The Family Reunion!

Well, not all of the siblings made it, but we still had a great time at the Warren Family Reunion - as you can tell. We are happy to report that everyone is healthy and doing well!

It has been a year since we have seen most of the relatives, so we spent a lot of time catching up, telling stories, and goofing off.

Some of the highlights:

• Seeing all of the Nieces and Nephews again - it has been way too long!
  
• Lots of fun and games in the pool and the hot tub
• Playing "Over the Line" - an interesting version of baseball
• Some of the grownups went golfing
• Lots of 42 was played, Bocci Ball, plus some Mexican Bingo
• Boating on the Columbia
  
• Celebrating my birthday (and Anessa's) at the bowling alley with pizza and cake - how cool is that?
• Plus lots of good eats and drinks!
  

Thanks Phil and Danette for letting us crash your place (again). Next year, you will all have to visit us in Central America - oh my!

PS: Gutierrez's and Ken Warren's - we missed you!

Victoria, British Columbia

Since we were in the area, we decided we had to see Victoria on Vancouver Island. Everyone was right - it was beautiful!

We took the car ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria - what a great way to travel. It is amazing how organized the ferry system is and how many cars, trucks, and RVs they can stuff into those ships.

We did the walking tour around town and enjoyed the beautiful gardens around Beacon Hill, the Government House, plus the road trip along the island on Dallas Road.

We might be the only tourists that didn't tour Butchart Gardens, but we did some other fun stuff like...

The Butterfly Zoo - there were beautiful creatures flying everywhere. My favorite one (that we could get a picture of!)...

The Bug Zoo - I am pretty sure that we were the only adults that didn't bring kids, but we enjoyed it. Doug followed the tour guides around listening to their stories - just like the little ones. I was hanging out with the screaming kids saying "I want to go home"!

We also enjoyed the local cuisine - of course. Our favorite was the crab and shrimp fondue at Chandlers - yum.

We did lots of walking around, but not enough to walk off the calories we consumed - oh well. I wanted to stay longer, but it was time to hit the road again!

We've been everywhere, man!

Well, not everywhere, but we are covering some ground. Our goal this summer has been to see as many friends, family, and sites as possible and Ol' Red (our old Mazda pickup) is getting us there in style - hah!

Doug's brother and sister-in-law (David and Lynette) met us in Sunriver, Oregon. We enjoyed visiting with them. Highlights - touring Petersen's Rock Garden (off the beaten path) and visiting Doug's uncle and aunt (Bob and Joan) in Prineville.

We hung out in Pasco, Washington, with my brother and sister-in-law (Phil and Danette) for a while visiting friends and getting some chores done.

Next stop - Ocean Shores, Washington. I am not sure how we got roped into this one, but we helped pack and can Albacore tuna. The canning not so much fun, but we did enjoy hanging out with friends and family and donating our money to the local casino!

From there, we drove up to Port Angeles, Washington, where we hopped a ferry to Vancouver Island, British Columbia - check out the next post for details!

We couldn't be that close to Sequim, without seeing our sailing buddies Dot and Brian from sv-Rainshadow. We had a great time meeting their extending family and touring the area. Can't wait to see them back in Mexico in the fall!

This is sure beautiful country, but the sun doesn't shine very much and it is a lot cooler than we are used to. We still had a wonderful time - check out our route!

The beautiful Pacific Northwest

I know, we grew up here, but it still takes our breath away! The blue skies, the Cascade Mountain Range, the cold nights/warm days, and the wonderful smell of pine trees - everywhere!

We left Alameda on July 16, but didn't make it very far. We spent the night in Redding, where the temps were 100 plus - but it was a dry heat - hah! We did a quick tour of the Sundial Bridge - pretty cool.

Right now - we are in Sunriver, Oregon, staying at Phil and Danette's cabin on the Deschutes river. It is beautiful and we are enjoying all of the amenities.

Phil and Danette joined us for the weekend and we spent the days exploring. We rented bikes and had a great time racing (hah) to the nearest watering hole. They have some wonderful bike trails that take you around the golf courses, the river, and the beautiful homes.

We drove up to the Newberry Volcano - Paulina Peak to check out the volcano, caldera, and the lakes. It is a pretty amazing place.

Also, a wonderful view of the waterfalls.

I have to say, there is lots to see in Central Oregon. You should check it out.

We have also been exploring the brewpubs - it is true! The Pacific Northwest is famous for its brewpubs. There is 4 here in Bend. Beers are good, but the food is amazing.

We will be hanging here until July 26. Next stop is Tri-Cities, Washington. Upcoming events: a visit from Doug's family, a Warren family reunion, and a fishing trip to Ocean Shores. Can't beat that!

Alameda highlights...

What good friends we have. Tim and Karen (Sogno D' Oro) let us stay on their boat - how nice is that? We have moved in and are very comfortable.

Since we arrived in Alameda, we have spent lots of time socializing with our boating buddies, attending happy hours, visiting our old haunts and generally enjoying ourselves. A special treat, Fern and Brian (La Paz amigos) stopped by for a visit and joined in on the fun!

Some highlights -

We attended the Alameda 4th of July parade - very old fashion and lots of fun.

We threw a 4th of July party at the marina - lots of old and new faces, great food, plus a spectacular fireworks show.

We went sailing on Sogno D' Oro. It was a little cool, but we enjoyed the beautiful views and the wonderful company. Thanks Tim and Karen!




We toured San Francisco - what a wonderful city.

The ladies spent the time shopping (and giggling); the men touring Fishermen's Wharf (and the pubs).


It was great to re-visit some of our favorite places.



And, of course, we ate way too much, but we enjoyed every bite!

Safe and sound back in the Alameda!

Well, it took us 8 days, but we made in back safely - thanks to Steve and Ana! We did get stopped crossing the border, but only because we couldn't decide what kind of meat was in the tamales we were smuggling. After opening our "stuffed" trunk, the border guards decided they needed to inspect further. No problemo!

We spent one night in Tucson and enjoyed our first microbrew and an American hamburger - pretty darn tasty.

We spent four nights in beautiful Sedona. Christina and Mark (Steve and Ana's relatives) were gracious hosts and we enjoyed all of the amenities. We did some hiking, threw a party, and ate and drank way too much.

Next stop, Glendale, Utah (sort of). Mike and Jeanette invited us to stay a couple of nights and tour southern Utah - it was amazing! We toured the Twisted Forest and Zion National Parks and other sites - just beautiful!

One more over nighter in Bakersfield, which is nothing special unless... you know about the Wool Growers restaurant. A local place serving amazing Basque food - we loved it, but ate way too much!

Finally, back to Alameda. It seems like we have been gone much longer than 8 months. We are looking forward to seeing our old boating buddies!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Sorry we aren't with you to celebrate, but we are thinking of you!

Love Carla and Doug

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