J. Scott Cellars: Eugene

I love discovering neat places totally by accident. Like last weekend when we stumbled across J. Scott Cellars, part of Eugene's new "urban wine district." Saturday, late in the afternoon, we were up in Eugene taking care of some shopping and errands before heading over to some friends' house for dinner. Our last errand was a …

Lyle Hatfield Riverside Trail: Springfield

Over the years, I've spent my share of time waiting at hospitals around Oregon. Usually it is the more casual type of waiting, as someone I love and care about is getting routine testing or procedures done. But sometimes it is that stressful kind of waiting that nobody wants to experience. Even irregular readers of …

Beaver

The official animal of the state of Oregon is the beaver, and though I've lived in Oregon most of my life, I've only seen one once. It was down at the Row River Nature Park during a rare evening walk, and I just got a glimpse as it swam away into the evening darkness. A …

Crescendo! : Eugene

Limoncello is a liqueur made from lemons. It has its origins in southern Italy and if you’ve visited Italy you may have experienced it, especially if you got further south into the boot. Luckily, you don’t have to visit Italy to have handmade limoncello, instead you just need to drive out west 11th in Eugene …

Fern Ridge Reservoir: Fisher Butte Unit

It was a beautiful fall day as I drove toward Fern Ridge Reservoir. The sun shining through the leaves created a glowing yellow tunnel as I drove down West 11th out of downtown Eugene. Even though it was mid-November -- Veteran’s Day to be exact -- my car thermometer said it was 59 degrees and …

Hendricks Park: Rhododendrons

Recently, I took the opportunity to spend time at Hendricks Park in Eugene. It has been years since I’ve been to the Park and even longer since I’ve been there during peak bloom. I wasn’t disappointed during my early morning stroll along the gravel paths: the birds were singing, the sun was shining, and the …

Ruff Memorial Park: Magnolias in Springfield

Tucked into the edge of Springfield, down an unassuming path, is the Wallace M. Ruff Jr. Memorial Park – a Magnolia demonstration garden which is quietly maturing along the banks of Cedar Creek. Perhaps I should admit at the beginning of this blog post that I have a fondness for magnolia trees. I’ve always loved …

New Year’s Day Walk at Dorris Ranch

We typically spend New Year’s Day on an outing somewhere, and typically we try to do something a little different than our “usual.” This year, we chose to explore Dorris Ranch in Springfield. Although I’ve lived in this area for 30 years now, and have heard many good things about Dorris Ranch, it is someplace …