For our final day in Oregon, we went on an all day trip down the Rogue River in a Jet Boat! (see mailboat.com )
Me in my official Mailboat Jacket.
(since I left my VCBkids one at Henry’s)
It was a 104 mile trip that went from 8am to 3pm up the river and back. It was mostly smooth sailing, but there were a few areas with some fun rapids.
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
We were told there was a very good chance at getting to see some wildlife, so I was very excited when I spotted a wild cat….
Don’t worry, I protected Sara from this savage beast!
The views were, again, spectacular.
There were many small waterfalls…
And we ran into many rafters. (well, not literally!)
The boat was extremely fast, and since it is jet powered (by two powerful chevy auto engines), it can travel extremely fast in only ten inches of water. It did spray up some, but a water ride at an amusement park will still get you wetter. It was the rain that fell a few times that got us more wet than the spray from the boat. The wimps got off at the 64 mile waiting area, and we put on life jackets (not needed for the first half of the ride) and continued up for the 104 mile into the rapids.
Sara, ready to rough the rapids!
One of the zillion birds we saw.
Finally, we got to start seeing some real wild life. LOTS of birds, but I was hoping for something more exciting, and I got it…
Look carefully, see the Otter eating?
While we have lots of deer back home, it was still fun to see them in the wild.
Finally, the highlight of the day!!
Two bears fighing over some fish. Glad they are out in the water!
At the break point, we got to get out and stretch our legs. I decided to take my camera and go exploring in the hills… What a surprise when I rounded a bush and stumbled into this guy, who was NOT too happy that I bumped into him!!! (his fur was very soft!) As I ran away, I fumbled with my camera long enough to capture this, and then RAN back to the group!! Of course, no one believed me!
I almost became a bear snack!
By the way, you if you believed me, then I got you! hahahahahaha. (Bear pictures courtesy of Google Images)
Seriously, the otter was my favorite, so playful and fun to watch (hard to photograph), but the coolest had to be twenty sea lions in the harbor. Especially since we had skipped the Sea Lion Cave due to the horrid smell and fee just to go look at them. These were free, and far enough away not to have to smell them.
Sea Lions in the Harbor!
There is a ROGUE RIVER PHOTO GALLERY available with even more pics.
Enjoy!
Hi Karl… you are doing a great job of entertainins, AND photography. Patty and I have been following you now. Great photo ideas and great framing of scenic shots. Have you altered the color on some of the sea-scapes?
We’re enjoying your house so much we’re going to take it back to Colorado with us. We’ll leave the lot behind so you can rebuild when you get back.
Did you catch that snail in that position? Or, did you place him there? Was Sara blocking traffic so you could get this shot?
Patty sends her hello’s and her love as well.
We had a great Mom’s day with Maggie Mom.