Old Growth Ridge Trail: Hwy 126

Old growth trees, fall color, a scenic drive, and hiking in an unexplored area are what drew us to the Old Growth Ridge Trail a couple weeks ago. Have you heard of Old Growth Ridge? The trail head is located in the Whittaker Creek Campground not far off Highway 126 (roughly half way between Eugene and …

Shotgun Creek: Marcola

Shotgun creek flows southeast into the Mohawk Valley, not far from the town of Marcola. As the story goes, one day many, many, many years ago, a young man was out hunting and forgot his shotgun along a creek. He had to go back to get it, thus giving this creek its name. Fast forward …

Luper Cemetery: Eugene

Just north of Eugene, surrounded by farmland, is one of the oldest pioneer cemeteries in the southern Willamette Valley, Luper Cemetery. I love wandering through old graveyards, looking at the headstones, and piecing together the family relationships. I wonder about these people's lives and history and I enjoy the markers their families had created for them. In this …

Bohemia Mountain Trail

  On top of the world.... ....that is what it feels like standing at 5,994' elevation with views from Mt. Hood to Mt. Shasta, in other words, on the top of Bohemia Mountain. You have to work a little to get there, but it is totally worth it. I enjoy the drive up Bohemia Mountain, and …

Bobby Lake

I love heading up into the Cascades to explore the mountain lakes. They are so incredibly blue and -- to me -- they somehow seem closer to the sky than the lakes here in the valley. With so many lakes to chose from, there is always a new lake and a new trail to enjoy. This summer we hiked the trail …

Agrarian Ales

When you compare the number of breweries that I've written about on this blog (0) with the number of wineries (about 17) and distilleries (4) it should be pretty obvious that I'm not really a beer drinker. I enjoy a nice beer on occasion but rarely do I seek it out. That changed yesterday when …

Yesterday’s Adventure: Book Review

I admit, I am addicted to books. While computers and the internet are definitely good friends, my true love is a good book. So, it is no surprise that the other day, when I realized I was going to have some free time on my hands, I stopped by the library for a book. In just a …

Siuslaw Pioneer Museum: Florence

Old Town in Florence is usually abuzz with tourists enjoying the shops, restaurants, and views of the Siuslaw River along Bay Street. For me, part of the charm of Old Town is the sense of history that I get as I walk down the street or dine in one of the restaurants. Located in the heart …

#OptOutside Cottage Grove

  Are you planning to "#OptOutside" this weekend? When most of us hear the term "Black Friday" we probably think of shopping at the mall and long lines to get great "bargains."  I have never been much of a shopper and if you have read this blog much, you know that I happen to love …

Prune Hill Historical

Prune Hill is about seven miles east of Saginaw and is the site of the first Booth Kelly Sawmill. I'll be up-front at the start of this post, I'm not a mill historian or knowledgeable about Booth Kelly. However I do like great pictures that tell a story. Earlier this summer, when searching for historical information about …