tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78441179219515392552024-03-05T01:22:29.417-08:00roaming if I want to...I tell my intellectual friends that I'm traveling south to research atypical rodents and indigenous cultures, but really I'm just vacationing in Disneyland.<br>
~ anonymous (via PostSecret)Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.comBlogger290125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-50063479502293266242012-09-23T09:50:00.000-07:002012-09-23T09:50:08.063-07:00ExplOregon coast vacation: Washburne State Park.In the morning we packed up, took a quick tour through Old Town Florence (cute,
but pretty much like any other coastal Old Town), drove through Honeyman
State Park for a very quick look at the dunes, then settled at <a href="http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_123.php">Carl G. Washburne State Park</a>... the first park we ran across with walk-in only tent sites. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>campsite 74 - best.campsite. evah.</i></span></div>
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That afternoon we stopped at a small viewpoint and listened to the sea lions barking above the <a href="http://sealioncaves.com/home/">Sea Lion Caves</a>. According to William Sullivan (our <a href="http://www.amazon.com/100-Hikes-Travel-Guide-Oregon/dp/0981570119">tour guide</a> for this trip) it's a tourist attraction worth the $12 admission. I wouldn't know... The three we saw swimming in the ocean from the viewpoint were enough satisfaction for me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFk34WVbfXrUcVrfwEdheetZ2KkpA0xscFHHoVduwRUpU4p-MhI6JYhOJI03cbEnukobXq4u54DPvRPYSNJ1JAuSt2ctzHD_s8jiZ1vC_HvoatG7ERrKDE9u8zMWTBfCknJTepaK3ulOy/s1600/DSC09003.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFk34WVbfXrUcVrfwEdheetZ2KkpA0xscFHHoVduwRUpU4p-MhI6JYhOJI03cbEnukobXq4u54DPvRPYSNJ1JAuSt2ctzHD_s8jiZ1vC_HvoatG7ERrKDE9u8zMWTBfCknJTepaK3ulOy/s320/DSC09003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>near the Sea Lion Caves south of Heceta Head</i></span> </div>
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We also skipped the homemade fudge made at the Sea Lion Caves. Probably a wise choice.<br />
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Next we drove to <a href="http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=HGW269-029">Sutton Creek Recreation Area</a> and walked over to Baker Beach to enjoy the more grassy dunes in the area. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>snowy plover nesting area</i></span><br />
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ATVs aren't allowed on Baker Beach, and unlike Honeyman the dunes weren't high enough for kids to sled down, so we had the entire stretch all to ourselves. Well, us and the seagulls. The day was overcast but not too cold, and it finally felt like we were on the Oregon Coast. The beach itself was pristine with patches of "shell fields" every 20 feet or so. I'd never seen so many large pieces of sand dollars (no luck finding a whole one but at one point I had $2.50 in half dollars).<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCeZI2vBWPY46yV7PoPeCe9Z2fU4EMC9Zl0tnuI5OaFFadg5Prh5NjlO5ZTVMkNFGboaOaRa2veYGOSXKAlcTK1iGg9rA4xN-dJnBXIZXn9sFG6qm0fzoiqM_VukheUZwP9PQlpoGmtJ97/s1600/DSC09010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCeZI2vBWPY46yV7PoPeCe9Z2fU4EMC9Zl0tnuI5OaFFadg5Prh5NjlO5ZTVMkNFGboaOaRa2veYGOSXKAlcTK1iGg9rA4xN-dJnBXIZXn9sFG6qm0fzoiqM_VukheUZwP9PQlpoGmtJ97/s320/DSC09010.JPG" width="320" /></a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Clarence ponders the meaning of life</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Patrick ponders the meaning of life</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Jen ponders the meaning of life</i></span></div>
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Yep. Lots of sitting. Lots of pondering. A little snacking. A little wandering. Not a bad afternoon.<br />
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On the way back to camp we stopped at <a href="http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_115.php">Darlingtonia State Natural Site</a> to observe the "little garden of multi-colored horrors (for insects)". These interesting plants attract bugs with nectar into the hollow area, then lure the bugs downward where they eventually fall into a pool in the stalk and become plant food.<br />
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The peat bog where the darlingtonia colony resides is small but impressive. The park is quaint (I especially liked the hand-carved sign with its lengthy explanation of the plants), very accessible and free, and I highly recommend stopping to check it out.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">feed me!</span></i></div>
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The next morning we walked through park trails over to <a href="http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_124.php">Heceda Head lighthouse</a> and back. The sky was clear and blue on the way out, and halfway through the trail it turned foggy and gray - which made for some great forest pictures.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>deathly hollows</i></span></div>
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That afternoon involved tidepool exploration at <a href="http://www.paulnoll.com/Oregon/Tourism/Coast-Walport-Florence/Bob-Creek-beach.html">Bob (not Bob's) Creek</a> and <a href="http://www.paulnoll.com/Oregon/Tourism/Coast-Walport-Florence/Strawberry-Hill-rocks.html">Strawberry Hill</a>... My first encounter with tidepools, and definitely not my last.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>sea anemonemones</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">starfish parking only</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>even more lazy harbor seals</i></span></div>
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We also stopped briefly at Cape Perpetua but the tide was low so we headed to dinner that night (dungeness crab salad and artichoke bake at the <a href="http://www.the-drift-inn.com/">Drift Inn</a> in Yachats). Super tasty for a former fight club establishment...<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">the full bar was nice too</span></i></div>
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... and a quick stop near Bray's Point for some stargazing, where we saw the Milky
Way for the second time that week. (And probably the last time for
quite a while.) Back at camp the tent sites were full but the campers that night were peaceful, so we enjoyed our last campfire and the last of our Bandon fudge and tried not to think about the trip coming to an end.<br />
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The next day after a less impressive Drift Inn breakfast we headed east through the forest to <a href="http://www.everytrail.com/guide/alsea-falls-and-green-peak-falls">Alsea Falls</a> (eh) and <a href="http://www.fws.gov/WillametteValley/finley/">William L. Finley Wildlife Refuge</a> (pretty cool and worth another visit). The final stop was Trader Joe's on the way home. <br />
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In just eight days we saw a lot, yet there was a whole lot more we could've seen. Fun yet frustrating! But all in all it was a fantastic trip, and a good sign of great things to come.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-34059759658920876452012-09-23T09:34:00.000-07:002012-09-23T09:34:47.129-07:00ExplOregon coast vacation: Umpqua State Park.But first: Bandon.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRio6SzXxNn5ah-y40yWlh0yit22yTzqGcVrXt65kZMOotoGiVTy_2E7ybXZB_avJe_ggHfq8RcSW7yT1VZ_fVzVeIpWHuAMG0YR8u5VcrV1vtDsflQ_G-ox823AUIHRfyh1QF_-7xzkMU/s1600/DSC08928.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRio6SzXxNn5ah-y40yWlh0yit22yTzqGcVrXt65kZMOotoGiVTy_2E7ybXZB_avJe_ggHfq8RcSW7yT1VZ_fVzVeIpWHuAMG0YR8u5VcrV1vtDsflQ_G-ox823AUIHRfyh1QF_-7xzkMU/s320/DSC08928.JPG" width="320" /></a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Coquille River Lighthouse</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIv-J3MmCjAoOyL0wf4Wzyx9MMJy_eWx3RRCwFMO5VoS_m65ZR4jGSpmJ0SvtAWbik55OS1svcT-e1VYyX51U-iFi3o0Cbm5PZaFuZMRZUC7cU_tNsePviJIhWaNMCqsVCwhVROqFI4vD/s1600/DSC08934.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIv-J3MmCjAoOyL0wf4Wzyx9MMJy_eWx3RRCwFMO5VoS_m65ZR4jGSpmJ0SvtAWbik55OS1svcT-e1VYyX51U-iFi3o0Cbm5PZaFuZMRZUC7cU_tNsePviJIhWaNMCqsVCwhVROqFI4vD/s320/DSC08934.JPG" width="320" /></a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Coquille Point wildlife refuge/</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioiYV-Ryoih9p-Ej9mCOvhhGa6e747RE2RJSJRWYm2XMThaoiUVeA1Wj0U-eOdv9orQXQ654wB5La1bE0MeiEAvbE_BX_BPsZgPvvF98_PT9BTgXMi5lUzpdzH6bUnQcl9glaeo-Cek4Zo/s1600/DSC08957.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioiYV-Ryoih9p-Ej9mCOvhhGa6e747RE2RJSJRWYm2XMThaoiUVeA1Wj0U-eOdv9orQXQ654wB5La1bE0MeiEAvbE_BX_BPsZgPvvF98_PT9BTgXMi5lUzpdzH6bUnQcl9glaeo-Cek4Zo/s320/DSC08957.JPG" width="240" /></a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> not Face Rock</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>but it plays her on TV</i></span>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYgS67Xu9gSfuTcJkMdk2t6sE_CtBtvJnlXpD-uRfzA_g6pyyoKJrOZ4ehBXFa-3g9UpD7GKrQQErcJDI28w7fcVnSO_QmhLog_Sw2FAthyaqfKA3UUX3XbYwP87Ak7maFtROqrtO8ceK/s1600/DSC08966.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYgS67Xu9gSfuTcJkMdk2t6sE_CtBtvJnlXpD-uRfzA_g6pyyoKJrOZ4ehBXFa-3g9UpD7GKrQQErcJDI28w7fcVnSO_QmhLog_Sw2FAthyaqfKA3UUX3XbYwP87Ak7maFtROqrtO8ceK/s320/DSC08966.JPG" width="320" /></a></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Face Rock </i></span></div>
