Lounge Lizards, Craters, and Kayaking

Wow! What a week it has been. Many thanks to Wendy for visiting. I know she is exhausted. I kept her moving...but there is so much to see. I didn't want her to miss anything. It is always nice to see a familiar face...feels a little closer to home.


Where do I begin? Went to a "lounge lizard" party on Wednesday night. Wendy got to meet the Oregon gang. We all enjoyed some not so traditional games. Lots of fun though. Thursday night, we enjoyed the venue at Britt Festival. Saw Chris Botti-a jazzy trumpet player. I thought he was hot until I looked him up on the internet. He looks better from a distance. Friday night, we had tickets to go to Romeo and Juliet at the Shakespeare Festival. We dined at the DragonFly before the play. They serve a fusion of Latin and Asian food. Their theme is "be curious"... I was. Tried caviar for the first time on top of baked plantains. The rich and famous can keep their hors d' oeuvres. Romeo and Juliet was long but wonderful with its medieval setting and many modern twists. My favorite thing about the play was that it was performed on the Elizabethan stage which is outdoors. Not wanting to end the night but having a hard time staying awake, we dropped in the Black Sheep Pub to give Wendy a taste of the night life. That's about all we had and then we went home.


By Saturday we began to drag a little bit. We ate a scrumptious breakfast at Morning Glory to get energized. I gladly made the drive back to Crater Lake to show Wendy the sapphire blue water. I will have to admit that while Crater Lake is still amazing, I enjoyed it better with the snow. We stopped by Becky's, a restaurant on the way to Crater Lake, to pick up her much talked-about huckleberry pie. We stopped to see the lava tubes before heading back. Saturday night opted out of "nerd night" and watched a movie instead. I know you must be wondering what is "nerd night"? Basically, the gang dresses up like nerds and goes out dancing. We were very entertained as they modeled their outfits while in full character. I couldn't let Wendy leave without showing her the huge Redwoods. Sunday we drove through a portion of the Redwood National Forest on our way to the coast. We hiked a few trails, saw some seals, and waded in the tidal pools on the beach. I can never get tired of the absolute beauty of the Oregon coast. Needless to say, Sunday night we went to bed early. Monday was full of adventure too. We went kayaking on the Applegate river. It was very peaceful floating through the small canyons and looking down into the clear river water. We stopped in an eddy and picked some wild blackberries...yum. We completed the day with a little vino tasting at Troon Vineyard, where I plan to return later in October to stomp some grapes.


So it would seem that my time here will be extended yet again. I now will officially be completing my assignment on Nov. 2nd. I promise this is the last time. Hopefully my next adventure will be as great as this one has been.