We’ve gathered wild blackberries on Lopez Island and huckleberries in Oregon; harvested wild mint and watercress from pristine creeks in the Pacific Northwest; lured Dungeness crab into traps in Oregon and blue crabs to traps off my folks’ dock in Florida; and pried oysters, mussels, and clams from the shores of the Pacific Northwest coast. […]
Archive for Oregon
Portland is renowned for its gardens—it has an authentic Japanese garden, an authentic Chinese walled garden, acres and acres of forest preserves and botanical wonders, and spectacular neighborhood gardens. It’s no wonder Portland is so lush and green and flower-bountiful because it rains ALL OF THE TIME. Not really, but it’s not much of an […]
As of yesterday, we’re on the road again. After the inevitable flurry of activity that accompanies trip preparations, we woke up well-rested this morning to a gorgeous sunrise at Black Butte Lake, in the golden oak-studded hills of northern California. We’re headed south for the winter, wending our way down the California coast and across […]
From the first moment we saw Astoria, we were captivated. It’s a picturesque town, with hills of colorful homes overlooking a Victorian era downtown and working waterfront. It’s not too much of an exaggeration to describe the town as a miniature San Francisco. With beautiful natural surroundings, plenty of outdoor recreation, seafood right off the […]
I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been cruising along in our travels and I’ve exclaimed, “Oh! Look at that beautiful view/interesting wayside trail/cool one-street town/yummy café” and we’ve just zoomed on by, because there isn’t a place to pull over with our trailer and we still have a long drive ahead of us. […]
Miles of pristine beaches, an outstanding hike with views over the Pacific that stretch to infinity, quite possibly the cutest little lighthouse on the planet, some of the finest oysters in the world, and a cool brewery just steps from the surf. We found all of this and more on a winding, scenic 38-mile stretch […]
We couldn’t have asked for a better reentry into our fulltime travels. Any doubts I had about taking to the road again were swept aside by the perfect weather and the charms of Newport, our first destination on our tour of the central and north Oregon Coast. We stayed in Newport a couple of years […]
As of Saturday, we’re on the road again. YAY!!! To be perfectly honest, that’s “yay” with some sadness and regret at leaving our beautiful hometown and our wonderful community of friends in Ashland. Leaving this time, after seven months, was almost as difficult as the first time we pulled out of town four years ago […]
With winter finally letting go and Eric back in hiking form, we’ve been venturing out from our daily long walks around Emigrant Lake to hit the local trails. Southern Oregon has a plethora of hiking options, from a network of trails in town to mountain treks that connect to the famed Pacific Crest Trail. This […]
It’s always exciting in our cross-country travels to encounter birds that we don’t usually see. But it’s also rewarding to make friends with the birds in our own backyard and to have the opportunity to observe them as they go about their daily lives. The birdlife is abundant and diverse in our little corner of […]
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If you enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, birding, art, music, quirky towns, good food, and good friends—you'll enjoy traveling with us. Join us as we explore the backroads of North America—we love company and comments!