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Beautiful beach aside, Bandon itself is quirky and charming. I kept trying to remember what it reminded me of, and all I could think was Tiburon without the wealth and pretension. Can I just say that I love this little town? <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yMLgDBR19FGmRW8TNC7CSpVOJ1Gw0FBazbZ8bqhAd6bc7Bsmy9bIefFCUmQQWWw195BmRgT1ArZ2OzObOTNDc_px_sCanx6s3rGw6VQJV7bGSpgUjv8JSZEZ9Br16F8wM98RNXhWuZCV/s1600/DSC08921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yMLgDBR19FGmRW8TNC7CSpVOJ1Gw0FBazbZ8bqhAd6bc7Bsmy9bIefFCUmQQWWw195BmRgT1ArZ2OzObOTNDc_px_sCanx6s3rGw6VQJV7bGSpgUjv8JSZEZ9Br16F8wM98RNXhWuZCV/s320/DSC08921.JPG" width="320" /></a></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Year of the Dragon art contest</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOh-EuF_edTxzB2G-O7fw7wEcrhBCBO_X-V06fNVdstm1sg6WYSqWV0k90oFjHm6CsJroYB7pjOlJ6VDljooxbHK7cOV3gYUPcuEW1zIs-lrY5wAfesxlfdhvQmgWwqswdFY4PrpJ3bYud/s1600/DSC08923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOh-EuF_edTxzB2G-O7fw7wEcrhBCBO_X-V06fNVdstm1sg6WYSqWV0k90oFjHm6CsJroYB7pjOlJ6VDljooxbHK7cOV3gYUPcuEW1zIs-lrY5wAfesxlfdhvQmgWwqswdFY4PrpJ3bYud/s320/DSC08923.JPG" width="320" /></a></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>my mom is going to want this</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>on her tombstone now</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdPMYDRkajViRTVCcodSkGGNFzm_JLNOzKNm-Kgcw-_qE0tGDCN5ud6spLuphvcQlKPidzIg2Q0ZgBLRbj9EFcKoOK7v52TnT7OxyOLrkHWKRLrYYX6zHbwUnSrdBGbrEzyLsJgeyIpy2/s1600/DSC08972.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdPMYDRkajViRTVCcodSkGGNFzm_JLNOzKNm-Kgcw-_qE0tGDCN5ud6spLuphvcQlKPidzIg2Q0ZgBLRbj9EFcKoOK7v52TnT7OxyOLrkHWKRLrYYX6zHbwUnSrdBGbrEzyLsJgeyIpy2/s320/DSC08972.JPG" width="320" /></a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I agree</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRCWTKdfObUc-o3fpIIFGPqtFDHQ2p_ZduKKgOGaxJPhe-IvK-sbVnY-CjZ_6bcyJ5ykxQ1z1DuuhbtNPvqiydQqFgiQUU_HRVdhxv-TucEYlgYjvjIc3k2PHZRkOew_k_iDFzAbY6Fwy/s1600/DSC08974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRCWTKdfObUc-o3fpIIFGPqtFDHQ2p_ZduKKgOGaxJPhe-IvK-sbVnY-CjZ_6bcyJ5ykxQ1z1DuuhbtNPvqiydQqFgiQUU_HRVdhxv-TucEYlgYjvjIc3k2PHZRkOew_k_iDFzAbY6Fwy/s320/DSC08974.JPG" width="240" /></a></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://tonyscrabshack.com/">Tony's Crab Shack</a></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>not the best fish tacos I've *ever* had</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>but pretty darned good</i></span></div>
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We finally bought some fudge, headed out of town, stopped for oysters on the way to <a href="http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_121.php">Umpqua State Park</a> and after a quick happy hour, wandered around Lake Marie and then up to the lighthouse.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFPRD6-6hhhWDaAYY4WqkztR9E4yqFYIMTkfBgH7I2_x-_mUfySrczk7-UCBrLFL4RGBPG6Ypdfm1YKb67-Lsn07UdrcJiizI1kyjR-Sem2AqAaIHUW92se7vMsSGw0y73k2W9__sDFkx/s1600/DSC08978.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFPRD6-6hhhWDaAYY4WqkztR9E4yqFYIMTkfBgH7I2_x-_mUfySrczk7-UCBrLFL4RGBPG6Ypdfm1YKb67-Lsn07UdrcJiizI1kyjR-Sem2AqAaIHUW92se7vMsSGw0y73k2W9__sDFkx/s320/DSC08978.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>happy hour</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PuC5FtLIdC88o7aTHmrBkbGLBedZoQ8LWr5q3Ej2Yqjs6E8VxiX9xFTa7arRO2MQlrAsLNxHMa8KnQHEsng9OIMNisqLkHLGabiodEptSlenAmaZahgbdqhwBBJEmM8L6QVD5NkfYJIp/s1600/DSC08983.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PuC5FtLIdC88o7aTHmrBkbGLBedZoQ8LWr5q3Ej2Yqjs6E8VxiX9xFTa7arRO2MQlrAsLNxHMa8KnQHEsng9OIMNisqLkHLGabiodEptSlenAmaZahgbdqhwBBJEmM8L6QVD5NkfYJIp/s320/DSC08983.JPG" width="240" /></a> </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> Lake Marie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrIZij66I1GsE2Z_0jp489eVVSvZ_nLUI7F-TOjfa7PFS5On8YpSNKbvfV8xMcpkr_9O7rMDnWRoMvc3o-x5xKyu4U-UPm0i5VqklaLeAo5xdmBBsQAH09OdoqBOKmYkGxkA-JrjPAcko/s1600/DSC08992.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrIZij66I1GsE2Z_0jp489eVVSvZ_nLUI7F-TOjfa7PFS5On8YpSNKbvfV8xMcpkr_9O7rMDnWRoMvc3o-x5xKyu4U-UPm0i5VqklaLeAo5xdmBBsQAH09OdoqBOKmYkGxkA-JrjPAcko/s320/DSC08992.JPG" width="240" /></a></i></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Umpqua River Lighthouse</i></span></div>
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Yes, there are coastal lighthouses, river lighthouses, lake lighthouses, bay lighthouses... They're now run by the Coast Guard - which makes a lot of sense, but caused quite a bit of controversy back in the day. All nine Oregon lighthouses were established between 1870-1896, and all have been named to the National Register of Historic Places. And all are totally awesome. Even the ones under construction. And women are very capable "lighthouse keepers" - get it? Get it??<br />
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Ahh, free ranger lectures. Gotta love them. Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-29998006734661790632012-09-23T09:33:00.000-07:002012-09-23T09:33:17.622-07:00ExplOregon coast vacation: Cape Blanco State Park.Cape Blanco was a recommendation from another friend. It was so nice, we stayed there twice. But first we made a few pit stops along the <a href="http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_77.php">Samuel H. Boardman State Corridor</a> scenic bypass.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGM5-DhxA0z8XtNiB_S8xt2pyfvu-TYI2Bb8LlV5fnla3UqKn4VAyFpxuaIbE9XxzRPZnpc7Ev9Oj0Oa8tg0oxaGUlfXph3-p_NWfZeC59BmCKdwvf1sUyQTROi4xyv2RvgG1G8PLpNqSv/s1600/DSC08807.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGM5-DhxA0z8XtNiB_S8xt2pyfvu-TYI2Bb8LlV5fnla3UqKn4VAyFpxuaIbE9XxzRPZnpc7Ev9Oj0Oa8tg0oxaGUlfXph3-p_NWfZeC59BmCKdwvf1sUyQTROi4xyv2RvgG1G8PLpNqSv/s320/DSC08807.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Arch Rock</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHYs8d1yI4HmnjvHCQhF0ttTR32m_e_cTVau-ZqO4hJxE-8chPDrbiMWaYqfmT2auqVmovYScx2lcqj9au5zAMbPeBJCSk_MKxmlSt3XTHOxg2YwFxUsjNTej0vLzkp-TZOF9HeiwKz_y/s1600/DSC08823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHYs8d1yI4HmnjvHCQhF0ttTR32m_e_cTVau-ZqO4hJxE-8chPDrbiMWaYqfmT2auqVmovYScx2lcqj9au5zAMbPeBJCSk_MKxmlSt3XTHOxg2YwFxUsjNTej0vLzkp-TZOF9HeiwKz_y/s320/DSC08823.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>sea cave at <a href="http://www.visitoregonsouthcoast.com/Sisters_Rocks">Sisters Rock</a></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-adRpcxUwJXsnmedrBQ0HGRsBuocuzfdinNynzHirGrvbUiQ-ZP3Xobcm5TLrsYrtzXraC1WZvFC2rbthR5iA07k57rLKV4OCSrJKTg6jw-OEzz5MkrAj4hR2ot8EpwVCaSB0796EuBc/s1600/DSC08832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-adRpcxUwJXsnmedrBQ0HGRsBuocuzfdinNynzHirGrvbUiQ-ZP3Xobcm5TLrsYrtzXraC1WZvFC2rbthR5iA07k57rLKV4OCSrJKTg6jw-OEzz5MkrAj4hR2ot8EpwVCaSB0796EuBc/s320/DSC08832.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Frankport Beach</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbUz9TnyUdP6cIV3LitXl9ljGoWgPIKTxec8omm-mftPPt5J-4s9ZbVt0ILakVjqE7IpgYWpzoHi2y52QvO-zAJhDjHOO3rI_e5gPndRQYQ_dBFob_O1JJGG7iC339GcLgwtTsqT2RskT/s1600/DSC08837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbUz9TnyUdP6cIV3LitXl9ljGoWgPIKTxec8omm-mftPPt5J-4s9ZbVt0ILakVjqE7IpgYWpzoHi2y52QvO-zAJhDjHOO3rI_e5gPndRQYQ_dBFob_O1JJGG7iC339GcLgwtTsqT2RskT/s320/DSC08837.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>and of course, the <a href="http://theoregoncoast.info/Prehistoric/Gardens.html">Prehistoric Gardens</a></i></span></div>
