'The ocean is a central image. It is the symbolism of a great journey.'-Enya The next leg of the B and my trip was to drive the Oregon Coast and for his sake, I hoped the weather cooperated! B really wanted to see Face Rock in Bandon. We had a couple of options from Ashland, … Continue reading Adventures in the Pacific Northwest: The Oregon Coast
'I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was.'-Ransom Riggs B and I talked a lot about what we planned to do when he got here. I knew I wanted to show him my favorite spots...Smith Rock and The … Continue reading Adventures in the Pacific Northwest: Central Oregon
'The desert, when the sun comes up...I couldn't tell where heaven stopped and the Earth began.'-Tom Hanks One of the hidden gems of Central and Eastern Oregon is the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. That an area like this exists is remarkable! The (free) park is actually three locations, Sheep Rock, Painted Hills, and … Continue reading Adventures in Oregon: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
'You only need one ray of light to chase all the shadows away.'-Fredrik Backman Things I have learned this summer...summer in Bend lasts about three weeks and during those weeks, it hovers around a hundred degrees. It's a Catch-22 because I've discovered that I need more weeks of it being warm but that it allows … Continue reading Adventures in Oregon: Mirror Lake
‘You’ll learn, as you get older, that rules are made to be broken. Be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it. Go against the grain, refuse to conform, take the road less traveled instead of the well-beaten path. Laugh in the face of adversity, and leap before you … Continue reading Adventures in Oregon: One Year in Bend
'Roads were made for journeys, not destinations.'-Confucius Sometimes, you just need to get into your car and drive. I was feeling overwhelmed and needed to get out of my head and out of Bend. As I've said before, my favorite place to do this is the Pacific Coast...so I went. I worked Saturday morning and … Continue reading Dispatches from the Road: The Northern Oregon Coast
'Crater Lake is the greatest asset to southern Oregon. It is worth traveling hundreds of miles to see. I thought that I had gazed upon everything beautiful in nature as I have spent many years traveling thousands of miles to view the beauty spots of the earth, but I have reached the climax. Never again … Continue reading Adventures in Oregon: Crater Lake National Park
'Nature loves courage. You make the commitment and nature will respond to that commitment by removing impossible obstacles. Dream the impossible dream and the world will not grind you under, it will lift you up. This is the trick. This is what all these teachers and philosophers who really counted, who really touched the alchemical … Continue reading Adventures in Oregon: Tumalo Falls
‘In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows.’ –Ralph Waldo Emerson 2020 has been a lot...on all levels! But I have had a lot of personal growth. Once Bend and Central Oregon starting reopening, I was so glad to be able to explore and clear my … Continue reading Adventures in Oregon: La Pine State Park