Our first mini-vacay in 18 months

Steve and I - and Sophia - went to Sisters, in Eastern Oregon, to visit Steve's sister Kimry Jelen for the first time since she moved there several years ago. We took the scenic route leaving Seattle east on I-90 then traveling south through Eastern Washington into Oregon.

We had lunch at this famous place in Union Gap on the way, Miner's Drive-In Restaurant. Not as good as Zippy's or Red Mill but decent. The shakes were a disappointment. We picnicked next to a group of kids headed for camp. They had gone to Cold Stone Creamery for little 1-scoop bowls of vanilla ice cream and they had some left over, so we got to enjoy some of theirs.

We pulled into town in time for a gallery opening for Dennis Mcgregor, her significant other. Then we were invited along to the gallery owner's home for a catered dinner. We had fun chatting with all of the artists. Sophia didn't enjoy being locked in the car...

Beautiful countryside

Several of Kimry's painting in another gallery in Sisters, OR

Sophia really appreciated the sun-warmed cushion outside of one of the shops on the main shopping street. The entire town is cowboy themed, like Leavenworth is Bavarian.

Steve went shopping for more safety razors. He has turned into a thrift store hound! It's terrible. It's like, we are old or something. We have turned into our parents.

We arrived Saturday evening and stayed until Monday morning. She lives in a custom studio she built on Mcgregor's 60 acres. I saw a deer the first morning I was there when I took Sophia out for a walk around 7 AM. Her floors are concrete that she stained herself and are heated. She has a giant bathtub! I don't have any pictures of her place. There are interesting plants there, and some weird looking rocks left over from volcanic times. We spent an evening around a camp fire visiting and we enjoyed cooking together.

Steve and I have been hunkered down since our return from New York City where we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary and rang in the new year of 2008. My car is almost paid off and we have been in a debt management program through Take Charge America for a year. We do not plan on any serious travel again until we are free of our consumer debt (summer 2012) and can pay cash for our trip. I've set a goal for Portugal for 2015!