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Anyway, top<b> five awesome things </b>about <a href="http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_62.php">Cape Blanco State Park</a>, in no particular order:<br />
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1. The <b>trails around the park</b>, which were lovely themselves and which led to beautiful views, stunning beaches, and historical pioneer sites. Lots of fun to just wander through tunnels of trees to see what we could see.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZWy9FC3v8w0SOHKle0BPrMHYxqCK1rkkdfzXrI5T5KctkuA9fcHxVACnmK-IW0NobEz2xfTQQeXTlnTxJ5CALfXpGk5O_rmOnGpg-iCdDswMEv6esyI-RVx_ZBxEMpF4320ETCGv_JMd/s1600/DSC08911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZWy9FC3v8w0SOHKle0BPrMHYxqCK1rkkdfzXrI5T5KctkuA9fcHxVACnmK-IW0NobEz2xfTQQeXTlnTxJ5CALfXpGk5O_rmOnGpg-iCdDswMEv6esyI-RVx_ZBxEMpF4320ETCGv_JMd/s320/DSC08911.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>we saw a deer here</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0s1ugAs4V0sRnH9IenRvUIk_m7GNMvEWwPMNa_4WTlQBPb05pJV3W_1gTSP9tqxzUYF9YBaGUWcIdZzADX_TBQ_JS9A4Unu0k2fuIZRqCwEzVCF11I49kTEmCZJl7C2kUcWJeCl0xeOEa/s1600/DSC08856.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0s1ugAs4V0sRnH9IenRvUIk_m7GNMvEWwPMNa_4WTlQBPb05pJV3W_1gTSP9tqxzUYF9YBaGUWcIdZzADX_TBQ_JS9A4Unu0k2fuIZRqCwEzVCF11I49kTEmCZJl7C2kUcWJeCl0xeOEa/s320/DSC08856.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>we didn't see much here </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(closed due to high winds)<br />but I hear it's the oldest Oregon lighthouse</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>...maybe</i></span></div>
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2. I've said it before and I'll probably say it a bazillion more times - <b>sunsets</b>! I really don't know how anyone lives on the east coast. I really don't.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNZiXd2aTn_1QFN7HpGerJ-OwIJ1RrXIAMjbOH-fS0Fu9czfKfL4TKXAufKTH9iAsfmHIqMisj-6mdxs_fz65eT_ONw9gx9GPeKlQZcMrpGXcUgcC0FqpR2w6C-uRplI8D5nQVjlz4oRp/s1600/DSC08872.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNZiXd2aTn_1QFN7HpGerJ-OwIJ1RrXIAMjbOH-fS0Fu9czfKfL4TKXAufKTH9iAsfmHIqMisj-6mdxs_fz65eT_ONw9gx9GPeKlQZcMrpGXcUgcC0FqpR2w6C-uRplI8D5nQVjlz4oRp/s320/DSC08872.JPG" width="320" /></a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>first day </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyeQen3QUH-CHnK1mZkQfKlFU9g6j6Nn4v0cV_wdjfr3qUFAnSsda2Fevb7kMT0x_cf1zr0KrQAILLJhvURCETRwKw38iWRXQaXItubf0OY2SzeHYk5Jqg5oKUWIuTW6GbgnZJHTtJ3IW5/s1600/DSC08913.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyeQen3QUH-CHnK1mZkQfKlFU9g6j6Nn4v0cV_wdjfr3qUFAnSsda2Fevb7kMT0x_cf1zr0KrQAILLJhvURCETRwKw38iWRXQaXItubf0OY2SzeHYk5Jqg5oKUWIuTW6GbgnZJHTtJ3IW5/s320/DSC08913.JPG" width="320" /></a></i></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>second day - with lighthouse action!</i></span></div>
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3. The <b>campsites </b>at the park were (once again) really nice. Ours was a little small but surrounded by wonderfully tall trees that swayed pretty ferociously the first night - it was hard to tell if we were hearing the ocean or the trees. Small or not, having the ocean as your "backyard" for two days is an awfully sweet deal.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7YuwyK2KsFtC6dxkRyEbI9_cSa_MUrJzeWKergcL3qMtqqKWcjgRuTJQ_vdrCF8q89OjEQUBpGs9grl_uOhqzorxRy-R4QpdI1sos0-8QuyLPZYaBFled59d7J5w0DppBpY-LyxsZ77zJ/s1600/DSC08919.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7YuwyK2KsFtC6dxkRyEbI9_cSa_MUrJzeWKergcL3qMtqqKWcjgRuTJQ_vdrCF8q89OjEQUBpGs9grl_uOhqzorxRy-R4QpdI1sos0-8QuyLPZYaBFled59d7J5w0DppBpY-LyxsZ77zJ/s320/DSC08919.JPG" width="240" /></a></i></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>campsite A44 </i></span></div>
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4. The <b>beaches </b>were stunning. No surprise, really. The wind was pretty fierce the first day but we still enjoyed a nice beach walk with complementary face and foot sand exfoliant.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbD3V0GmHKE67v83iP7Qr3PGhh1qqIZ8YaATC3m-2SXvt6Owv7teQn8odurNczWatLQErEpRi9O_zuyNI68zsqWYCMNuESxfe2on9ilI2gYU5u0uTU6t9-Cb6P4Tf43n3sVJFF78oPnUa/s1600/DSC08839.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbD3V0GmHKE67v83iP7Qr3PGhh1qqIZ8YaATC3m-2SXvt6Owv7teQn8odurNczWatLQErEpRi9O_zuyNI68zsqWYCMNuESxfe2on9ilI2gYU5u0uTU6t9-Cb6P4Tf43n3sVJFF78oPnUa/s320/DSC08839.JPG" width="320" /></a></i></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>a small perspective of the massive wind that day </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusGacwzBp4EI_R_zBl0GhrJDxeXI1D6vjDsQ7LSXvraqMQBJlmuDfn21UZG6UPbhbdSK4A17TCXzDUtk8RHH1vTGrlpzaHepWZrlyUIr1lwD45gVqfJ_wy-kYobTtBSPSHQtQRtIyeffm/s1600/DSC08853.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusGacwzBp4EI_R_zBl0GhrJDxeXI1D6vjDsQ7LSXvraqMQBJlmuDfn21UZG6UPbhbdSK4A17TCXzDUtk8RHH1vTGrlpzaHepWZrlyUIr1lwD45gVqfJ_wy-kYobTtBSPSHQtQRtIyeffm/s320/DSC08853.JPG" width="320" /></a></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>deceptively calm</i></span></div>
<br />
Day 2 was much calmer... although you wouldn't know it from the pictures. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_AzYwdMnmkfQbtspODs-s5vDWFM7UjS4spZExpYxqD4X7Q0Ntpfs45-TnvQ62INWG9IlaQHmiYEE_-bHlL2eHJeG0DtGSAFEdHm4nB0lQlzBBdzRQv9y0GVtN7yvBn0XJGX9ZlOhhwQoY/s1600/DSC08906.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_AzYwdMnmkfQbtspODs-s5vDWFM7UjS4spZExpYxqD4X7Q0Ntpfs45-TnvQ62INWG9IlaQHmiYEE_-bHlL2eHJeG0DtGSAFEdHm4nB0lQlzBBdzRQv9y0GVtN7yvBn0XJGX9ZlOhhwQoY/s320/DSC08906.JPG" width="320" /></a></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>north side beach</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2OlFGboebmtmkgCqlIjhrctym396OV9xcZ6M_kAdiLXW-zLMP6Hqnmp6NN5WujpsUNwjhTiZ4iVZI4s6D_YYyoeNtk6ds7DMWPloT383_IsxbLNOJkg1YvsyZuVaAusZ2LTQgwVd_e1V/s1600/DSC08893.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2OlFGboebmtmkgCqlIjhrctym396OV9xcZ6M_kAdiLXW-zLMP6Hqnmp6NN5WujpsUNwjhTiZ4iVZI4s6D_YYyoeNtk6ds7DMWPloT383_IsxbLNOJkg1YvsyZuVaAusZ2LTQgwVd_e1V/s320/DSC08893.JPG" width="320" /></a></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>calm or not, I don't know that I would've attempted </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>to surf in that washing machine of waves</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(no, that's not Patrick) </i></span></div>
<br />
5. <b>Chipmunks</b>. Those chipmunks were so darned cute.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhiR-l_VyED40S5VQZO7MIIVFPuVeKNZWQbVt31nX8uY19FF3iwygNNBo_-4HW_HRWdxp50bN5HDoqXmXThs2z_6rXWsgcHq5kdDZJ6dskSgi0xM-hqzYFMtzsGGHF3Q5jvWjTequgEoJ/s1600/DSC08861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhiR-l_VyED40S5VQZO7MIIVFPuVeKNZWQbVt31nX8uY19FF3iwygNNBo_-4HW_HRWdxp50bN5HDoqXmXThs2z_6rXWsgcHq5kdDZJ6dskSgi0xM-hqzYFMtzsGGHF3Q5jvWjTequgEoJ/s320/DSC08861.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_1826496110"></span><span id="goog_1826496111"></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">nom</span></i></div>
<br />
We also sidetracked to <a href="http://www.everytrail.com/guide/humbug-mountain-highest-mountain-on-the-oregon-coast">Humbug Mountain</a> for a 5 mile hike on Day 2. (I just learned that this is the highest mountain on the Oregon coast. Neat!) The forest was beautiful but didn't allow for many views south and north.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsherK7GyzZnXtEKawz5PAx0zGE_ANdTgKXvBg_WpkkQe0gBy2xRq0fYQ6JsIkHh507Z7ZMhoHjgSyM5VzloiNp2RtfFPG-L_-kF_Tq5w4tgyyLjOhjpSpuiTHl0pz2mErpBoNaQ_ZV7xi/s1600/DSC08876.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsherK7GyzZnXtEKawz5PAx0zGE_ANdTgKXvBg_WpkkQe0gBy2xRq0fYQ6JsIkHh507Z7ZMhoHjgSyM5VzloiNp2RtfFPG-L_-kF_Tq5w4tgyyLjOhjpSpuiTHl0pz2mErpBoNaQ_ZV7xi/s320/DSC08876.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">humbug indeed</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH1kpxXKYTXftBmrDNDQEhcLrd3Ol1_jLRDkKboq2d-HwXauo2EXQ4-BCoOPRt6sDhzTcE9WBoD57c9Pwkv17mMcVb-Mf70V_avd7y4rfQAFm1lY4awliOrfs5sy0SIsnpGAKDMcBwXX1z/s1600/DSC08881.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH1kpxXKYTXftBmrDNDQEhcLrd3Ol1_jLRDkKboq2d-HwXauo2EXQ4-BCoOPRt6sDhzTcE9WBoD57c9Pwkv17mMcVb-Mf70V_avd7y4rfQAFm1lY4awliOrfs5sy0SIsnpGAKDMcBwXX1z/s320/DSC08881.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>the lazy harbor seals agreed</i></span></div>
<br />
It was a great walk though. And really, it's hard to not be happy about anything that happens on a day without a cubicle!
