Holiday weekend travels

I know that I said I couldn't top my camping/rafting trip, but I think I did. Congratulations and a big thank you to Matt, my first and only visitor to Oregon. I had so much fun! I will try to give you the abbreviated version of what we did Memorial Day weekend. That Saturday we went on a guided fishing trip down the Rogue River. We caught several fish (cut throat and steel head trout) but no Salmon. We did see them rolling in one section of rapids though. The scenery was great as we drifted down and we spotted wildlife and birds, including an eagle. After a quick nap to recover from our so very tough day of fishing (ha), we walked through Lithia Park in Ashland and threw the Frisbee a while. The trees and plants are absolutely gorgeous. This is no typical park. It is so manicured and so clean. We ate at a local brew pub and sampled the home brew. That was day one.

Day two gets better. We drove down to Northern California through the Redwood Forest and toured the "Trees of Mystery". Saw Paul Bunyan and his blue ox babe. We took a tram ride above the tree line. Absolutely fascinating. These trees are massive. The Brotherhood tree is 19 ft in diameter and almost 300 ft tall. I was a dot compared to that tree. I actually drove my car through one. We stopped at the harbor in Crescent City and watched the sea lions sun bathe while we ate a delicious lunch. We then followed hwy 101 up along the Pacific coast to Gold Beach. We stopped off at many view points along the way. I cannot truly describe how amazing and beautiful the coast line is. These large monoliths just shoot out of the water and the waves crash against the cliffs. Once Matt and I reached Gold Beach, we began to realize we had limited options for going straight across to the east to get back home and were going to have to back- track. But as luck would have it or not, we found a small pass that crossed the mountains led back home. Now there is a reason why parts of the line indicating a road on the map were dotted. For two solid hours, we climbed mountain after mountain on a one-way road that was washed out in many spots. Parts of the road were not paved. We passed a tree with about 20-30 pairs of trees thrown up in it...I have no clue?. There was evidence of rock slides everywhere. I was starting to get nervous and hearing that banjo song from Deliverance in my head. We came around a curve and there in the middle of the road was a huge black bear. My heart was pounding. I have never seen a bear in the wild. Luckily, he was just as scared of us and ran into the forest but not before stopping one last time and staring at us. We continued our meandering with no civilization in sight. At last we began to descend and finally reached a road and saw lights. Turns out, that is the same road that the Kim family was stranded on last year when they found the husband dead about four miles from the car.

Day three would not be lacking either. I had never heard of Crater Lake before I moved here, but wow!! It was formed after a volcano that erupted caved in. It is 2000 ft. deep and the water is sapphire blue. The snow outlined the edges and was reflected in the water. As we drove back down from Crater Lake, we searched and found several waterfalls. We also found the "Natural Bridge" which is were the river flows through the rock created by lava tubes. The water is hidden as it passes through.

There are so many spectacular things to see here and the sheer beauty is amazing. From clear, green rivers to lush, green rolling mountains, I am constantly amazed. I will be here until October now, so feel free to visit. Miss you all!!!!

Nature Girl

I survived...I made it almost 3 days without a shower, make-up, bed or the luxuries of a home. Okay, so maybe it sounds a bit exaggerated but it is true. I love camping. We left last Friday night and headed to northern California on a road that curved a lot and followed the river. We were out in the middle of no where. There were 16 of us. We set up camp and after visiting a while around the fire, we all settled into our respective tents. We woke up to the sounds of birds chirping. After drinking our coffee and eating breakfast, we were picked up by a van and dropped off at the river. We had a full day of rafting on class IV rapids. It was so much fun and so exciting. The scenery was amazing as we drifted through canyons made of marble and granite. Occasionally we encountered a small waterfall. Back at the camp, we all changed out of our wet suits (definitely needed those...the water was freezing) and gathered around the fire while dinner was being cooked. We had dutch oven brownies, smores and food that was better than what I normally eat at home. I actually had no problem sleeping in a sleeping bag. The sky at night was beautiful under the canopy of trees. I almost got car sick on the way back due to the curving roads. Went through a small town called Happy Camp...apparently, the legend of Big Foot exists. They have a huge statue there.

Still playing tennis and taking private lessons. I can actually volley for a long time now. Enjoying ultimate Frisbee and even bought some cleats this past weeks...I am serious now. Have been talking with my scheduler. I am more than likely going to extend my contract and stay here until October 12. I have been told the summers here are great. Come visit!! Just in case the rumor spreads (...Seana) I am not a tree hugger, yet.

Before I forget, I want to wish Jon a very happy belated birthday. Also, want to congratulate The McPhails on completing their nuptials and hope they had a great time in Greece!!. Hope everyone is doing well. Miss you all.

More Adventures

Have you ever wanted to go back in time? Well, this past weekend, I went back to the 80's...to prom to be exact. Some friends here were having an 80's prom party. We had so much fun. The crazy thing is that most of the stuff I bought and wore is in style now and I had no trouble finding it. My outfit was complete with blue eye shadow/liner and a teased, side pony tail. You can see for yourself from the photos. It has been a while since I have written a post. I have been a bit under the weather. I have been told the Rogue Valley is known for creating allergies. It slowed me down some but I have still been active. I am becoming somewhat green...maybe mint green. I have started walking to work and the grocery store (minus the rainy and cold days). It conserves gas which is nice since it cost about $3.49 a gal.

Last weekend went with some coworkers to the "Taste of Ashland". What a beautiful day. We walked all over Ashland from art gallery to art gallery sampling wine and food from local chefs, restaurants, and vineyards. My favorite was our last stop. You walked down a path to several little stores which overlooked a flowing creek. We sat on the deck and listened to live music and watched a man create pottery on the wheel. Very neat. Started tennis lessons this week and have decided to take belly dancing lessons soon....just something different. However, one of my patients quickly informed me that "belly dancers always have big bellies." I have been talked into playing Ultimate Frisbee which I will probably enjoy just for the competitive part of it.

Went and hiked Grizzly Peak this afternoon. How beautiful. There was still snow on the mountain which made seeing the trail somewhat difficult. The view from the top was amazing. I am still having a blast here and wondering if I will see everything that I want to. Going camping and rafting this weekend. We will see how I do without the modern conveniences. Hope you are all doing great. Miss you!!! You all need to come visit...it is awesome out here. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms!!!!