We had a nice time in Bend, although it was cloudy with rain showers. We didn't get to see the Three Sisters, only Three-Fingered Jack as we climbed the pass on our way over and Black Butte as we drove back to Sisters. It's too bad because I had the camera ready to take some great pictures of the mountains.

We did, however, visit several sites we had never been to, including the Lava Cast Forest and Smith Rock State Park. The Lava Cast Forest was so amazing and unique. I'm glad we took the time to stop there. I can see why some people don't make the 9-mile trip to the site because the road is gravel. Yet, the road was groomed well and we traveled at a pretty constant speed of 30 mph. Once at the site, we found several other people, so some were adventurous, like us.


We walked the 1-mile paved loop through the lava in amazement. These lava casts of ancient trees are so interesting. The walking tour guide pamphlet gave very good information on the site's geology, history and interesting facts.



I highly recommend visiting the Lava Cast Forest just south of Bend.

Smith Rock State Park was amazing also, but we didn't spend enough time there. Now we know to spend at least half a day exploring the park and doing some hiking. The park was very crowded, with hikers, rock climbers and people just wanting to watch the activities.



On our way out, we saw the old ice cream store where Bill Sullivan stopped during his walk across Oregon.

Make sure to read my Suite101 article - Lava Cast Forest Near Bend .

I've been traveling a lot the past few weekends. I've enjoyed it greatly but it sure was nice to come home last night. We traveled to Central Washington this Labor Day weekend, to see family. Along the way we stopped at Multnomah Falls and the Stonehenge War Memorial. We had great traveling weather but the traffic was heavy. The drive up the Columbia River Gorge is always beautiful, no matter the season. Sometimes I think I take for granted it beauty and the wonderful sites along the drive. Most times I don't stop much, just for a quick bite to eat in Hood River. It was nice to stop at a few places this time. I saw many more sites I would like to explore sometime, such as The Dalles Dam, Cascade Locks, the Old Columbia River Highway, Celilo, and numerous state parks. It does make the long drive more enjoyable taking several driving breaks along the way.

I plan on staying home the next few weekends, since I have a lot to do.

I returned late Sunday evening from Wyoming, to rain and cool temperatures in Oregon. It was kind of nice, as the rain was refreshing. My trip to Wyoming was a success, with smooth travel the whole time. My flights were early, the rental car was great on gas and our tour guides were excellent.

I have about 10 article ideas ready to work on. Sweetwater County, Wyoming is one of the most beautiful and exotic places I've ever been. Filled with wildlife and wild horses, adventure is easily found. The cities of Rock Springs and Green River are brimming with history and mystery. From coal mining to petroglyphs to Butch Cassidy and Sin City, their history is an exciting discovery.

I found the Western Wyoming Community College to be unlike any other school I have been to. How many schools contain a natural history museum or massive dinosaurs roaming the halls? Not to mention the massive boulders placed around the campus, representing the geology of the surrounding mountains, or the 9 ton Easter Island statue. The school is an exhibit in and of itself, with interesting architecture and large open spaces.

Mere words can not describe the beauty of the mountains near Pinedale, at the Flying A Guest Ranch. Beautiful horses, pristine mountains, wildlife and quaking aspen are just the beginning of the sights of this area. Riding horseback through the quietness of the woods, spotting bears and moose, surrounded by the Wind River Mountains and Gros Ventre Mountains is a unique experience. It will be a challenge to find the words to describe this place.

The people I met probably had the largest impression on me. Kind, authentic people who care so much about their surroundings and are so passionate about the things they love.

What a great experience! This is only the beginning of my thoughts on the location, experience and people. Stay tuned for more.


Photo by Peggy Paine

Well, we didn't make it down to Crater Lake this weekend, but instead spent a nice weekend enjoying the outdoors around Florence, Oregon. The weather was warm and dry with blue skies. We walked along the beach, finding beautiful shells and rocks. We walked through the sand dunes. We even rented ATVs and explored the sand dunes at faster speeds. It was fun to spend time with relatives and enjoy the outdoors.
More to come on this adventure later...

Tomorrow I am off to discover new places in Oregon with my relatives from Washington. We will start at the Oregon Coast near Florence, then head east, finally ending at Crater Lake National Park. I'm probably one of the only Oregonians who hasn't seen this natural wonder. Even people I've talked to who live across the country have seen the park. I can't wait to finally see it and take some pictures. I will make sure to post some if they turn out. I will also write an article or two.

I'm excited today because my vacation begins tomorrow. Early tomorrow morning, my husband and I will fly out to Pennsylvania, to visit his family and attend the annual family reunion. I will get to discover the sites in Pennsylvania Dutch country and Central Pennsylvania. I am ready with pen and paper to write down my thoughts and create a few travel articles.

So, you will not hear from me until August, but keep reading and commenting. I enjoy reading your comments.

Thanks for reading!
Aurae

On Tuesday, I traveled to Hillsboro to Pacific University's Health Professions campus for an open house. I had never actually been to Hillsboro. It didn't take very long to get to Portland area but it took awhile to get from I-5 to Hillsboro. It didn't help that it was rush hour, in Portland!

After the open house, we were hungry but not starving. We enjoy eating at the McMenamins restaurants in Corvallis, with good food, beer and a nice atmosphere. We had passed several McMenamins restaurants along the way. So, we decided to stop in McMinnville to eat. We tried to find the Hotel Oregon restaurant but were unsuccessful. After stopping to ask for directions, we realized that we had passed it!

Located in the historic district, the Hotel Oregon is a massive building. It's antique looking, with a Victorian decor and also a touch of McMenamins style. The pub area where we ate was so spacious, with a huge bar and private booths. As usual, the food and beer was excellent.

Read my full review: McMenamins Hotel Oregon

It's fun to travel to new places in my own state. It was a nice distraction from reality for me.

It's official - I am now the Feature Writer for NW U.S./ Alaska Travel at Suite101.com! It's been a long time coming! I will continue to write articles for weather and climate.

Here is my profile, which will be changing:
NW US/ Alaska Travel @ Suite101.com

Check back for new articles and blogs!

Yesterday afternoon, after some time in the yard weeding, I felt like I needed to get out and go somewhere to walk. I do like walking around the neighborhood but sometimes it's more fun to take the dog in the truck and find a new adventure.

So, yesterday my dog, Spirit and I set out to find a new adventure. We drove to the end of Circle Blvd, where it meets Witham Hill Drive and found the Corl House park, or rather the Woodland Meadows Park. The park entrance is a small gravel road, ending with a small parking lot. The parking lot is located on a hill, surrounded by fields of grass. I remarked to myself, we've found a slice of heaven, according to Spirit. He loves tall grass, bounding through it after mice, at least he thinks there are mice.





We walked to the off leash area, only to find it was the majority of the park. Later I found the stats - 33 acres to be exact. There were other dogs playing ball in the area so we found a nice trail to hike along. The trail ended up going down the hill and around the park. I let Spirit off his leash and he was free. He mostly stayed on the trail and enjoyed being able to mark spots along the way.

At the bottom of the hill we found some huge old oak trees, hanging over the path. It was beautiful. I could hear the birds in the trees and then saw a squirrel rush up the trunk of one. Spirit saw him too. We then walked along the bottom of the hill, back up towards the parking lot.



What a great place, and located within the city. I hope this place is always a park and not turned into housing developments.

You can read my review of this park and Willamette Park in the article: Dog Parks in Corvallis