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-16641727666303089542012-09-23T09:24:00.000-07:002012-09-23T09:24:57.474-07:00ExplOregon coast vacation: Brookings and Harris Beach State Park.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi289NHjqNoIYCsoDZZNyuCXe9_FuN_icXPSxTdNFlwa4A15nOzGo5eL3lfKmWcrMvXIuRPQTAyWs0fhRciu2jjlehwHoQHZyMOmWCYwiHHnK5kpP2FiiXDHZDvT4nAxCXL_Nc-yZqVjf-D/s1600/DSC08773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi289NHjqNoIYCsoDZZNyuCXe9_FuN_icXPSxTdNFlwa4A15nOzGo5eL3lfKmWcrMvXIuRPQTAyWs0fhRciu2jjlehwHoQHZyMOmWCYwiHHnK5kpP2FiiXDHZDvT4nAxCXL_Nc-yZqVjf-D/s320/DSC08773.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>hooray!</i></span></div>
<br />
A few fails today but nothing significant. First, if you didn't know, <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-vista-pub-brookings">The Vista Pub</a> ("best burgers on the 101 coast!") in Brookings is closed on Mondays. But <a href="http://www.dolittlecafe.com/">DoLittle Cafe</a> is a really nice substitute. (They're closed on Tuesdays,
FYI.)<br />
<br />
And if you didn't know, the road to <a href="http://www.moon.com/destinations/oregon/south-coast/brookings-harbor/recreation/vulcan-lake-hike">Vulcan Lake</a>'s hike and nearby small campsite was closed through 9/15 for repairs, so we had to nix Plan A. <br />
<br />
Instead, we did a <a href="http://www.redwoodhikes.com/Oregon/Loeb.html">quick nature walk</a> in the nearby Siskiyou National Forest nearby, where we learned about ferns and Patrick's reaction to bee stings. (And in writing this post I learned that we were in the "world's northernmost redwood grove" - neat!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Pm4OQZ-jLpnAk_SbIeX-FQEAAQFzF5p8V8xPd5JgHklwM8it-V9FsZhXGE6ekwZLz3aj9FmpjS829eonAitWMO21LRMiYUAW6dsy6idghqNRdYJw2SP15gbvc8J2BlZ77iPKxQODpbsg/s1600/DSC08783.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Pm4OQZ-jLpnAk_SbIeX-FQEAAQFzF5p8V8xPd5JgHklwM8it-V9FsZhXGE6ekwZLz3aj9FmpjS829eonAitWMO21LRMiYUAW6dsy6idghqNRdYJw2SP15gbvc8J2BlZ77iPKxQODpbsg/s320/DSC08783.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>
I {heart} trees</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QrJ37vUjzc1YnErIoGzMaykXthug1h-2XHI8LicOn-Eur3LxMxgKA5tf4PCW8w0se1892Y79OoxFT4t7SFj6FuH04K5-JqrueWft2DcODRvxxohVAN0htZwuppu7t5K9L3bW2GZ9eeth/s1600/DSC08785.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QrJ37vUjzc1YnErIoGzMaykXthug1h-2XHI8LicOn-Eur3LxMxgKA5tf4PCW8w0se1892Y79OoxFT4t7SFj6FuH04K5-JqrueWft2DcODRvxxohVAN0htZwuppu7t5K9L3bW2GZ9eeth/s320/DSC08785.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>
I still {heart} trees</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5hoN77TVRy71BgCJe6mxBPu8sky-smDXcX5JWC-OX7W1Q0K06kk_XSXqKXfmgyqq_N8L27yxV-vWEJIzvd0kL9mIaM8485S1TsS-AUOSqsh2_pFi35v89nSmG3m-8ryZf4PeK4-giBJw/s1600/DSC08788.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5hoN77TVRy71BgCJe6mxBPu8sky-smDXcX5JWC-OX7W1Q0K06kk_XSXqKXfmgyqq_N8L27yxV-vWEJIzvd0kL9mIaM8485S1TsS-AUOSqsh2_pFi35v89nSmG3m-8ryZf4PeK4-giBJw/s320/DSC08788.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>
sword, deer, lady, maidenhair -
<br />can you tell the difference?</i></span></div>
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Then we headed north to the very crowded <a href="http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_79.php">Harris Beach State Park</a>. It was really the only option but despite the crowds of people, it turned out fine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeEiUGk-BZ9N4R0EDU3ILFb3LqCXSAfCtpYrWveA1t3IF1KeDF0c1TN1MHry4rFvXdrdOO4OwdHwkELma1S372MVHJaDF2kPQ6o8OviuTldhexvuI_KMuHHAJl2jp0QcEnMcMrXjtnrMg/s1600/DSC08789.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeEiUGk-BZ9N4R0EDU3ILFb3LqCXSAfCtpYrWveA1t3IF1KeDF0c1TN1MHry4rFvXdrdOO4OwdHwkELma1S372MVHJaDF2kPQ6o8OviuTldhexvuI_KMuHHAJl2jp0QcEnMcMrXjtnrMg/s320/DSC08789.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">yeah...</span></i></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwLonOj98TUwtzuOjnUnBCsO3hvZLG0-gohFNRNOUmJFu7MAzK66TnshLJpPwsxG4d260xISEeMRsdOwPj7nKpryZG0Hw0z9-MmJORRpzEmh5uU6qvNQQMnxBGWOf_Nh_0jjFfAFiYdZrk/s1600/DSC08796.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwLonOj98TUwtzuOjnUnBCsO3hvZLG0-gohFNRNOUmJFu7MAzK66TnshLJpPwsxG4d260xISEeMRsdOwPj7nKpryZG0Hw0z9-MmJORRpzEmh5uU6qvNQQMnxBGWOf_Nh_0jjFfAFiYdZrk/s320/DSC08796.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>...it'll do</i></span></div>
<br />
They had a ranger lecture that evening on endangered lighthouses. Well. If you didn't know, Cape Blanco is the oldest lighthouse on the Oregon coast. Or maybe it's the Umpqua Lighthouse. Like each forested area in Oregon claims to have the biggest Doug Fir tree, there seems to be competition among the lighthouses as well. But it was an interesting talk and I had a whole new appreciation for lighthouses (and the inventor of the Fresnel lens - that guy was a GENIUS!) even before we visited four lighthouses over the next few days.<br />
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And finally, if you didn't know, skunks don't always spray when they are startled... That was probably the best lesson from this very informative day.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-45566600661113777662012-09-23T09:22:00.000-07:002012-09-23T09:22:21.435-07:00ExplOregon coast vacation: Gold Bluffs beach campground.Another friend recommended Fern Canyon. We had no real destination
that day so, somewhat on a whim, we drove down to <a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=415">Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park</a> which included <a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/415/files/GoldBluffsBeachCampMapFinal123009.pdf">Gold Bluff beach</a> (also technically not Oregon, but whatevs) to check out the allegedly
full campsite before driving a little further to the trailhead for Fern Canyon.<br />
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The campsite wasn't full. And it was beautiful.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIl52bRWECpKxsnOPNdOXOzeuXQ_eeKxyumPXhjxxrM0mUlKuKGs-U7CL62DoVCp-IU4Ep5VVLyLnN8eSiNZeil6td-PP7X-12OF83RcuMgroFtVja29CV5rEukPkTwKaJEvCxe8X5ANlS/s1600/DSC08695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIl52bRWECpKxsnOPNdOXOzeuXQ_eeKxyumPXhjxxrM0mUlKuKGs-U7CL62DoVCp-IU4Ep5VVLyLnN8eSiNZeil6td-PP7X-12OF83RcuMgroFtVja29CV5rEukPkTwKaJEvCxe8X5ANlS/s320/DSC08695.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>campsite 13</i></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g28926-d145139-Reviews-Fern_Canyon-California.html">Fern Canyon</a> was also really cool, and afterward we meandered through the
redwoods for a few hours before enjoying happy hour on the beach.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFNytfirGQENHLH6edlkDrBgnKMIRa8P4yDF6LrFr0P0mncNkNsHyim2arTrLQsiOeuIhJ6hpd7SvZ5qwb665OX4uiNtuiXlU4sJy10jtrqAVQno0DNoU92nTn_8X5JeQh5cN5EYtuttJL/s1600/DSC08705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFNytfirGQENHLH6edlkDrBgnKMIRa8P4yDF6LrFr0P0mncNkNsHyim2arTrLQsiOeuIhJ6hpd7SvZ5qwb665OX4uiNtuiXlU4sJy10jtrqAVQno0DNoU92nTn_8X5JeQh5cN5EYtuttJL/s320/DSC08705.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>bad lighting, bad photos, awesome canyon</i></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">streeeeeeeeeetch</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwMbAoZzJtJkPvvmtPRUsszqcT6bYYgOpvWbmBoLK-uRoUckMHNFkDqME6opPOnxkrlagOVIDhDzDucimFWbWWMGe2sVRhGrsFiACyTbAvVLKxVx0l_tCenQXuCYd1iXEoBXpMiziUO6I/s1600/DSC08711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwMbAoZzJtJkPvvmtPRUsszqcT6bYYgOpvWbmBoLK-uRoUckMHNFkDqME6opPOnxkrlagOVIDhDzDucimFWbWWMGe2sVRhGrsFiACyTbAvVLKxVx0l_tCenQXuCYd1iXEoBXpMiziUO6I/s320/DSC08711.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Clarence vs the tree cow</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2-oqx3MX98GPBcDrlFp_LPWjAojLYKwbTAFpRSPKS-Py31olBOlqVU4cMyYqgq3g3BLeqcZ6hqzFMeo4-mcbjtOv5xj_2DCZz-7n7GYuLNkondxYaL0v86tsm0BockqcqzEcZ6udDzid/s1600/DSC08713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2-oqx3MX98GPBcDrlFp_LPWjAojLYKwbTAFpRSPKS-Py31olBOlqVU4cMyYqgq3g3BLeqcZ6hqzFMeo4-mcbjtOv5xj_2DCZz-7n7GYuLNkondxYaL0v86tsm0BockqcqzEcZ6udDzid/s320/DSC08713.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">troll bridge</span></i></div>
<br />
That evening the air was warm, the wind was calm, the waves were hypnotic, the stars
were out. <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyevAPv0nZLwFDaDOtW5ifS3LQrPQHed2qFkA0EBkDQOVP3P8w-hBjEqmOMAtMWGTWbmmMm33HnMmkAnYf1-eOmA0OvRCTfGijFZszsOsj0X4s4YDwLdZWII3SA8qWCa5ttBulokXg3jOK/s1600/DSC08720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyevAPv0nZLwFDaDOtW5ifS3LQrPQHed2qFkA0EBkDQOVP3P8w-hBjEqmOMAtMWGTWbmmMm33HnMmkAnYf1-eOmA0OvRCTfGijFZszsOsj0X4s4YDwLdZWII3SA8qWCa5ttBulokXg3jOK/s320/DSC08720.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">and the beach was empty</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZh89u-5xCNgKfWlUtC6hhkvo580hplNJHm6nWPGRsJIm-iqrn_eCMyCNsz39pwMCSXTRPl0r6fEj_0DAov0Efv9TSc-NdXQB19ykOKP00Osn0HqmKYWlk8iGEGq3PZa-glFkcLjoypY-G/s1600/DSC08748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZh89u-5xCNgKfWlUtC6hhkvo580hplNJHm6nWPGRsJIm-iqrn_eCMyCNsz39pwMCSXTRPl0r6fEj_0DAov0Efv9TSc-NdXQB19ykOKP00Osn0HqmKYWlk8iGEGq3PZa-glFkcLjoypY-G/s320/DSC08748.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">and the sunset was lovely</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGvL4G0uDM8GE-LYp-RBanlGXlWvVx8yjcb-Z1swRU6jtwxoElmyaAtNNoTsREs5jXJ_amQUW6-nX_woexXzggKIfl6QpOjz2X44VUGnYIAI3jJb2_3Mibhk_CtS4ec0bIaCuIFoFPxLX-/s1600/DSC08755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGvL4G0uDM8GE-LYp-RBanlGXlWvVx8yjcb-Z1swRU6jtwxoElmyaAtNNoTsREs5jXJ_amQUW6-nX_woexXzggKIfl6QpOjz2X44VUGnYIAI3jJb2_3Mibhk_CtS4ec0bIaCuIFoFPxLX-/s320/DSC08755.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>and dinner was delicious</i></span></div>
<br />
All in all, another great day... with many more ahead of us.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-34948071822262073982012-09-23T09:16:00.000-07:002012-09-23T09:16:19.402-07:00ExplOregon coast vacation: Patrick's Point State Park.Okay, technically not Oregon, but <a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=417">Patrick's Point State Park</a> is really beautiful nonetheless. We made
this our first stop for obvious and nostalgic reasons.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWlHdJIjgI3rKmM0QhrkOB_wozMvfvlDytlxdvg0PHEM6VutY2UBtGkY_IPtyImJcmWr3j_YyqLcvgv5V8xxuAw2oZZZSCADDlpEIy3X3ETKhUZ88CeZarTkFMusZ9ADp6MbfID6BD-WJ/s1600/DSC08691.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWlHdJIjgI3rKmM0QhrkOB_wozMvfvlDytlxdvg0PHEM6VutY2UBtGkY_IPtyImJcmWr3j_YyqLcvgv5V8xxuAw2oZZZSCADDlpEIy3X3ETKhUZ88CeZarTkFMusZ9ADp6MbfID6BD-WJ/s320/DSC08691.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>why yes, that *is* a bowling pin! <br />(a running theme throughout the trip)</i></span></div>
<br />
And it was a great start to the trip. Here
are<b> five reasons why</b>, in no particular order:<br />
<br />
1. <b>Wildlife sightings. </b>Bunnies greeted us as we drove through the campgrounds looking
for a site. Bunnies hopped around while we explored the trails.
