Southern Oregon – Mountain Lakes
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“The mountains are calling and I must go.”
~ John Muir
With a full tank of gas and an afternoon to call our own… we hit the road. It was a beautiful spring day, the kind of day that just begs you to be outside taking in the best of what Mother Nature has to offer. And offer she did as we made our way up the switchbacks of Dead Indian Memorial Road (I know, what a name, uh?) climbing the mountains and taking in the views of the Rogue Valley below.
Overlooking the Rogue Valley
It looked as if Mother Nature spread blankets of purple wildflowers throughout the hills and valleys, they were everywhere!
Wildflowers!
The sky was blue and the sun was warm, but at the same time there was a nippy wind blowing across the prairies and the water of the lakes we came across. We love to just wander, throw the sweatshirts, the camera and a snack in the back seat of the car and take off. You find the best things when you’re not looking for them. First, we found Howard Prairie Lake.
Howard Prairie Lake
The boat dock at Howard Prairie Lake
Next we found Hyatt Lake, just a short drive from Howard Prairie.
Hyatt Lake
We found our way to back to Dead Indian Memorial Road and we drove through some of the most beautiful country. Sometimes photos don’t seem to capture the beauty, but I’m always trying.
Beautiful green prairie with Mount McLaughlin in the distance
We drove on and climbed higher into the mountains until we found, Lake of the Woods. I’m pretty sure it is my new favorite lake and my new favorite place to escape to. Sometimes, when we have just a few hours to break away from our inn, we “escape” for a couple of hours of respite and quiet. Lake of the Woods, is just that… a beautifully peaceful respite and man oh man do they serve a great cheeseburger!
I have a love of old-school mountain lodges and this one did not disappoint
The view from our lunch table, which was on the deck of the lodge
I could have sat there for hours – heaven
Seriously good burger and garlic fries
Lake of the Woods
By the time we finished our burgers and roamed around the lodge area it was getting late in the afternoon and time for us to hit the road back to reality. We zipped home on a main highway, not as much fun, but as Abi says it’s better to wander there and zip back. And that’s just what we did.
Mountain Lakes is next in our series featuring Southern Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.
Walking the Camino ~
We rarely go to the movies. Aside from the whole theater experience, which I admit can be fun (but it can also be annoying when the person behind you talks through the movie) I pretty much like watching movies at home. Think about it – $17 admission versus $1.20 at Redbox?! In your home theater you can pause the movie when you have to “ahem” leave the room and you don’t miss the most dramatic/emotional/important part of the movie. Throw in another $15 for your snack of choice and well, it’s kind of a no-brainer, yes? But, when we happened upon a flyer for a documentary that was playing at our local theater, for 1 week only, it was time to hit the theater because this one, just had to be seen.
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The Pillsbury Doughboy ~
If you’ve ever “popped” open a Pillsbury dough product, you well-know the Pillsbury Doughboy. I can’t remember where/when I first read, what you are about to read, but it makes me giggle every time I read it and I like to bring it into the spot light from time to time. I have no idea who the author is, but he/she has a wickedly wonderful imagination. Enjoy!
Happy Mother’s Day Dolores ~
As an innkeeper I often have guests who are mothers and daughters traveling together, and they actually like each other! Let’s face it, traveling with someone and sharing a room, sometimes even a bed, is a real testament to a relationship. I love seeing the connection between a mother and daughter who clearly enjoy each others company. It reminds me that there are lots of wonderfully healthy familial relationships out there and I find it nice to be in a position where I can help them enjoy their time together. I am not one of those daughters, I am, shall we say… separated from my mother and sisters. No boo-hooing, it just is. Sometimes, life doesn’t work out quite the way we might hope, doesn’t make it right or wrong or good or bad, it just is.
I am the youngest of six children, the tail end of the baby boomer generation. My mother was living in Hawaii (with her family) and my father was a civilian employee stationed at Schofield Barracks when they met. On their first date they went to the movies to see the world premier of “Gone With the Wind.” The tickets were $1.50 each. They married not long after they met, in August of 1940. My mother was 17 and my father was 30. Three days after they married they left Hawaii, by ship. They settled in Oakland, CA, which is where I was born.
