Life in Amerika: Hmmm...Niagara Falls Oregon?

I was planning on staying home today and washing the mud from yesterdays trip off the Trooper, but Akiko wanted to get out of the house and do something. Since we didn't finish breakfast until a little after noon, whatever we did had to be close. Akiko chose Niagara Falls Oregon. If you have never been there, it is just above Willamina. A 30 minute drive on forest service roads and then a 1 mile hike from the trail head brings you to two pretty big falls. This trip length was perfect, because we could get there, do it and get home before dark even with a late start. My recovering knee didn't mind the short distance either. It would prolly also be a good walk for kids...short distance and fun falls at the end.

We got to the parking lot and I got nervous, because of "all" of the cars.

In spite of the impression you get from wife's attire, it was pretty warm in the woods.

Kaibu had some fun playing on a big ol' log.

First view of the right fall. Niagara Falls is kind of a funny name. I wonder what inspired the "namer" to go with Niagara? Ignorance or Irony? The falls are obviously much smaller than the real deal, but they aren't packed to the edges with tourists and souvenir stands. (No the colors aren't really that red. It is one of the filters built into the camera that I prolly over use...)

Here is the right fall a little closer up.

Kaibu, Franny and I under the right fall.

Kaibu couldn't quite figure out how to get back down. It was very slippery and she wanted to jump off the highest part of that rock into a bunch of big rocks. After a bunch of pointing and hollering from me, she finally took the easy, but colder way down...a little dunk was involved.

Akiko under the right fall, once for perspective:

and once for entertainment:

Here is a shot of me under the left fall for perspective. (I keep saying right and left fall, because there are two water falls. Yup, you guessed it. One on the right and one on the left...)