Welcome to our Vacation Blog!

Hi everyone. This is the first day of our 2007 summer vacation. This is the only time that the five Salem Scheppkes could plan a 10 day trip. It may be the last time that happens. Who knows! We decided months ago to drive to Yellowstone National Park, since I am the only one who has ever been there, and I just drove through once when I had a business meeting nearby. I reserved two nights in a cabin in the park, and made a dinner reservation at the Old Faithful Inn. To get there, we are driving through the middle of Oregon and through Idaho. After our stay at the park we will drive up to Montana and back through N. Idaho and E. Washington, then down to Wallowa Lake in NE Oregon where we have been several times, and then back home.

Today was a good day. Everyone got up in reasonably good time and we packed and hit the road about 10. By one we were in Redmond and just happened on a really good place for lunch called Jody's. All the staff seemed to be kids, but they made a mean burger and the Rueben was outstanding. I also had a fresh raspberry shake.

Then is was on to our two major destinations of the day. For some reason, this part of Oregon has the two premier folk art destinations in the state, within a few miles of each other. First we went to Petersen Rock Garden, an amazing park with displays made out of rocks. It was obviously a labor of love for Rasmus Petersen, a Danish immigrant, who began working on it in the mid 30's. It is still in the family and they are keeping it in pretty good shape. We probably were here last about 10 years ago.

Then it was on to the Funny Farm, another kind of weird roadside attraction with walk-through displays made out of bowling balls and other found objects. You walk through an antique store to get to the garden and there you see an amazing doll house with a miniature TV which is playing a video of The Wizard of Oz on a two inch screen (no kidding). It wasn't working when we got there, but the proprietor (and co-creator) turned it on. I said it was my favorite thing at the Funny Farm. He said he thought the best thing was the bowling ball tree. He may be right.

Then we headed straight west across the middle of the state, through the Ochoco National Forest and the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument to the quaint town of John Day. We found a great Googie-style motel called the Dreamers Lodge, with free wi-fi. We walked to dinner at the Outpost Restaurant and had some good salads. Then we shared a piece of great homemade huckleberry cheesecake and coconut cream pie. Yummy. We then walked around John Day a bit. It was originally gold rush town. Now it's kind of a sleepy ranching and logging town.

Tomorrow, it's on to Idaho.