Bunnies stopped to sniff and forage and pose for photos.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJK8HqCTK3OV7QTiIRJYm7YAkqyRyFCkuH5nGcwJ6TguPTLtYMKplvjn9CQNG7-LwUdOoAIp1OjXF6j4to8v9Hu0apn3JHvNkIEQMapGWy7Ap7qqKwDhpnMhPSLCCAxGzQScfLKu3TeTe/s1600/DSC08639.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJK8HqCTK3OV7QTiIRJYm7YAkqyRyFCkuH5nGcwJ6TguPTLtYMKplvjn9CQNG7-LwUdOoAIp1OjXF6j4to8v9Hu0apn3JHvNkIEQMapGWy7Ap7qqKwDhpnMhPSLCCAxGzQScfLKu3TeTe/s320/DSC08639.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">bunnies, it must be bunnies!</span></i></div>
<br />
I am not sure
why, exactly, but the wild bunnies were more exciting than the Roosevelt
Elk we saw on the way down 101. But the elk were pretty neat too.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWJUBweWU3LvMmOpZsrPWRjA3wqHS5Lc_4WWUD1tOzdYwt-90S7z04cBylvNaz85RW9z78ffB-WGC-HAuTWCjKsnBUGjWqY2xvcUKG_Ee3a7oLyFYt81qMBNWlrskjaMJ982UlMUU7T8z/s1600/DSC08631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWJUBweWU3LvMmOpZsrPWRjA3wqHS5Lc_4WWUD1tOzdYwt-90S7z04cBylvNaz85RW9z78ffB-WGC-HAuTWCjKsnBUGjWqY2xvcUKG_Ee3a7oLyFYt81qMBNWlrskjaMJ982UlMUU7T8z/s320/DSC08631.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Roosevelt Elk along Highway 101</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And harbor seals are always really fun to watch, even though they don't do much. At all. Really. Not much at all. We saw the guys below on our last walk around the coastal trail right before we left the park on Sunday morning.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7j1E2ZUYvbDMzvUYQR06RLlckd8HLtPOY3eZA8vESVud5L7rL8Y6e7gbkICYePlh6QSC1UeFm5VkEYoSt5MsaAd3ydiE2Oc2xpKgLK6JWCl2d9Mdxd_Eb45n1eypqZarzOMkh1CZwgU4v/s1600/DSC08689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7j1E2ZUYvbDMzvUYQR06RLlckd8HLtPOY3eZA8vESVud5L7rL8Y6e7gbkICYePlh6QSC1UeFm5VkEYoSt5MsaAd3ydiE2Oc2xpKgLK6JWCl2d9Mdxd_Eb45n1eypqZarzOMkh1CZwgU4v/s320/DSC08689.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>doing a whole lot of not much</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvufgM01LJy8LMgKPuke1ZsXsB4yIY-30qBa7J44vNd6KlMdOqho3TaKcUNnupZ3GGiw1ZNs1Ii8m5y1rFwuWQJGjUbOA9jEv7GfSZknMDpVF7W7KRhxibkPBcvsCZtSziVgtd6QrYIW_f/s1600/DSC08625.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvufgM01LJy8LMgKPuke1ZsXsB4yIY-30qBa7J44vNd6KlMdOqho3TaKcUNnupZ3GGiw1ZNs1Ii8m5y1rFwuWQJGjUbOA9jEv7GfSZknMDpVF7W7KRhxibkPBcvsCZtSziVgtd6QrYIW_f/s320/DSC08625.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>additional wildlife that followed us around </i><i>all week</i></span></div>
<br />
2. The <b>sunset </b>that evening was stunning. There is just nothing like a Northern California coastal sunset on a perfectly clear night.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTmCHDt6WACWoyD-lTDdJpm-nZooOV2ErHIcYlD281xLDLqKjlNnCwN-tu3ggfnJe7oYjPwy7iQvRRmBxER8k1-bcwAagbwhAAOiwz48II242zsevZB7RB0E6Mtp_2pQ2eItMo6u4qA5T/s1600/DSC08656.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTmCHDt6WACWoyD-lTDdJpm-nZooOV2ErHIcYlD281xLDLqKjlNnCwN-tu3ggfnJe7oYjPwy7iQvRRmBxER8k1-bcwAagbwhAAOiwz48II242zsevZB7RB0E6Mtp_2pQ2eItMo6u4qA5T/s320/DSC08656.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>the first of many</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
But really, there's just nothing like a clear coastal night no matter what state or side of the country/continent you are on. The weather throughout the trip was phenomenal; seems that September really is the best time to do this kind of trip. Which leads to reason #3...<br />
<br />
3. <b>Stars!</b> No photo available, obviously, but the stars that evening were just as amazing as the sunset. We would see the Milky Way at least twice that week, and several shooting stars. I need more stars in my life.<br />
<br />
4. <b>The campsite itself.</b> We stuck to state parks for this trip, most of which have combo RV/tent sites and not many tent-only sites. RV/tent sites are bigger and often more exposed. The ranger recommended campsite #33 as a good tent site; it was small but we totally loved it. We were surrounded by spruce and redwood trees, and the site was pretty well isolated by bushes from the road traffic and other campers.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJvBmFbS_OZL7L0BTr4nE6nz5XJN5I9v6RrXgRzLPDTUYms8CytrnKmCV23KQDtMcVssGMWKH0D8V95-FEBwyJ2xo-54XspWMjorz4tzNwCT6m3X2mEHhFAy0VW4DS8Qeqk0-BznUTBp1/s1600/DSC08634.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJvBmFbS_OZL7L0BTr4nE6nz5XJN5I9v6RrXgRzLPDTUYms8CytrnKmCV23KQDtMcVssGMWKH0D8V95-FEBwyJ2xo-54XspWMjorz4tzNwCT6m3X2mEHhFAy0VW4DS8Qeqk0-BznUTBp1/s320/DSC08634.JPG" width="240" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>campsite 33</i></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
5. <b>The Redwoods.</b> I mean, I love trees and all, but holy cow do I love redwoods.</div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxA5-X90mPm-wSDC5gCMcwL4jGew1VqBRqpjqHcubmceRPPe0DnfjdHJoxmstz2IBXWp1ePNqwnOUUoaZKMPI5hS0uMhdfJcN37ZLrjJ25CkPGvh0tlNT-j7GxBdL_69S0mVrsxZ9VDI4/s1600/DSC08718.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxA5-X90mPm-wSDC5gCMcwL4jGew1VqBRqpjqHcubmceRPPe0DnfjdHJoxmstz2IBXWp1ePNqwnOUUoaZKMPI5hS0uMhdfJcN37ZLrjJ25CkPGvh0tlNT-j7GxBdL_69S0mVrsxZ9VDI4/s320/DSC08718.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>happy day #1!</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPC_MQpncNHZ6Mijh9Hh9AbJAYg2CFg2iUJWWBFf-F-PxN6LGt_eDS1k_242Dc41s4miF96wiS0CMr5K9RlIhrLa8y7-OFrkApfJWjP3pW0qLLO9cCpQeqEw6klu10s5TNveQcQUVrdBs/s1600/DSC08683.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPC_MQpncNHZ6Mijh9Hh9AbJAYg2CFg2iUJWWBFf-F-PxN6LGt_eDS1k_242Dc41s4miF96wiS0CMr5K9RlIhrLa8y7-OFrkApfJWjP3pW0qLLO9cCpQeqEw6klu10s5TNveQcQUVrdBs/s320/DSC08683.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>streeeeettttcccchhhh </i></span></div>
<br />
Aside #1: on the way down (and back up the next day) we passed through
Orick. I just read a friend's emotional post about witnessing poverty
in Peru, and I have to say I had the same reaction to Orick. Maybe even
more so, with it being in the US (and right near fairly prosperous
towns like Crescent City and Eureka). It made me simultaneously sad and
very grateful for what I have.<br />
<br />
Aside #2: always check the college football schedule before heading south from Portland on I-5.