Southern Oregon – Umpqua Scenic Byway
There is something quite special about the Pacific Northwest. It boasts forested land with trees like you’ve never seen, spectacular crystal blue lakes and rushing rivers offer the best in fishing and rafting. And the wonders of the Pacific Ocean, let’s not forget about the ocean and beautiful coastline. Granted, driving the 2-lane roads leading over to the coast can often leave me turning green (car sick don’t ya know?) but once there the views are stunning! The Umpqua Scenic Byway though is an inland drive and well-worth exploring and we did just that.
Meet the Windwalkers ~
Okay, I know what you’re thinking… Windwalkers, she knows people who walk on the wind?! No, but I do know an amazing father and son team, Talon and Steven Windwalker. About 6 or 8 weeks before we left for Paris, I met Talon online, purely by chance. I think I came across his blog and was curious to learn the story of this father and son who have been traveling the world for two years. And as a retired school teacher I was really interested in the whole unschooling experience. Honestly, I can’t even remember how Talon and I first connected, must have been on Facebook, but when we learned that we would be in Paris at the same time, I knew the universe had intervened.
Before I Die #3 ~
Let me start by saying that #1 on my “top 25 things I want to do before I die list” is to live an obligation free life and I’m holding on to that. #2 is to live in Italy for a couple of months and learn to cook authentic Italian food. Beyond those, the order of the rest of my list doesn’t really matter. I’ll number them (for the purpose of keeping a list) but life has a way of dictating how things unfold, so I can’t hold on to a specific order because maybe #18 will actually fall into place before I have the opportunity to check #7 off of my list. Who the hell knows? But, I’m adding #3 to the list, to see the Pyramids and cruise the Nile River.
Persian Kabobs ~
I’m always seeking out recipe contributions from other travelers, bloggers, innkeepers, etc. It never dawned on me that I actually have a few recipes worth sharing. Sometimes it takes me a while to catch up with myself. Does that ever happen to you? My goal for collecting recipes is to bring the world of food to you, the readers, and eventually e-pub a cookbook which we will sell here on the site and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Unicef.
I believe food is universal. Aside from the fact that we all have to eat in order to sustain life, food brings everyone together. Whether it be breakfast for 12 at a certain B&B I know, or a family dinner, or a holiday brunch or exploring the culinary culture of another country, food is at the heart of the occasion. Let’s face it, it’s all about the food (and chocolate) (and pastry). Ever notice that every time someone hosts a party, everyone crowds in to the kitchen to linger? Why is that?
Before I Die ~
I read a post written by Kerri at Travel Junkies and at the end of her post she posed the question, “What do you want to do before you die?” I answered, “I want to live free of obligations.” It’s a big want, but I’m thinking it can be done. It just takes a little ingenuity, a lot of planning and enough time to get all of our ducks in a row. Where did that saying come from, anyway?! As if we really go through life lining up ducks?!
ZigZagging with Bill & Paige ~
Another couple is gearing up to travel the world for an indefinite period of time and I’m about to introduce them to you. But first, you know that whole six degrees of separation theory?
“Six degrees of separation is the theory that everyone and everything is six or fewer steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person in the world, so that a chain of “a friend of a friend” statements can be made to connect any two people in a maximum of six steps.” Wikipedia
Long story short… I went to high school with my monkey sister, Roxanne, and our friend, Sally. Sally, had (has) an older brother, Bill, who was (is) ten years older than us so I never really knew him. After high school, Sally moved to the east coast and over the years we lost track of each other, but several months ago we connected on Facebook. Fast forward a few months and Roxanne contacted me and asked me if I would answer a few questions for a friend of hers who was in the process of starting a blog. The friend just happened to be Sally’s brother Bill’s wife, Paige. Go figure! Paige emailed me and as I got to know her through our email conversations, I thought she and Bill had a great story to share.
So, although it’s not quite six degrees, it’s pretty close and it’s a pretty cool connection. I continue to be amazed at how we are all connected in some fashion. With that being said, here is my interview with Paige.
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