Day Eight.

Grants Pass, OR to Cresent City, CA

Today we drove a lot and do some fun sight seeing. First we went to the Oregon Caves. This was an hour and a half tour. We had to split up into groups, 15 per. group, and we descended at different times into the caves. Each group was able to have a different experience, and everyone will agree that we all had a great time.
After the caves we ate a great lunch at Pizza Hut. Shortly following our lunch we drove to the Redwood forest. Once there we hiked in about a mile on a trail and got to see these beautiful trees and wildlife. It was so much fun to take pictures with these breathtakingly large trees.
Once we were done at the Redwoods we were able to check into our hotel and some of us had the opportunity to visit the harbor or beach. Shortly after that we had a great family home evening by Rachel Withers and then some of us called it a night, while the others went to a sea food restaurant next store to the hotel.
This day of rest was greatly needed by all of us and we had so much fun spending time with one another.

 

 

Stories and Experiences:

Cristian Joubert:

Today was our experience at the Oregon Caves. It’s Monday of week 2 on the tour. We are taking some free-time from dance to enjoy some sight-seeing. Our group disembarked the bus and every single one of us formed lines at the restrooms. After a short while a woman in a park uniform came and officially greeted the team. We gathered in the hacky-sackin’ boys (including Bro. Bone) and the photo-face-splicing, giggling girls to the circle. We made our way to the main building and began breaking off in groups. I was in Group 2 with Camille, Celeste, Jane, Jamie, Daniel, Elsha, Kali, Amanda, Megan, Kylie, Dave, Bethani, Jude, and the Bones. Our tour guide was Ranger Joe Alexander. He has been working and guiding tours at the Oregon Caves for ten years. Before we began the actual tour Joe showed us some fossils and rocks, showed us pictures of significant individuals, and gave us a little bit of trivia. As we walked through the caves we continued to marvel at the substantial sums of new and interesting info we received from Ranger Joe. The hour and a half tour proved most adventuresome, not to mention entertaining. At the near conclusion of our  tour, Ranger Joe gathered us in. He gestured towards a very long tunnel. A five-hundred-foot straight shot toward the light. A small number of our group dashed toward the mouth of the tunnel. We thrilled as we breathlessly ran the incline. Once at the top we found the gate locked, so we waited a moment or two for the rest of our group to gather. Once Joe got up there with the keys, he paused for a moment. Before he opened the gate, he enlightened us concerning the acoustics of the tunnel. He said the resonance was ideal for music. And so with his invitation, 6 of us, 2 boys and 4 girls, went about 40 yards and huddled after a brief collaboration, where we settled on “Nearer My God to Thee”. We found our starting note and began to sing. Joe was right; the acoustics were out of this world. The hymn resonated beautifully throughout the cave. It penetrated the cool, damp air. We learned later that our tour guide, Joe, was so moved to stillness. He closed his eyes and drank in the melody with the rest of the group. Sister Bone related to us later Joe’s respective comments concerning the experience. For us, the members of the little impromptu choir, it was a window for testimony. All in all, I would consider it the most significant teaching moment of the entire tour.

Rachel Withers:
"Today I went 225 ft. deep into the earth by way of the Oregon caves for an hour and a half. Our tour guide Jennifer, bless her heart, was very green, if you know what I mean.  Inside the cave there was beautiful granite and slimy looking rocks in the shape of banana’s.  Each room of the cave was different with different forms of rock.  I felt like I couldn’t get enough oxygen inside the cave because of the high amounts of carbon dioxide.  There were a lot of steps in the cave, 500 to be exact, but we all made it with our dancers energy.  Our tour guide actually said our group was the least tired group she had taken.  So parents you have fit kids thanks to dance.  Well anyway, the cave was fun she told us stories about how the first man to come into the caves was chasing his dog who was chasing a bear and the man lost his light so he made it out by finding the 44 degree water running through the cave.  After we got out of the cave some of us climbed to the top of the mountain trail the caves were beneath.  The view was phenomenal with rolling hills and trees in every direction.  Summed up I felt like a true cave woman after I climbed out of the mouth of the cave.  We just got to the redwood forest national park. “

Dave McNary

“Today we have had the opportunity to go to the harbor as we on our way back from our adventure we had decided to take a short cut which involved passing through a nearby ditch. As we approached the gap we were dismayed to find that there was a spongy looking mass at the bottom of the ditch. It was not the most inviting sight but Beth being the brave champion piped “it’s like living on a farm we have to pass through ditches all the time.” “Alrighty young lady, be my guest and cross first!” I chimed! She took a deep breath and bolted in her attempt to clear the ditch. After clearing a whole two inches she landed in the green wannabe grass which sunk immediately. She squealed in alarm then flew out of the ditch quicker then she fell into it!! Then turned around and stared at us with wide eyes struck with terror! Needless to say she survived and it was funny!!”

Kylie Brusco & Kamrie McCandless

“One more story about our host family this weekend. I think the 13 yr old only girl of 7 boys, was the most excited out of all of them to have the two older sisters around. Her and her mother admitted to checking out our costumes as they hung in the laundry room to air out, and they discovered that Kamrie was Glenda the good witch in the dance “Popular.” They were so excited! They loved that routine.

After family prayer Sunday night, we sat around chatting for a few minutes. Estie, our little sister, left the room to go brush her teeth. At that moment I felt that perhaps she might like to try on one of our costumes, like dress up or something, considering she hadn’t had sisters or female cousins to play with. Then it hit me. Glenda. Pink sequins. I leaned over and asked Kamrie if she would be willing to share. We pitched the idea and extended the offer to Estie and she was absolutely thrilled!!! She eagerly put on the costume, let us do up her hair a little bit, then happily posed for the camera! She looked beautiful! Kamrie jumped in the photos with her and showed her some good poses for the role as Glenda. Estie is a doll and I know she will never forget her weekend with two big sisters.”

Alex Ashby:
“After a long and exciting day of explore the caves and giant mystical forests we ended up at the Lighthouse Inn in Cresent city, which incidentally is right along the coast.  We had planned on a bon-fire and Family home evening on the beach tonight, but due to overcast skies and a surly wind blowing many opted out of spending time on the beach.  A few of us who were more stubborn decided that we were going to experience the beach anyways!  Because what good is being next to a beach if you can’t enjoy it?!?!  So we bundled up and headed out.  It was actually alot of fun and not as cold as expected because we had a couple of ostrich races and started an intense game of “line tag”.  In case your not familiar with line tag, it basically consists of drawing a giant spider web in the sand and then playing tag while only stepping on the lines.  It was a ton of fun and everyone who participated left the beach with red noses and smiling faces :) the end.” 

 

 

 

 

 

Rebecca Urie:
"I got another recipe! This tour has been filled with wonderful food provided by our home-stay families which I thank you for so much. During my stay at the Jessee’s home my home stay mom made the best Bean Salsa. She agreed to share the recipe with me and also to let me share it with you! Here it is,

Bean Salsa

2 cans black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can corn (drained)
1/2-1 bunch of cilantro
1/4 cup or so purple onion
1  t. minced garlic
chopped jalapenos – to taste

Sauce
Mix: 1/4 oil ( I use canola)
         1/4 lemon juice
         1 t. cumin

Pour sauce on bean mixture. Stir.
Yummy! Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as me and the girls who had the privilege of staying with this lovely family did. "