ALWAYS. I don't care if it's Wednesday, or July, or snowpocalypsing, or Obama is speaking in Portland that day. Check the college football schedule. Apparently the Beavers AND the Ducks had home games. With I-5
as our only option, we sat quite sadly in traffic for way too long on Saturday morning. Almost three hour later we could at least say we caught the Wait Wait
Don't Tell Me airing outside of Eugene. ("There's no 'I' in team - but
there is a 'me'!") So there was that...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg956Su_25gloU0zI9eMsfEeZnstruMzae08mL5VfMezsNmmXUwKcRehrzex68QkbQc8dl4U2-WwRK-KAN4FTdC9xUT5Y-9I3hfuqK_Uo-WyOQY1QifUZDJUoL7YPnKPrSQVfR4hfXuYaIF/s1600/DSC08614.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg956Su_25gloU0zI9eMsfEeZnstruMzae08mL5VfMezsNmmXUwKcRehrzex68QkbQc8dl4U2-WwRK-KAN4FTdC9xUT5Y-9I3hfuqK_Uo-WyOQY1QifUZDJUoL7YPnKPrSQVfR4hfXuYaIF/s320/DSC08614.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> there are a few 'I's in 'idiot' though</i></span></div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-74675733151498623642012-08-25T14:11:00.002-07:002012-08-25T14:11:31.054-07:00Precursor #3 to September.Last summer I booked a kayak trip through <a href="http://kayaktillamook.com/">Kayak Tillamook</a> which was subsequently cancelled, rescheduled, cancelled, rescheduled and cancelled again. The owner ended up giving me two free seats for the August full moon kayak trip as an apology for all the inconvenience - totally unnecessary but most certainly appreciated. So precursor #3 involved this kayak trip followed by three nights at <a href="http://www.co.tillamook.or.us/gov/parks/Documents/Kilchis.pdf">Kilchis River County campground</a>. The main campgrounds are a big RV-friendly circle (in a word: yuck) but our tent-only area was right by the river which ended up drowning out
most of the noise. For a shorter trip we would've opted for a
no-frills campsite but since we were staying three nights we decided
readily-available showers might be a good idea. <br />
<br />
The full moon kayak trip was awesome. The weather couldn't have been better and the skies were perfectly clear - we even saw a shooting star. The moon was so bright that we didn't need flashlights. (We could've done without the family from LA splashing and chatting the whole time, but I guess that was to be expected.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3iCKosc-rMH8gds5LSCpeamiRTRYndHsj9OdEQxRX48Gi-F0F0V6o71-Ub6jxz606jyoXnrBdBF7ysiQhzC6SYdfybctRSp55oBlgcqrz5zsT-JUVFWhv0a-RYlvPJIWFMsaz2VndxAsg/s1600/DSC01538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-_q-l6kIFwUzR3TEViW62QSrp1gvbhUO2j5bFzVVOBAjanJHczTyyBCNTNLOdsrOgM13iied31RKdw7oOPCs_b1sXl-ybjad_g0Y3q1jhv_PVJPHEhTA5w6F2r1u0HkTb6JG_zbP-Jn9/s1600/DSC08130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-_q-l6kIFwUzR3TEViW62QSrp1gvbhUO2j5bFzVVOBAjanJHczTyyBCNTNLOdsrOgM13iied31RKdw7oOPCs_b1sXl-ybjad_g0Y3q1jhv_PVJPHEhTA5w6F2r1u0HkTb6JG_zbP-Jn9/s320/DSC08130.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">like a big-a pizza pie</span></i></div>
<br />
Friday morning after breakfast at camp we hiked up to <a href="http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_186.php">Cape Lookout</a>. The trail was pretty crowded and I'm glad we didn't wait until Saturday. Like last time I was there, it was muddy. Unlike last time, it was misty and the view wasn't that great. Still a nice hike, though.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>August 2012</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPQg9fZiAc4ePuFLfU7oEvE-rmLwRflY6ggsmj3b0dVBGnPcItxP8UabnzO29toqpUMV7lWnbSpcq3cWPSo46KXI8nug0YQZk0xHVQ4JSW_f0VL2z5BdyLwJlYt5HwAJxQgUgAHBVuYY-/s1600/DSC01521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPQg9fZiAc4ePuFLfU7oEvE-rmLwRflY6ggsmj3b0dVBGnPcItxP8UabnzO29toqpUMV7lWnbSpcq3cWPSo46KXI8nug0YQZk0xHVQ4JSW_f0VL2z5BdyLwJlYt5HwAJxQgUgAHBVuYY-/s320/DSC01521.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">same view, May 2011</span></i></div>
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After the hike we headed to Cape Meares for some serious sitting. Most of the Oregon coastal beaches are small and very popular. Don't tell anyone, but Cape Meares is completely the opposite - a wide stretch of beach with very little people. We ended up spending quite a bit of time there throughout the weekend.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>pretty much the only activity we saw</i></span></div>
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Friday night at the campsite was not as loud as I would have expected, and we were able to rest up for our big hiking adventure the next day: <a href="http://www.summitpost.org/elk-mountain/150869">Elk Mountain</a>.<br />
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I'd done nearby Kings Mountain somewhat accidentally about a year ago (actually, one of the times the kayak trip got cancelled and I'd already booked lodging at the coast). It completely kicked my butt. As in, I was still hurting three days later. So we wisely opted not to do the Elk Mountain-Kings Mountain 12-mile loop, but even the Elk Mountain-Elk Creek 8.5-mile hike was fairly intense - especially the 1.5 mile uphill scramble at the beginning.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">free riders</span></i></div>
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We saw two people when we first started and about six people near the end. Otherwise we were alone on the trail the whole time. (Not surprising - it was close to 100 degrees and I'm sure all the smart people opted to play in the river instead of ascend 2600 feet in only partial shade.) Most of the trail views overlook the highway, though, so it was hard to remember you weren't that far from civilization.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">worth the work</span></i></div>
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The hike uphill was far more challenging and interesting than the 4-mile gradual downhill slog along Elk Creek trail. But the downhill slog went quickly and we were able to get on the road by about 4pm. On the way back to camp we stopped off at <a href="http://www.tillamook.com/cheesefactory/index.html">Tillamook Cheese Factory</a> where I hopped out to grab squeaky cheese while Patrick waited in the car. I was tired, sweaty and dirty, and I'd spent the last five hours alone in nature. Walking into the mass of ice-cream-scarfing humanity and consumerism was much like the experience of being in Vegas after rafting on the Colorado River. The cashier even commented that I looked a little irritated - in a very nice way, of course... The sacrifices one makes for squeaky cheese.<br />
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Our well-deserved dinner that night (priority #2, with priority #1 being well-deserved showers) was a mishmash of grilled veggies and, of course, sausage. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksRj97YitSWX7Mr-o63xvBrgk2p4ryQzcHURJi3WC5Mwb-bVKEDUdct3wmA_hvuCmAa0l6gHdlf-9qCwsyAdb-vKk4WCQQSy82cygZG7I7bJUNulXjfbhIeYdvmmt4DmyNuEbOc-1OcXb/s1600/DSC08204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksRj97YitSWX7Mr-o63xvBrgk2p4ryQzcHURJi3WC5Mwb-bVKEDUdct3wmA_hvuCmAa0l6gHdlf-9qCwsyAdb-vKk4WCQQSy82cygZG7I7bJUNulXjfbhIeYdvmmt4DmyNuEbOc-1OcXb/s320/DSC08204.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I don't know when I developed this affinity for sausage <br />... but I'm just going to go with it</i></span></div>
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There is just nothing like grilled corn on the cob. Nothing. And for dessert we enjoyed some unlikely combinations.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXd3iukWYsbGNmWW6JkbWKWSzmCe2NfpHP7b9ePgDWQpoQkeU3w0d7BNyqyJO0DQ-WlZKUpILTp8sqKFXCZGH0E-nOzT-QZ53n-H1dw2xzaZhQoAdW3r1LX9qWj-ywRh0f9OEyZeTlcXx/s1600/DSC08208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXd3iukWYsbGNmWW6JkbWKWSzmCe2NfpHP7b9ePgDWQpoQkeU3w0d7BNyqyJO0DQ-WlZKUpILTp8sqKFXCZGH0E-nOzT-QZ53n-H1dw2xzaZhQoAdW3r1LX9qWj-ywRh0f9OEyZeTlcXx/s320/DSC08208.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>vacuum-fried banana chips from Trader Joe's</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>+ peanut butter </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>+ squeaky cheese</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>= DELICIOUS</i></span></div>
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The next morning after packing up, we stopped at Cape Meares again. The weather wasn't as pleasant but we enjoyed a long walk along the still-desolate beach.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mcKw02hcuNW8CcHm5vmvze0sjDHtIhD2uQ_6LC-cmvfbxz_XE9AFDoRvwWh1wvZYmI8P32u8WRPhgkQzop7RoIy9kQkrOgcHZZ3ML3P1u8oNC6AtcMDoeKUVwUWh31s_t2Tfg5PlYrDD/s1600/DSC08221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mcKw02hcuNW8CcHm5vmvze0sjDHtIhD2uQ_6LC-cmvfbxz_XE9AFDoRvwWh1wvZYmI8P32u8WRPhgkQzop7RoIy9kQkrOgcHZZ3ML3P1u8oNC6AtcMDoeKUVwUWh31s_t2Tfg5PlYrDD/s320/DSC08221.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">if a wave crashes and no one is around,</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">does it make a sound?</span></i> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(A: of course it does, silly)</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJ0Lam98nuVl6LAmEWtA7pGhK9n8XXQw9KGgHz1y97afAUuC8I9nlUHNzwUK4Ldz7nqTaFaeiCoOgcGcCR_q8oIba78R7jjWxt4F3TcqxzqZHZ-xggFOlCxH9ENezWPiLRR01oQ39PXed/s1600/DSC08234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJ0Lam98nuVl6LAmEWtA7pGhK9n8XXQw9KGgHz1y97afAUuC8I9nlUHNzwUK4Ldz7nqTaFaeiCoOgcGcCR_q8oIba78R7jjWxt4F3TcqxzqZHZ-xggFOlCxH9ENezWPiLRR01oQ39PXed/s320/DSC08234.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">happy campers/beachcombers</span></i></div>
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On the way back we stopped at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/alices-country-house-tillamook">Alice's Country House</a> for lunch. I can say I've eaten there, and that's about all I have to say about it.<br />
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So the third camping experiment was another success. All of this is very good news. The plan for September is to take 7-9 days and head down to the Redwoods and up the Oregon coast, car camping along the way. We have no real plans, just some ideas, so we'll be winging it. I keep remembering that first road trip I took back in 1995 where we were armed only with AAA camping tour books and a 1975 Ford F250. This time we'll have wifi and slightly (!) better gas mileage, but otherwise it will be very similar.<br />
