Mount St. Helens on Flickr.

Johnston Ridge Observatory
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
Washington

Most of the stops on our trip were inspired by my oldest daughter’s interest in volcanoes. Since the volcanoes in Hawaii were out, Mount St. Helens was an acceptable second. If you ask, Emily will tell you Mount St. Helens was her favorite stop during our vacation.

Johnston Ridge Observatory sits atop a ridge five miles from the crater and affords wonderful views of the volcano and the surrounding landscape.

Happy girl playing in the Pacific Ocean on Flickr.

Ecola State Park
Oregon

One of the goals of our trip was to visit Oregon since none of us had been there before. We also planned to take the girls to view the Pacific Ocean. Indian Beach in Ecola State Park served this purpose perfectly.

My youngest poses beside a statue of Sacagawea on Flickr.

Our Junior Rangers being sworn in on Flickr.

Fort Clatsop on Flickr.

Fort Clatsop, Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
Oregon

Fort Clatsop is a replica of the fort used by the Corp of Discovery, the Lewis and Clark expedition, during the winter of 1805-1806.