Elk Lake get away

Another weekend of fun behind us.  We traveled to Central Oregon with two of our favorite travel buddies, Gary & Susie.  We had rented a cabin, and had more food than we could possibly eat, more wine and spirits than could be consumed, but we were prepared for fun.

The drive over was warm and wonderful.  As we passed through the fir trees which turned to pine trees, the air became drier, the sun hotter, and it felt like vacation. Suttle Lake Lodge was our first stop for lunch. They have a nice lunch menu, but after an hour, I didn't care how good their food was, I wanted to eat! Sad, they lost our order and couldn't even fess up to the mistake.

Back in the car we piled, and headed for Elk Lake that is about 30 miles from Sunriver. 

One of my famous shots out the window.  I love this part of Oregon. The open land, the mountains, it's so different from the valley, and so beautiful!

.We arrived and checked in, and found our accommodations rustic, but certainly something we could enjoy for a weekend.  It was a one "butt" kitchen, which brought many laughs as different people attempted to come in and get something while the other was attempting to prepare food, or wash dishes...we adapted

This was the view from our deck. It was fun to sit on the deck, sipping a beverage and watching the lake, the mountain, and the comings and goings at the lodge.

The first night we noticed a pink glow on the mountain.  By the time I pulled it together and got down there, the sunset was almost finished, and the following evening didn't seem to be as bright, but it was still a picturesque evening. 

The best for me, was the first morning.  Around 6:15 I slipped out of the cabin while everyone else slept. I walked down and around the lake and had the most wonderful sight.  Fog sitting over the lake and the sun rising and leaving it's pink blush on the water below.  Truly breathtaking!

                                                                   Sunset second night

                        

         Only made it down here early the first morning, but it was worth the early morning wake up.

The kids and several of their friends were camping just a short walk from where our cabin was.  Some were in camping cabins, that were equipped with beds, propane lantern, and heater.  The other friends pitched tents.  Little people aged six years down to one year olds were having fun running on bark chip mountains, and playing in the dirt.  The lake was a built in babysitter once they had life jackets on, as the edge was so shallow they could play for hours without too many worries.

Mark had been out for a morning hike, and offered to take Susie and me to his "meadow" that he discovered.  We were quick to agree, put on tennis shoes, and off we went.  What Mark failed to mention was that the hike was traipsing through pine trees with no known path.  How the heck did he find this place?  Susie at one point thought she might go back, but Mark assured us it was close.  Hmmm yes, it was pretty, green, little yellow flowers blooming, but seriously?  Just take off through some trees with no known outcome?  We did it, we can say that, but enjoyed walking trails much more.  Above are some of the pretty things we noticed growing.

WE found a park ranger who was more than happy to show us the local flora.  Everything is much smaller due to the elevation, but believe it or not, the above is an orchid...Oregon style! Who would have guessed?

The littles had rough nights sleeping, and the adults were a little worse for wear, but it was fun, it was memory making..Meals shared, campfires to tell stories around, marshmallows roasted...all in a good weekend away.

Baby boy loves the water, BUT the lake was a little chilly for his liking!

 

We ended up sharing the bathroom with some rodent from the wild.  Never saw him, but he left "presents" behind.  Not my favorite part of this weekend, but it is what it is.  Our food was untouched, put away safely. Got to have #1 grandson sleep over one night.  We laughed so hard on several occasions I thought we would need depends, but we saved ourselves.

Another memorable trip in the books, and laughs to last a lifetime.



The pet rock..Rocky, or Rockford can't really remember

 sweet boy with bedhead giving his winning smile first thing in the morning.

 Chef Gary whipping up some pancakes for our final breakfast.

Stop on the way home. Three Sisters in the background.  Learned that in the beginning they were called Faith, Hope, and Charity.  Wonder why those names didn't stick?