About Us

The Pack Family Journal is a place where we gather text and images of our lives, adventures and travels. This is a very personal site, written openly and honestly. Enjoy.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Home Again! No Bad Days!

We had a great Vaction - but it GREAT to be home!

I have to say that this is wondersful to be home; were I can sit on my pouch watching the birds flying around, enjoy a shrimp taco as the waves roll into the beach, or lay in the Sea of Cortez all day. Check out our day in the Sun at Cantu' Cove San Felipe.




Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Summer Vacation 2007

SUMMER VACATION
July - Aug. 2007 John and I left San Felipe on Wednesday 18th of July on our way to Oregon, we stopped in Santa Barbara to see Dave, Karin, Sara, & Amber. We had to Drop off the Mexican yard birds Davey boy saw the last time he was visiting us in San Felipe.
We always have a great time with the Cybulski Family no matter what we do, they are just good people. Stopping in Fresno to do a few things; get the car checked and have a nights rest to start the trip off right – Thanks Mom!

We are on our way to start our Vacation!
The plan is to head to Grants Pass for a jet boat ride called “Hell’s Gate” on the Rogue River, clime any mountain we feel like, take time to see our friends Melody & Angela in their new house in Florence Oregon, look at boats and maybe take a sail in the San Francisco Bay (hopefully) with Christine and Raine, hopefully see my good friends Montse and Issa with their new baby boy in Wisner CA, then of course back to Santa Barbara, Ventura, Fresno, then home again, and as always stopping to see what ever catches our eye’s. I hope you enjoy our travels as much as I know we will.

Our first stop was to see my Grandpa and Aunt Helen in Woodland CA. What a great time we had talking and we enjoying a delicious dinner at Applebee’s, where Grandpa always orders the Fish and Chips.
He is 92 years old I think and is so sharp always thinking up new inventions. John and I had a great time with them and hope to have another visit really soon.

July 25 2007 - John and I have been enjoying Suzette’s and Randy’s place in Oregon for 3 days now; Wilderville, yes that is the name of the town, just a cute little town with the BEST pizza I ever had. I would like to introduce Thelma on the left and Louise on the right; two great dogs loving life!












We arrived on Sunday the 22nd. Suzette's house and property is so beautiful and relaxing with horses and stables, and a creek just a short walk past blackberry bushes.Yumm I love picking and eating blackberries - I think I am in heaven.















Tuesday 24th we had the ride down the Rogue River on the “Hell’s Gate” jet boats. WOW what fun! These boats were in as little as 6 inches of water in some areas. The tour guide showed us the beauty of the wild life surrounding the river as well as his skill to maneuver the boat into 360’s and short stops to get the boat of about 50 people wet and giggly. The tour was 3 hours including an awesome lunch of BBQ chicken, cheesy potatoes, tasty green salad, and lip smacking Blackberry Cobbler - We had a Great day!











Maxim playing the Park Ranger for our Jet boat trip.













Happy Birthday Suzette!The boat ride was for Suzette’s (John sister) B-day. The night was topped of with a great dinner and Ice Cream Birthday cake. Happy B-day to Suzette!







She was turning 25 again – Ha! Ha!


For the next three days we took trips to the Rogue River to ride the class 1, 2 & 3 rapids in river kayaks. John and I gone more sun on the river in Oregon then we get in San Felipe MX, isn’t that funny – Ha! Ha!




The first day on the river was more of a float with little Maximum - John’s nephew. We hung out and let the current carry us down stream; we saw Osprey, Blue Herrings, River Otters, small fish, a family of deer, and a Bald Eagle – very cool!

The second day I got knocked out of my boat by the rocks and a wave at the Hell Gate entrance. I came up with my boat in one arm, paddle in the other hand and one of my water shoes hanging by my toe. I made it back into my boat with a bit of help – no problem.




The Third day John got sideways and a wave rolled him out of his boat and he hit a rock; a little out of breath and now a black and blue bruise he is fine. When it happened all I saw was his boat upset down and his lifejacket. The jacket popped up over his head, making it look like he was not in it. I paddled over to him and we got his boat back to him, he maneuvered back into the sattled and we finished the last day on the Rogue River.










