SAFARI TIME

We took the boys to the Wildlife Safari in Winston and they loved every moment of it.  It's gorgeous and we saw so many animals!  After you drive the 4.5 mile safari village, which you can go through twice, there is a cute petting zoo and a few extras you can do with some animals.

Seeing the bears was one of our favorite parts.  It made us super excited for Wyoming.

The cheetahs have to be sectioned off for successful mating.  The sign said they get stressed out.  I loved the Lover's Lane sign.

The Elephant Car Wash wasn't open until later in the afternoon, so we missed it.  Next time, we'll make sure we plan for that.

Landon, Lach and Laird wanted to ride the camel.  I told them I want MY first camel ride to be in Egypt.  It could happen....

They have a cute train ride for the kids.  You wouldn't drive out here just for the train ride, but it's only $2 and the wee ones thought it was wonderful.

A super fun part is the bird cage.  It's free to enter but if you want a seed stick, it's only $1.  Lots of really colorful, playful birds.  They sit on your head, try to get into your purse and pockets - one tried getting into Larry J's shirt sleeve.  I was worried we might get pooped on but we stayed poop free - whew!

When you go, take extra money for the little excursions they offer.  Most are very reasonably priced so that a family can take advantage of the experience.  Garaffe feeding, baby cheetah playing, tug of war with a lion - really cool things!

Some of the more expensive ones would be an amazing birthday present.  Lion feeding, a half day with a ranger, etc...

We loved our day at the safari.  It received a man clan two thumbs up!

THEY DIDN'T BREAK EVERY RULE

1. Shower before entering pool - does anyone?

2. No running - they ran.

3. No diving - they didn't dive, they flipped.

4. No horseplay - they really broke that one.

5. No food or drink in pool - they obeyed.

FINDING A VEGAN RESTAURANT IN GRANTS PASS WAS A CHALLENGE,

until we found Orchid Grill. They are not a vegan restaurant but they were so nice to accommodate my crazy food allergies, double check ingredients and their food is delicious!
My clan loved every bite of their food. You should have heard the mmmm, mmmm's at our table.

Between the kalua pig, banzai burger, pupu platter, sweet potato fries, passion fruit lemonade and mango lemonade, and for me, the teriyaki veggie stir-fry with yakisoba noodles, we all left with full bellies and happy taste-buds.

Next time we are in Southern Oregon, we will definitely be stopping here again.

WE FELT THE NEED. THE NEED FOR SPEED.

So we took the boys zip-lining at Out 'N' About treehouse zip-lines in Cave Junction.

The lines vary in height, distance and speed. The highest run is at 70 feet, we zip-lined 725 linear feet across a meadow, on two of the runs we zip-lined 650 linear feet and on one run you can get to up to 40 mph!

On one of the runs, I went upside down!

If you ask my man clan if they did, the answer will be a big fat nope. They were wearing shorts and that's against the upside down rules. At least they got to use the swivel attachment, so they could spin.
Zip-lining was the highlight of our weekend getaway. SO.MUCH.FUN.

Next time we go back, we are going to stay in one of the treehouses. This place is seriously cool, exhilarating, and the staff are incredible.

One tip for when you go. Don't be foolish, thinking that the basic package will leave you satisfied, because it won't. You are going to want to do the full enchilada. Trust us. It's worth every penny.

AND, don't forget to wear pants so you can zip-line upside down.

BIZARRO JERRY

We surprised the older boys with a weekend getaway in Southern Oregon.
Our first stop was the Oregon Vortex in Gold Hill. Within the vortex there is a House of Mystery, and it is just that. Strange things happen in this place. When you are in the house, you feel like there is a magnet in your body pulling you. It's so bizarre.
Here is the front of the house.
And here is the back.
Even though there is the major leaning, everyone is actually standing straight.
This ball rolls up hill, as do objects you put down in the house. When you are in there, put down your water bottle, give it a roll and see what it does.
This is seriously one of the most perplexing places I've ever been. It is quirky, amazing and unbelievable at the same time.
The strangest things happen in the vortex. Height shifting is one of them. Notice Laird is shorter than Larry J.
They switch places and now are the same height. There are different spots on the tour that the guide shows you height changes and areas that make you have a rotary sway.
Tucked away about six miles off I-5, the vortex is worth the stop. The tour is about an hour, the guides are super friendly and funny, it is very family friendly, inexpensive (under $10 per person) and will leave you saying, "Amazeballs", "Bizzaro Jerry", "Holy Smokes"... you will definitely keep talking about the phenomena.