Geology field trip

Savvy's class was heading to central Oregon for a 2-day field trip to see some awesome things I have always wanted to see.  I normally shy away from field trips, because parents come out of the woodwork for them.  But this one was too tempting, and I jumped at the chance to go.

The teacher who planned it didn't do the best job.  She drove the route twice this summer, and used her time frame to plan the trip.  However, she forgot that a bus goes 55 miles per hour rather than 70 or 75 on the freeway in a car.  She also forgot that stopping somewhere for 150 kids to use the restroom takes a bit longer than it does with a single carload of people.

The first day was way too much driving, and too much time at boring museums, which left not enough time for the real reason I went on the trip--the Painted Hills.

The first day we stopped in Fossil, Oregon to dig for fossils, which was awesome.  Sadly, we were so behind schedule that we only had 30 minutes to do this.  I could have done it all day.

 Bugs trapped in amber.

 Fossils!

 I was loving the hammer and chisel action splitting rocks in half to find treasures.

 We got to the Painted Hills just before sunset.  It really was the most beautiful place in Oregon.  I wanted to spend hours there, but I wasn't in charge.  I am seriously taking my family back there this fall to thoroughly explore.

 Red, green, yellow, white, blue.  Every color of soil and rock formations here.

We made it to the town of our overnight stop about an hour and a half late.  It was pitch black, and we were all starving and dying of thirst.  I inhaled two slices of pizza, and then went to check out the sleeping accommodations.  I knew the plan had been to stay on the gym floor of an elementary school.  I came fully prepared to do so.  But when I saw that the boys and girls were sleeping right next to each other in the same gym, and that the gym was not air-conditioned, I was not doing that.  And I wasn't making Savanna do that either.  I called the Best Western down the road.  Savanna and I had the best night's sleep ever in a huge, comfy, cool room.  We were asleep by 9:30.

We walked the 1.5 miles back to the school the next morning to join the group, and after many delays getting kids up, packed, fed, and lunches made, we were off to Smith Rock State Park.

It was magical.  I loved everything about it.  One teacher and I took a group of adventurous kids on a trip up a steep trail to see Monkey Face.  It was awesome.  Smith Rock is a caldera, with steep walls and rock columns remaining from an ancient volcano.  It was simply incredible.  I can't wait to take my family back to spend more time in this beautiful place.

 Just a 500 foot drop.  Of course, Savanna had to lie down and spit.