While my past weekend was uneventful, it was productive. I have begun the count down and thus the purging process has been initiated. The goal-it will all fit into the trunk. Finished a book, completed a few errands, and tried to figure out how to work my new camera. I see a photography class in my future. I also drove to Grants Pass and went to the street painting festival. They blocked off a whole street and local artists from the area, on hand and knees, created these amazing paintings from chalk on the black asphalt. They also had a section for kids to create their own paintings. Grants Pass' downtown is very historical and lined with cute little shops, restaurants and pubs. I took a back road home and enjoyed the view of the Applegate Valley with kaleidoscope of colors emerging from the side of the mountains. Fall is really beautiful here.
Still hoping for an assignment close to home but not ruling out other possibilities. Have a few fun things planned before I head home. Going to a vineyard to help harvest grapes this weekend. I know...a little crazy. I am volunteering for manual labor. Should be a fun experience though. Also have a trip to Seattle planned. I figure I am this close, I should go visit. Hope to catch a fish at Pike's Market. Hope you are all doing well. Looking forward to visiting soon.
09 October, 2007
01 October, 2007
Snow in the East, Rain in the West, and Sunshine in Between
When I first started traveling, my family all said, "Great, we will come visit you wherever you are." A year and a half later and they finally followed through on their promise. My mom and sister arrived last week both looking a little green. I had warned them that flying into the valley was rough but from the looks on their faces they had figured that out. I only had one remedy for them...chocolate. We strolled through Harry and David's and made a few selections before I gave them a quick tour of the valley. Needless to say they were both exhausted from their journey, so we retired for the night but stayed up long enough to catch up with each other.
Our first day of travel was cold and dreary and led us to historic Jacksonville. We shopped in the many stores and I showed them the manicured downtown and the somewhat freaky "Pleasantville"-like neighborhoods. We warmed up with a cup of chowder at Bella Union before driving into the Applegate Valley for a little wine tasting. Well, maybe I should clarify...Melissa and I did a little wine tasting. We walked through the rows of grape vines. Who knew that Cabernet Sauvignon grapes actually look like big blueberries. Even though there was light mist, it was a beautiful sight to view the vineyard with the cloud-covered mountains in the background. Having felt satisfied that they had a true wine tasting experience we drove to Ashland. I wanted them to really get a feel for the unique populous that is Ashland. From the hippie, to the alternative trendy; from the gender confused to the hoity toity, they saw it all. We enjoyed visiting with a friend and touring an Ashland home before we went to eat at Dragonfly. We completed the night by watching a chick flick.
Saturday had to be one of the highlights of our trip. While it was a bit chilly, it was very fitting for the scenery that we were about to view. The road leading up to Crater Lake had a fresh blanket of snow covering the ground and the trees. As we were driving through this winter (actually fall) wonderland, snow was falling from the tree limbs, giving the illusion that it was falling from the sky. While Crater Lake is still amazing and doesn't seem to get old, the snow covered mountains were absolutely beautiful. We got in a few snowball fights enjoyed the powdery snow before driving back down the mountain. We stopped on the way home and viewed a lava tub and hiked to two waterfalls. After daring my sister to crawl out on a rock for an action shot, my mom turned away and stated, "Daphne, she has two kids." I guess I will have to be the one to stick to the wild adventures. We climbed over boulders to get a better view of the river. Mom watched from afar and just shook her head. I suppose I am rubbing off on my sister. We were all tired from our hike, so we had dinner on the river and headed home.
While it seemed that our final day of travel would be spoiled by the rainy weather, we still had a great time. The drive through the National Redwood Forest was beautiful, as it meandered along the Smith River and offered amazing views of the gorges. We all felt small and insignificant compared to the redwoods and also to Paul and his blue ox. I won't explain...just refer to the picture. The view of the Oregon coast was somewhat limited due to the heavy rain, but that didn't stop us from searching for the best view points. I think we were successful and Mom and Melissa were impressed by rugged and spectacular coastline. We spent the rest of the night reviewing our photos, recalling funny moments, and watching the season premiere of Desperate Housewives.
It was a great girls weekend. Thanks again Mom and Melissa. Maybe you will inspire others to come visit too. Love ya!
