Here are the boys getting ready for our bike ride. Elias looked so cute in his helmet.
Nathan and I love going to Sunriver because with a free place to stay, it is quite affordable for us and there is so much fun stuff to do. Nathan loves central Oregon. We decided to go after school started so that it would be less busy. Because Elias still has a little bit of a tough time making the drive, we thought it would be nice to have a three day weekend. Nathan took a day of vacation, and we were off to have some fun!
Elias in the bike trailer. You can see his books under his feet.
Saturday we were able to leave really early because Elias wakes up so early. We got there before lunch, and went for a bike ride in the sunny, warm weather. Last time we tried putting Elias in a bike trailer was 4th of July weekend. It went horribly. This time was totally different. He loved it! We gave him a couple of books and he happily “read” his wild animals touch and feel book. He only got upset once or twice when the sun was in his eyes. It felt good to get active and get outside. We can’t ride bikes at home because we don’t have a trailer and our bikes are stored at grandma’s house so it is really difficult to use them. Renting them is relatively cheap so we were very happy to try it again.
Elias was asleep when we arrived at the museum
On Sunday, we had all day in Sunriver, and it was jam packed! We went to the High Desert Museum first. We were able to get there when it first opened. It is actually a really great museum. It has a lot of information about the Native Peoples who lived in the area, and some really interesting artifacts. It also has a lot of wild life including desert animals, bobcat, lynx, eagles, foxes, and more. There is also a sawmill model and a replica of a settlers cabin. Elias was asleep when we got there, but woke up about 20 or 30 minutes in. He really enjoyed looking at the animals. He said “hi” to the turtle and the bobcat many times.
Elias waving and saying hello to the bobcat. One time that it walked by, it actually stopped and looked at Elias.
Elias and Daddy pose in front of an old stage coach
They had a fun exhibit about animal tracks and scat, and what they can tell us about animals. Elias enjoyed crawling around in that room. He made his first rubbings of wolf and rabbit tracks (with help).
Elias looking at the chickens.
Here was one of our views from the bike ride. Mt. Bachelor is in the background.
When we got home, we decided that we may as well try for another bike ride since the weather was so nice. We packed a picnic lunch and decided to try and find a nice spot on the river. We got the bikes and the trailer (I got to pull the trailer this time) and rode down to the river. On the way we stopped by the stables and got to see some horses up really close. Elias wanted to touch it, but we were a little bit nervous about that. I did get to touch the horse a little on the nose. We were able to find a shady bench on the river and eat our picnic.
Elias trying to touch one of the horses.
The Deschutes River. The view from our picnic spot.
The rest of our weekend was spent relaxing or playing at the park. Central Oregon really is a gorgeous place. The mountains provide a really grand backdrop anywhere you go, and the air just feels cleaner….more pure. We hope to be back soon.
This chair used to be for my dolls. Elias fits perfectly!
On the carride home, Elias slept for an hour and a half or so. He got all sweaty while he was asleep and his hair stayed hopelessly messy for the rest of the day. Here he is inside the suitcase while I was trying to unpack.