardens. It’s impressive. When we got back to the hotel, we put on our suits and cooled off in the pool. When Todd was finished working, we went out for dinner and then took a walk along the Columbia River. We were REALLY impressed with the speed of the currents!

(The hen & chick picture is for Mom, they were everywhere!)

On Thursday, Mauer and I went to the Rocky Reach Dam. It has been featured on Discovery Channel "Dirty Jobs!" This place had a very impressive campus. We walked through the museum, watch the fish swim through the ladder from the inside and the outside. I was most impressed the with employees that got to fish on their lunch break! Can you imagine catching salmon & on your lunch hour!? When Todd finished working for the day, we had a picnic dinner on the banks of the Columbia River at Walla Walla Point Park.

On Friday, Mauer and I had to check out of the hotel but Todd still had to work a full day. This made things interesting because it was 100 degrees outside!! We drove to the little town of Cashmere, WA. We toured the Aplets & Cotlets Candy Factory. Hairnets were mandatory! We tried to stay cool in the shade at Walla Walla Point Park. Mauer got NAKED and wore a wet burp rag on his head! When Todd finished his monitor, we headed toward Leavenworth, WA. This is considered the “Christmas Town” of Washington. All the buildings look like they are straight out of an alpine Bavarian village. Mauer got to experience Christmas for the first time! We bought a cute little ornament to mark the occasion!

For the trip home, I thought if we could get Mauer to swallow, his ears would be more comfortable. Earlier in the week, I bought him a new sippy cup. So with a full sippy cup in hand and a sleeping baby in the back seat, we proceeded up the mountain pass. Sure enough, once we started the descent, he woke up screaming. The sippy cup helped a little, but we had to pull over so I could nurse him. However, that was only temporary. By the time we were half way home, he was so uncomfortable and over tired he was nearly inconsolable. FINALLY, he slept the last hour and a half of the trip. Whew, we made it!

(route from Wenatchee to Olympia)