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So... Is it September yet? How about now? Now? Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-8201043888852130802012-08-25T12:47:00.000-07:002012-08-25T12:47:11.431-07:00Precursor #2 to September.The backpacking trip I alluded to earlier was a two-night stay at <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/willamette/recreation/recarea/?recid=4242">Pamelia Lake</a>, just southwest of Mt. Jefferson. The campground was recommended by friends (they had me at "flat 2.2 mile hike in") and we were able to snag their favorite campsite. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9q2sUnRMGkIKgjS_Int67Ir9FPBkh-bX_L27xVho3kYArV5sar-Eg0ZWUSNhCD4HDkzd-xxsehcoSl7-sXmp7Y-UIhK_hShMBHv3DEEFJg5RTNwbbeYiuP82Xx2BX3-ZqJRtL59g_f_m/s1600/DSC08016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9q2sUnRMGkIKgjS_Int67Ir9FPBkh-bX_L27xVho3kYArV5sar-Eg0ZWUSNhCD4HDkzd-xxsehcoSl7-sXmp7Y-UIhK_hShMBHv3DEEFJg5RTNwbbeYiuP82Xx2BX3-ZqJRtL59g_f_m/s320/DSC08016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I can't imagine why it's their favorite campsite</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDVdWRfwp0g2A6UDJ2kdvumgloRTRApl8TWKT4i1TPb0v92ICY5JfYGfcoGfSrp4r7aD9oMtgKuMpESaGhWB34m6AubN9jH5wH2pLwy1xCB5uZPXZxGCvx3oVDQwx8knLsI3-SZVKjmkV/s1600/DSC08025.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDVdWRfwp0g2A6UDJ2kdvumgloRTRApl8TWKT4i1TPb0v92ICY5JfYGfcoGfSrp4r7aD9oMtgKuMpESaGhWB34m6AubN9jH5wH2pLwy1xCB5uZPXZxGCvx3oVDQwx8knLsI3-SZVKjmkV/s320/DSC08025.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Patrick wisely brought his hammock,<br />
I wisely brought Carol's old crocs</span></i></div>
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Access to Pamelia Lake is restricted, so even though the campsites were close together and basically right on the lake trail, we had a pretty quiet night. The ranger stopped by to say hello and tell us about some GIS research happening in the area. He also let us know that the loop trail we were considering the next day still had a good bit of snow on it.<br />
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(Helpful hint: in the literary world, they call this foreshadowing.)<br />
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After the ranger took off, we settled in for dinner. This was the first camping test with my new food restrictions (no potato, no wheat, no dairy + grain for those of you who haven't heard). Turns out, pre-made black eyed peas with sauteed zucchini (and sausage, of course) tastes pretty darned good, and lasts a day without refrigeration. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8u5cSzbNATvCifRFJnSQdpxL8cUohoQjXWR9vIQdbYu8kXIRNy9Pty8FlSpsYq6hAgFivLwiaZHJ5loslndL1JXsukjYSYPsSC7aSGR8VRZ7hmmUknZ7J278suaUVD0_WjX5uuvr_2G9/s1600/DSC08027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8u5cSzbNATvCifRFJnSQdpxL8cUohoQjXWR9vIQdbYu8kXIRNy9Pty8FlSpsYq6hAgFivLwiaZHJ5loslndL1JXsukjYSYPsSC7aSGR8VRZ7hmmUknZ7J278suaUVD0_WjX5uuvr_2G9/s320/DSC08027.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">anything made at a campsite and eaten with a spork</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">tastes pretty darned good, though</span></i></div>
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That first night, we enjoyed the hammock and the stars (even a shooting star!). We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast the next morning and headed out around 10am on our three hour tour - I mean, 12 mile hike. The first six miles were easy inclines and descends full of wildflowers, great views of Mt. Jefferson, and lovely tall trees.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHC3p5ZmFTrAM2vHfYGvIDAh-YewzxHstJrWlNFLsNrSaBU_BZKYf0bvTHgS5SkfwemsQltZTmrUbvXXlHs3leDOlK6JDPLH1mKkBqNLUacBUbMTbLk7ddtbGmR0Gkohgjz6XRSBB9gd-z/s1600/DSC08040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHC3p5ZmFTrAM2vHfYGvIDAh-YewzxHstJrWlNFLsNrSaBU_BZKYf0bvTHgS5SkfwemsQltZTmrUbvXXlHs3leDOlK6JDPLH1mKkBqNLUacBUbMTbLk7ddtbGmR0Gkohgjz6XRSBB9gd-z/s320/DSC08040.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I {heart} Oregon</span></i></div>
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We took our time, took lots of pictures, took in the views. Eventually we hit a few small patches of snow on the trail. Tromping over them, we mocked the ranger - "ha! he calls this snow?" Sometime around 1pm we hit this...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMFyaOsyBTmMQB1qaVJN-e_OP2eo-hMLVRSrzhbc6DQB19Sx8EAnpjzm0YwGz3Vlv6doy5nt_sOVkU-W-rSqMkXVS0OpRape1nxmwflLoGsFs0PrLeNqDTBafNhZpKyF6lIcWufpHhLuV/s1600/DSC08069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMFyaOsyBTmMQB1qaVJN-e_OP2eo-hMLVRSrzhbc6DQB19Sx8EAnpjzm0YwGz3Vlv6doy5nt_sOVkU-W-rSqMkXVS0OpRape1nxmwflLoGsFs0PrLeNqDTBafNhZpKyF6lIcWufpHhLuV/s320/DSC08069.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">what, you don't see the trail?</span></i></div>
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And that is what we tromped through for the next five miles... armed only with a basic map of the trail, some food and a water filter.<br />
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In hindsight, it was dumb... But as Frank Turner sings, if you're all about the destination, then take a *&^% flight, right? <br />
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For the first mile or so, it was fun. We followed some pre-existing footsteps, made our own, watched for trail markers in the trees, and when we couldn't find those, looked for sawed trunks to mark the trail (I cannot take any credit for that brilliance). I even saw a little brown frog. In the snow! Crazy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkx9orOCmngNyy_ariOJqKJamJoxo86GfEStgAcxW263WFUiVPcouy9VufXAUwmE8-Vqx06AJrheG5LeMBYy5ZD_iYz7qJF3pe_JK3zne7lRKKdPX3-olW9EZ-5Do0QqLzbEcLml66mPD/s1600/DSC08076.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkx9orOCmngNyy_ariOJqKJamJoxo86GfEStgAcxW263WFUiVPcouy9VufXAUwmE8-Vqx06AJrheG5LeMBYy5ZD_iYz7qJF3pe_JK3zne7lRKKdPX3-olW9EZ-5Do0QqLzbEcLml66mPD/s320/DSC08076.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>these became my new bff</i></span> </div>
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The next three miles were not so fun. Hiking about a mile an hour in many feet of snow, constantly looking for the next marker and watching footsteps, was mentally and physically exhausting. And the false reprieves! Every 30 minutes or so we would hit actual trail like the one above, make some good progress and start to perk up, only to run into more snow. Patrick did an amazing job keeping us on the right track and keeping my spirits up, but the hours kept passing and I eventually started worrying.<br />
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The last snowed-in mile was not really fun at all. I was tired, one of Patrick's boots was toast, it was getting late. We had no warm clothes and were low on food.<br />
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But then a dog saved the day. Well, a dog's footprints that Patrick spotted. We were able to follow the backtrack to the trail, the snow went away, and we booked it down the mountain. On the way down we passed the couple with the dog and thanked them profusely.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">we did stop to admire Hunts Lake</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(or maybe it was Hanks Lake)</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">and mountain goats!</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(who did not sing us depressing songs)</span></i></div>
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We also ran into the ranger
somewhere around mile 11, and when he heard that we'd done the whole
loop, he exclaimed, "Wow! I'm proud of you guys!" That just can't be a
good thing.<br />
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Yes, in hindsight it was dumb, but at the same time, it was a great adventure and we were proud of ourselves too. (Well, I was proud of Patrick - I was pretty much just along for the ride.) There were times in the snow when I wished we would run into someone, just to know we were on the right track, but for the most part it was lovely to be alone in the wilderness, testing ourselves, for the whole day.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Clarence, Seymour and the bowling pin</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">drank all the wine while we were gone</span></i></div>
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We slept like rocks that night, headed out after another leisurely breakfast and stopped for a little reminiscing and ice cream along the way. Experiment #2 - another success!<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">next time, Clarence carries the backpack</span></i></div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-73491266787450680082012-08-19T15:07:00.004-07:002012-08-19T15:10:26.101-07:00Oregon Caves: who knew?For my birthday in January, I booked a few nights on the coast where we enjoyed beautiful sunsets, a cozy fireplace and wonderful pizza. Patrick decided he wanted to see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Caves_National_Monument">Oregon Caves National Monument</a> for his birthday in June. For being an Oregon boy, he's seen very little of Oregon, and I didn't even know these caves existed, so we were pretty excited about a weekend exploring Cave Junction. The other enticing factor was our lodging: the <a href="http://www.oregoncaveschateau.com/">Oregon Caves Chateau</a> is really the only place to stay near the caves, but hey - birthdays call for splurges, right?<br />
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On the 5(ish) hour trek we stopped in <a href="http://www.dineatthevine.com/thevine/index.php">The Vine Restaurant</a>, a little taste of Tuscany in Grant's Pass. (Our tagline, not theirs - but the gaudy burgundy and cream decor and older crowd reminded me of my hometown Italian restaurant, which bears little resemblance to an actual Italian dining establishment.) I'm pretty sure they don't serve turkey burgers in Italy, but the friendly service and tasty food made up for that fact. That, and the marshmallow goo.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">foreground: turkey burger, Tuscan stylie<br />background: sweet potato fries with marshmallow goo dipping sauce</span></i></div>
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We arrived at the Chateau after dark, settled in and took a little walk around the grounds to admire the moon.<br /><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">caves moon</span></i></div>
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The lodge was open, airy and warm thanks to the open fire in the main sitting area. Antiques and random art projects were scattered among modern but comfortably worn furniture. Because of it's status as a national historic landmark, the grounds and indoors are kept immaculate and customer service is over the top. While we were there the lodge received its monthly inspection by very serious-looking ranger-type people. (Patrick actually had to defend my coffee cup to ensure that the inspectors didn't ding the staff for leaving empty dishes in the main sitting area. If only we had those inspectors in the kitchens at work...)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>keeping cave junction weird</i></span></div>
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The staff were really friendly (and a bit quirky) and the views of the
forest were lovely. And because it was so early in the season, we were
among a handful of guests the whole weekend. Our room was right over a small pool with a manufactured waterfall. Man-made or not, it was peaceful and the noise from the falls helped us sleep like rocks. In the morning we ate bagels and peanut butter by the pool, then set off on a day hike around the grounds, stopping mid-day for a snack at the lodge cafe.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>seeing for miles and miles from the cliff nature trail</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>it's no <a href="http://travelingjenome.blogspot.com/2009/11/on-road-again.html">map of joseph</a>, but it's pretty close</i></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> aforementioned big tree - the largest known Douglas Fir</i></span></div>
