Are we there yet?

The kids are home schooled (I keep saying "for now"). We start late in the morning when everyone has slept enough and done chores. Usually they don't need me to do more than explain a thing or two. And it's fun to learn stuff all over again. I love local history - and especially ghost stories - so I get a big kick out of teaching about Portland and Oregon.

Next week, I'm dragging them all over the place on a field trip that should be a wonderful adventure. I hope. We'll travel to a number of small towns in Oregon and Washington where history is alive and well.

Hood River: The Columbia River Gorge is right outside our city limits. My parents live so close to it (in the house where I grew up) that they get terrible winds when storms are in the gorge. The closest town of size to us up the gorge is Hood River. It's a huge draw to windsurfers and there are times you can see nothing but their sails on the Columbia River. It is full of apple orchards, outstanding restaurants and unique shops. It also is the spot where their favorite great grandmother that they never actually met is buried. Grandma Trudy left a legacy and we will be visiting her memorial and cleaning up (we're bringing our own shears and marble polish, thanks). Oh, and learning about their dad's family in a way they never imagined.

Goldendale & George: We'll cross to the Washington side. All of the crossings have a story. In Cascade Locks, back toward Portland, the old stone bridge that used to be crossed by foot is has a unique Indian legend attached to it. They search for each other at night. We'll more likely cross at Hood River and begin the long drive to Goldendale, which is aptly named. Very dry and sparse, with few of the trees to which I am accustomed, the geography includes Indian rock paintings and some amazing artifacts. We will visit the Maryhill Museum and mock Stonehenge. At Maryhill, an art museum, there are some treasures that I remember from my childhood. Models of dolls from the 1930s with all the fashions of the time. They are semi-creepy but unbelievable detailed. There is a Rodin. The stonehenge memorial is a place of wonder - overlooking the vast gorge cliffs, you can sit on a stone slab and imagine what the ancient people in the gorge were like, at this site of celebrations for the Native Americans that lived here. It was the nation's first memorial to world war one.

Day three will be spent in Spokane. I'm most excited about this leg of our journey. Besides seeing friends, we will take a trek to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho (the first time the kids will have been in that state) and check out the sites. There's a theme park and water park. We get to ride a tram over rapids. There are museums and a cultural center that talks about the lake and its history. The kids have talked me into a nicer hotel for our stay in Spokane so it may be tough to get them to leave. There's an indoor pool. And wifi. Oh, and a snack bar. I'll be off exploring and they'll be surfing the net from the comfort of their queen sized beds. Kids these days...

Seattle will be our next stop. With 7 museums, and family with which to stay, we'll spend as many as two nights and 3 days wandering this overcrowded, poorly designed and beautiful place. The kids will ride a ferry. We'll be close enough to Canada that a day trip might get us there. And I'll get a break from all the driving - to do more driving. But in the HOV lane, thank goodness. Seattle traffic is crazy! They'll see fish being thrown around like - um - fish at the Pike Street Market.

I wish we had a month. There are so many things I want them to see and experience that I did at this age (my first major road trip was Washington State and Canada and I loved it - even though we were all squished into our green Buick station wagon with no seat belt. "Mom, he's touching me!!!" rang out constantly. My parents must have been saints to not throw things at us. I'll have to bring Rabies, the monkey, who first came to us on a road trip. He may be useful. I have good aim.