Our first day of travel was cold and dreary and led us to historic Jacksonville. We shopped in the many stores and I showed them the manicured downtown and the somewhat freaky "Pleasantville"-like neighborhoods. We warmed up with a cup of chowder at Bella Union before driving into the Applegate Valley for a little wine tasting. Well, maybe I should clarify...Melissa and I did a little wine tasting. We walked through the rows of grape vines. Who knew that Cabernet Sauvignon grapes actually look like big blueberries. Even though there was light mist, it was a beautiful sight to view the vineyard with the cloud-covered mountains in the background. Having felt satisfied that they had a true wine tasting experience we drove to Ashland. I wanted them to really get a feel for the unique populous that is Ashland. From the hippie, to the alternative trendy; from the gender confused to the hoity toity, they saw it all. We enjoyed visiting with a friend and touring an Ashland home before we went to eat at Dragonfly. We completed the night by watching a chick flick.
Saturday had to be one of the highlights of our trip. While it was a bit chilly, it was very fitting for the scenery that we were about to view. The road leading up to Crater Lake had a fresh blanket of snow covering the ground and the trees. As we were driving through this winter (actually fall) wonderland, snow was falling from the tree limbs, giving the illusion that it was falling from the sky. While Crater Lake is still amazing and doesn't seem to get old, the snow covered mountains were absolutely beautiful. We got in a few snowball fights enjoyed the powdery snow before driving back down the mountain. We stopped on the way home and viewed a lava tub and hiked to two waterfalls. After daring my sister to crawl out on a rock for an action shot, my mom turned away and stated, "Daphne, she has two kids." I guess I will have to be the one to stick to the wild adventures. We climbed over boulders to get a better view of the river. Mom watched from afar and just shook her head. I suppose I am rubbing off on my sister. We were all tired from our hike, so we had dinner on the river and headed home.
While it seemed that our final day of travel would be spoiled by the rainy weather, we still had a great time. The drive through the National Redwood Forest was beautiful, as it meandered along the Smith River and offered amazing views of the gorges. We all felt small and insignificant compared to the redwoods and also to Paul and his blue ox. I won't explain...just refer to the picture. The view of the Oregon coast was somewhat limited due to the heavy rain, but that didn't stop us from searching for the best view points. I think we were successful and Mom and Melissa were impressed by rugged and spectacular coastline. We spent the rest of the night reviewing our photos, recalling funny moments, and watching the season premiere of Desperate Housewives.
It was a great girls weekend. Thanks again Mom and Melissa. Maybe you will inspire others to come visit too. Love ya!
17 September, 2007
Historic Towns, Jumping Fish, and Parks
I have been taking it easy lately, but that doesn't mean that I have not been exploring. This past weekend, I went with some friends on a moderate hike along the "Wild and Scenic" Rogue River. The hike was very picturesque as we meandered along the clear, green river waters through the canyon. Our trail ended at Rainie Falls, a large rapid which I can only describe as "angry". The water was churning out of control. We took a resting place on some rocks near the rapid. Much to my amazement and sheer excitement, a large salmon jumped out of the river and up the rapid. We watched this occur about 10 times before we hiked back. I have never seen that happen. Most of these salmon had to be at least 2 feet or more. It was awesome. Sunday was beautiful and I spent it playing tennis in Lithia park. While playing tennis, there was a doe and three fawns across the street just grazing. After playing tennis, relaxed on a blanket in the park and read a book.
Went back to the Applegate Valley to attend church. It is still held outdoors in an amphitheater. It absolutely beautiful. I am getting quite used to spreading out my blanket and kicking back while we sing and listen to the sermon. Then we have dinner on the grounds. I have been doing more shopping lately too. I am trying to stock up on souvenirs for everyone. Ashland and Jacksonville are very trendy and historic and offer an excellent selection of shopping. Still taking tennis lessons and playing as often as possible. I am surprisingly getting better.
Heading to Portland this weekend with a co-worker for a conference. We are hopefully going to be able to go to Body Worlds while we are there. Starting my count down-for real this time. Can't wait to come home and visit. Hope everyone is doing well.
Went back to the Applegate Valley to attend church. It is still held outdoors in an amphitheater. It absolutely beautiful. I am getting quite used to spreading out my blanket and kicking back while we sing and listen to the sermon. Then we have dinner on the grounds. I have been doing more shopping lately too. I am trying to stock up on souvenirs for everyone. Ashland and Jacksonville are very trendy and historic and offer an excellent selection of shopping. Still taking tennis lessons and playing as often as possible. I am surprisingly getting better.
Heading to Portland this weekend with a co-worker for a conference. We are hopefully going to be able to go to Body Worlds while we are there. Starting my count down-for real this time. Can't wait to come home and visit. Hope everyone is doing well.
04 September, 2007
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
