Helmick Park June 24th, 2007

So, it's Sunday morning and I am stir crazy.... I decide to talk Dustin into going out for a picnic with the kids even though the sky is gloomy and its been raining off and on. He finally agrees and then we have to choose a destination. I get on the state of oregon park website and find a relatively close location that we have not been to and we are off. Helmick Park is located right off of hwy 99w and is only 20 minutes away from home. It doesn't look like much when we get there and Janessa has fallen asleep on the way. We unload the van and start laying out the food when it starts to rain. My sister, Kelley finally suggests that we move the picnic table under some of the very large trees nearby- duh! and eat there. We enjoy our sandwichs and play a little football. Janessa wakes up and we can feed her and begin our "adventure". First stop the bathroom!! How exciting:) We find a little trail that quickly becomes very narrow and steep and then before you know it we are on the banks of the Luckimute River. The river is fairly calm and we throw a few rocks and sticks and decide to go back and follow another trail before one of the kids falls into the water. After many little trails we discover a low spot with beach access to the river, someone has left 3 squirt guns and the kids are in heaven. It was a very peaceful spot, with nothing to hear but the birds and the water. We make our way along the little trails back to the van but decide we are not quite done exploring, so we take off around the outer loop of the park. We find lots of salmon berries, which I've decided are not my favorite- too sour, everyone tries some and we head off to enjoy our pudding cups for dessert. All in all it was a very mellow day but with lots of laid back walking and looking at nature. The kids we very impressed with the many banana slugs we found and listening to the birds. Definately a place we will return to!