West Coast Game Park Safari

We went to this little zoo on Eric's advice when we were in Coos Bay  7 years ago for Travis and Carrie's wedding.  (At that time, Gabrian was exactly Ben's current age.)  Earlier this year, I said to Michael, "If we go to the coast this year, we should go south to Coos Bay, and we can take the kids to that cool zoo in Bandon."  Within an hour after that statement, I had a message from my cousin Dar that the family reunion would be in Coos Bay this summer.  So we got to visit family and have some time on the beach.  And return to this little zoo where you can get up close to the animals.  Deer, goats, sheep, llamas, and peacocks roam the grounds demanding food. (Check out the links to remember how little they were back then!)

Conor hugs an opposum.  (Or do you say, "Hugs a 'possum?")

Cameron hugs a 'possum, too.

The fox was surprisingly soft and surprisingly stinky.
He makes funny noises, too.
His handler says the song is not that far off.  :)

Andrew, Cameron, Mandy, and Andrew went in to pet a bear cub.
(I had already wiggled my finger through the cage next door and had her brother suck on my finger. . .)

I have loved goats since I was a little girl.  My daddy let me have some.  My husband won't. This little lady was especially friendly, even though I didn't have any food for her.

Then, she decided she was a lap goat and stayed here for a while.

The deer cornered Wynn . . . 

. . . and Gabrian.

Ari petting a soft little, adorable lynx kitten.

Gabrian and cousin Marty petting tiger cub.

Cameron with tiger cub.

Everyone got along with the African Serval kitten.  She was beautiful!

Vacation 2015 Begins

We arrived at our vacation rental with this facing us as we pulled into the driveway.  Oh, yeah.

The view from inside is pretty good, too.

We discovered that with a family as large as ours, it is as economical to rent a house for a couple days as it is to get two hotel rooms, two yurts, etc.  We've never done this before, but we sure hope to do it again.

The view of what goes on with the hooligans changes very little based on location though.  (Mandy, Cameron, Gabrian, and Ari.)