Lighthouses, museums, tide pools, zip lining, and a LOT of driving. Oregon 2022 was a lot of things. Everything we did is described in the journal below, but I wish I could describe every moment. Let’s just say that a lot happened.
Friday- We had to be at the school at 6:30. Then meant a 4:45am get up for me. Once we gathered everything we loaded the bus. Since there wasn’t enough room for all of us, I went on the van. That was pretty fun. Don’t get me wrong, it was a really long drive with no air conditioning, but Ms. Kadi was the best and was nice enough to play Taylor Swift the entire way. So the long, boring drive that I had expected ended up being a 9-hour karaoke session. After a couple stops for lunch and sightseeing, we got to Astoria.
Saturday- I woke up on Oregon, day 2 in a cabin with about 12 other girls. It was a bit noisy, but lot’s of fun. After breakfast we went to Fort Stevens. Honestly I had no idea what a historic fort it was. The details are in the journal, but it was a lot of learning. After Fort Stevens we headed to High Life Adventures. That was SO fun. One of the high lights of the trip. High Life Adventures was where my group interviewed the owners for our ad. I thought I was going to be really nervous but the people were super nice, so it wasn’t bad.
Sunday- We spent another night in the cabins. Then we went to the Columbia Maritime Museum. That was pretty interesting. Then we went to the Tillamook Cheese Factory. It made me really wish I liked cheese. But they had a good gift shop, so that’s always a plus.
Monday- On Sunday night we moved to yurts. Then we got on the bus again and saw some tide pools! I even got to hold a sea lemon! We then went to the Yaquina Lighthouse Interpretive Center. That was nice. Lastly, our groups went on some quests. Admittedly, our group didn’t nail the quests. In fact, we came dead last. But it’s something to improve on.
Tuesday- For the first part of the day, we went to the Hatfield Marine Center. We had gone on Monday, but that was a pretty busy day. We did a speedy science class and built underwater robots. Our group created a robot we called “JAWN” No, it’s not an acronym, we just thought it was cool. Then we went on a Marine Discovery Explorer Cruise. I really enjoyed the first half, but then I got seasick and I have to say the last half is a bit fuzzy.
Wednesday- We started travelling back on Wednesday. Tuesday night was a highlight because we finally figured out the heating. We visited Depoe Bay quickly. Then we saw our surprise. We went to the Bullwinkle’s amusement park. Everybody tried the spray boats. Even Ms. Kadi! That was pretty nice of her.
Thursday- Thursday was our final travelling day. We made one stop at a very nice buffet. That was cool. Then more and more driving. I got to ride on the van again. Then it was a lot more Taylor Swift. The afternoon was when I really wished the van had air conditioning. It got HOT. The van group was really fun, so it wasn’t too bad.
I obviously learn’t a lot this trip. I learned the history of Fort Stevens, many different types of marine wildlife, and lot’s more. But I also think that I learned a lot about being independent on this trip. I learned to wake myself up on time, how to keep my stuff organized, how to use my bank card and to NEVER, EVER, SIT ON THE WHEEL OF THE BUS, because I will get car sick. Of course, some lessons weren’t as fun to learn, but I know that I’m a more independent and capable person then I was before.
That’s my quick description of Oregon! Like I said, a lot happened. I learned a lot and had so much fun this trip. All I can say is, OREGON 2022!