One morning Randy (Suzette’s boyfriend) asks me if I wanted to go riding (ride a horse); well being that I had not even sat on a horse I said “Yes.” Then explained my skills or lack of them; no problem Randy said with a smile. “Pepper is the horse for you”. I had so much fun riding and guiding the Pepper around the buckets. Pepper is a nice and calm horse prefect for this green cowgirl. If we had more time I wanted to try the open road at a slow pace of course with time to stop and pick berries.











Other afternoons we enjoyed games of Bocce Ball or Lawn Bowling; but we added a few rules. The course moved around the yard and renamed it Bocce Golf. It was so much fun with the uneven surfaces and obstacles in the way like metal water pipes, trees, or gates. Jusplan old family fun!

The days always ended by sitting with a refreshing drink, looking at the stars, and the moon. This was a wonderful start to our vacation with family and new friends.

On Saturday 28th we headed to Florence Oregon to hang out with Mel and Angela Our friends from San Felipe. They just moved in to their new home and we could not wait to them. It took us about 2.5 - 3 hours to drive from Wilderville to Florence.














When we got there Angela had left to go get her stuff from Morobay. We were and are really sorry we did not have the time to hang out with both of them, but we had a good time with Melody.










We had breakfast in a quant little place down town; just a short walk from the pier where we look at the boats.

The next day Mel gave us a ride to the dunes and to a great view of the ocean, river, and the cutie town. John and I where so happy for Mel and Angela they found a great house on the cute little community.

From Mel’s and Angela’s we drove to Oakland CA by way of the Oregon Coast just absolutely beautiful.




Beautiful but ZERO Cell service for two days we could not call any one. As we drove out of the Redwoods finally the phone showed 2 bars; I tried to call Montse and our friends in Oakland but the phone did not work. Later during the drive we see a sign the reads Wisner CA; I did finally talked to Montse and we planned time to spend together on our Birthdays in September. I can not wait!

So we headed forward to see Christine and Raine's more friends from San Felipe, they live in Oakland. In the Oakland hills, it turns out they live about 2-3 miles from where my Grandparents use to live before they move to Alameda.

John and I took one day after we arrived to find the house and apartment my grandparents live in. This is a view form the house if it was still there; apartments were built where their house use to be.
This is a picture of the lagoon in Alameda were they lived and I remember walking to the beach through the stores stopping at Walgreens for a toy then heading for the sand and ocean to play in the sand building sand castles. One time my grandpa make a shark with shall and sand and dug a hole where the mouth was; we would put our leg in it or body making it look like the shark was eating us. Good times! Just a little memory I wanted to share with you all - Now back to the trip.


Christine and Raine fixed us a great dinner the first night we came in; then the next day showed us the Alameda Yacht Club and took us the out for the best Chili Relleno. I can not remember the restaurant were we went but the Chili Relleno were yummy and the corn tortillas were like a pita but better. The Alameda Yacht Club was so cool and the people just down to earth and inviting. We enjoyed the short time we spend with Christine and Raine and they make us fell comfy and at home just the way we hope our friends feel when they visit us.





As we headed south we have two more stops and we are home. Santa Barbara & Fresno; these are two places that feel like home and we love spending time just hang out and relaxing.

If you know us you know this already, the Cybalki Family always make us feel welcome and we create a party when ever we hang out, Just plan old FUN! Troy Pack is our Fisherman of SB and we got to spend sometime with him - it was great. He brought us yummy fish; Dave BBQ them up and had a feast. The next day We spent time with more friend and went to the beach were all their kids played and goofed off. Then the last day was just hung out in the pool and enjoying the California Sun – GREAT time!




Three days with Troy and our extended famliy; it’s was time for us to head South to visit both sets of parents. John’s and my parents both live in Fresno. From Fresno John and I desided to go home by what of Ensenda. Great Drive - Beautiful!
What a Wonderful Vacation John and I had we went on “Hells Gate” jet boat with Four 400 jet engines on the Rogue River, kayaked the Rogue rapids, saw the beauty of the rivers of Florence and the Oregon Coast, Hung out with the Yachties in Oakland, partied with the homes in Southern Cal, and relaxed with the Family. Thank you to all the make us feel at home in your home; hugs and kisses to all! You made you vacation outstanding.

WOW THAT WAS A VACATION!