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Early that evening we took a candlelight tour of the caves. More kitschy than a typical ranger-led tour, this quick breeze through the caves gave us the background of Elijah Davidson's discovery and subsequent explorers who tried to make money off tourism. It was interesting and entertaining, but brief, and we looked forward to the next morning's longer lit tour that would take us deeper into the caverns.<br />
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After a day of exploring it was time for a quiet happy hour overlooking the forest, followed by the celebratory birthday dinner. The restaurant at the lodge is the only dinner option when you stay there. While the food was alright for the rather hefty price, they let us bring our own wine and the service was really friendly. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>happy birthday hour</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">let him eat cake!</span></i></div>
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In the morning we ate breakfast at the lodge cafe, famous for its milkshakes. We did not try a milkshake. I may live to regret that one day. But I did try the cave bacon.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />tastes suspiciously like regular bacon</span></i> </div>
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The 90-minute tour was much more informative, and we went deep into the caves to see some pretty amazing formations. I've visited caves in California and New Zealand but I've not seen anything quite like this before.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> rare to see stalactites and stalagmites joined like this</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>above the ghost room</i></span></div>
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Before heading back to I-5, we wandered around No Name trail for a bit. Overgrown, rustic and people-free - my kind of wandering. There were a few spots with several benches and lots of places where benches had been built into the valley walls with rocks. Unlike the day before, this trail didn't offer much of a view but the "dead end" trails were anything but...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGL7cKIuNZHWjWYbQg_yVz2OKR3Wwqnt6qLsNJ3WHKBY52ix5z0GrDcaAE4JqbAgTsTk3LS5BsobdSRmVPuKn5BC_ACjBr8fmuAs0K9oDk6mPfqV0mNAj1S2dmnkK3TlMLTk3V3AWH-BpA/s1600/DSC07638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGL7cKIuNZHWjWYbQg_yVz2OKR3Wwqnt6qLsNJ3WHKBY52ix5z0GrDcaAE4JqbAgTsTk3LS5BsobdSRmVPuKn5BC_ACjBr8fmuAs0K9oDk6mPfqV0mNAj1S2dmnkK3TlMLTk3V3AWH-BpA/s320/DSC07638.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">dead end falls along no name trail</span></i></div>
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All in all, a great weekend getaway celebration. This "plan your own birthday present" idea seems to be working out really well. I'm already thinking about where I want to go in January... Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-88469625252113452222012-08-19T12:30:00.000-07:002012-08-19T12:30:02.417-07:00Precursor #1 to September.Back in May we had a free weekend and spontaneously decided to head to
the coast for a quick night of camping. We planned to check out some of the county parks we were considering for a longer trip later in the summer, but it was early enough in the season that popular <a href="http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_186.php">Cape Lookout State Park</a> had plenty of space so we
found a fairly quiet site and set up camp.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNXBgJ9hTYj5Pl7bQVjK9Ps7Lok7zXeaKN0O4uxXo-5rPKopbonnG0CFDyfOgOrirJwvy2Odg1yPudz8qr4ftKwWaZ4Wt_1ygapaswvjFfIqKyq4Lp-wZajNb1DZRwlVhc3Dd-tX0yDWY/s1600/DSC07307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNXBgJ9hTYj5Pl7bQVjK9Ps7Lok7zXeaKN0O4uxXo-5rPKopbonnG0CFDyfOgOrirJwvy2Odg1yPudz8qr4ftKwWaZ4Wt_1ygapaswvjFfIqKyq4Lp-wZajNb1DZRwlVhc3Dd-tX0yDWY/s320/DSC07307.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>there is an air mattress in there... yes, I've become one of THOSE people</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPM0p9ksl3jwYmEix5-dvfJp8bJxlMDnI6XEM9nqfNt7N5gMo_ESeUOH9wc78VvjTnT7Ne2ANl5DfOFw2ZDRCQ5CHN8HivAaoohCjXp8QurHUYHyWpXknWxkWhjhMxIb-tgCuq-HH2Ud8/s1600/DSC07306.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPM0p9ksl3jwYmEix5-dvfJp8bJxlMDnI6XEM9nqfNt7N5gMo_ESeUOH9wc78VvjTnT7Ne2ANl5DfOFw2ZDRCQ5CHN8HivAaoohCjXp8QurHUYHyWpXknWxkWhjhMxIb-tgCuq-HH2Ud8/s320/DSC07306.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>this bowling pin followed us everywhere... eerie!</i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span> <br />
After a quick happy hour, we walked a few hundred feet to the beach. At first I
was too busy taking artsy beach photos to notice everyone else staring
out at the pod of whales making their way north.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">artsy beach photo</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>whale!</i></span></div>
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I've probably tried a dozen times to see whales on the coast, all unsuccessfully. Whales are typically seen November through March so we really lucked out. Chalk one up to spontaneity... Definitely not my strong suit, but positive reinforcement like this is a great reminder to let go of the planning now and then.<br />
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The next morning we woke up to steady rainfall and a leaky tent. The rain stopped shortly after we got on the road and found <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/brewin-in-the-wind-oceanside">Brewin' In the Wind</a> cafe in Oceanside for breakfast. Which took For. Ev. Er. (And was only alright.) Afterward we made a quick stop at <a href="http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_245.php">Munson Creek Falls</a> before heading back to Portland. <br />
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Other than some wet gear and a mediocre Sunday morning meal, I'd say our first camping adventure was a success. Next up: my first backpacking trip in 10 years!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-56255104752057590572012-02-26T18:18:00.000-08:002012-04-22T20:57:33.648-07:00Auckland (the end): next up... ?plane left at seven<br />landed in portland at nine<br />time travel is weirdJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-27660751401917500912012-02-26T18:14:00.002-08:002012-04-22T20:54:22.934-07:00Auckland (the end): sad face.Saturday morning I waited until the five very nice but very chatty Slovenian girls sharing my dorm room headed out for their own Tongariro Alpine Crossing adventure, then I packed up and started the drive to Auckland.<br /><br />Natch, as compared to the day before it was a gorgeous day and I bet they had a gorgeous hike. (I suspected I would remember mine more than they would remember theirs though.)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtjDStV_NbrJ8AqIXsK5MXojFRHSqoO-azwlmya_-ItXIgl1jHzV-veIESp6Nbg-kOwKtb30q2viW9NL-LYN1KbK6JewJ_0GLFPK7Xs1x9De4aUyVoLhms0Lu8Z2PyGojZNVXohZw8CHk-/s1600/DSC06789.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtjDStV_NbrJ8AqIXsK5MXojFRHSqoO-azwlmya_-ItXIgl1jHzV-veIESp6Nbg-kOwKtb30q2viW9NL-LYN1KbK6JewJ_0GLFPK7Xs1x9De4aUyVoLhms0Lu8Z2PyGojZNVXohZw8CHk-/s320/DSC06789.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5734407439628928514" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >the only kiwi I saw the whole trip</span>,<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span class="st">Ngauruhoe in the background</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" > -<br />which I could not see the day before!</span><br /></div></div><br />Pieke had recommended a few stops along the way, which I gladly indulged in.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlatS6Yc-wfrfdSp6m6jbtCO7z4pCdQ_VVN56rovmav6mrGoCfwUZrYOYxw7pJpoyoK4xEBHNCZkRfxfv7ucxSBU_1TNJu2K_2NFI1rtpnw1eyvK3kS5PIyFkyH2Xixy4WezGlBpXlGak/s1600/DSC06793.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlatS6Yc-wfrfdSp6m6jbtCO7z4pCdQ_VVN56rovmav6mrGoCfwUZrYOYxw7pJpoyoK4xEBHNCZkRfxfv7ucxSBU_1TNJu2K_2NFI1rtpnw1eyvK3kS5PIyFkyH2Xixy4WezGlBpXlGak/s320/DSC06793.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5734407443873776114" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Taupo">Lake Taupo</a> vista point</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrTgzm34-mqAxs41VFW-51VC7rqWXoilNZnt_kr6xFjUPbdWb6O-xCtaajOPyOvpFZ_kc69VwmYgrSCIkF1bdmRkkEJDyxTvfIiVeV5EwMtPmWn-ry9uO7MH87yGBw4XJoHYXl9nkNEK9/s1600/DSC06811.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrTgzm34-mqAxs41VFW-51VC7rqWXoilNZnt_kr6xFjUPbdWb6O-xCtaajOPyOvpFZ_kc69VwmYgrSCIkF1bdmRkkEJDyxTvfIiVeV5EwMtPmWn-ry9uO7MH87yGBw4XJoHYXl9nkNEK9/s320/DSC06811.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5734407456288638578" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huka_Falls">Huka Falls</a></span><br /></div><br />Huka Falls turned out to be beautiful but quite touristy so I opted for a side walk from the main strip. Along the way there were lovely views and lookout points.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGNeT7U4L0bzMfhHSO3_01fNz5_-6Xbe4SmE5WdkUjYNik2waPsScnsdH66RySWn-Lb1t78Zps8HnTzYuqxX4ujASBE1iT-jzhLskcOIaJwLxAKotFMj1j3a35GE1q8W67AHK_QiUafFZ/s1600/DSC06819.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGNeT7U4L0bzMfhHSO3_01fNz5_-6Xbe4SmE5WdkUjYNik2waPsScnsdH66RySWn-Lb1t78Zps8HnTzYuqxX4ujASBE1iT-jzhLskcOIaJwLxAKotFMj1j3a35GE1q8W67AHK_QiUafFZ/s320/DSC06819.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5734407467307909970" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Spa Park walk - population: me</span><br /></div><br />Continuing north I stopped off for coffee with an attitude...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQxzEHXego52XFyiZse8S9ESF4K-y6TPTxaa_NCmenFFOAXwJGAKhyphenhyphentbu1y4r3fTbTFUfrLdyOhCIbrnr2bViW9pzVB2g8jHZmgK_CntDnDNkmVEhyphenhyphenkfN9K4aDG4LWoi3UxNCryRUpcAk/s1600/DSC06824.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQxzEHXego52XFyiZse8S9ESF4K-y6TPTxaa_NCmenFFOAXwJGAKhyphenhyphentbu1y4r3fTbTFUfrLdyOhCIbrnr2bViW9pzVB2g8jHZmgK_CntDnDNkmVEhyphenhyphenkfN9K4aDG4LWoi3UxNCryRUpcAk/s320/DSC06824.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5734417988913635058" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >I agree!</span><br /></div><br />... followed by a quick visit to Cornwall Park in Auckland. My intention was to finally see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Tree_Hill,_New_Zealand">One Tree Hill</a> to pay homage to the tale I'd heard where a Maori chopped the latest tree down in protest to the monument ("this is in honor of a dying culture? our culture is not dying, thank you very much, and now I shall chop down your monument" - my words, legend sentiment).<br /><br />But in the short time I had, I never did find it. Instead I wandered among the tall trees and lovely flowers in the amazing old park for a bit...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxilRuTkLuaoQTF48brx_pSwfdls_-XDYpW9U-_8MiL4gwijRgoYtA_lqx7A2Po18R05y4lmYGoAaMVuG3FWoOcanCVMSs2YJ_xKbhiWxCtaY3sqy0I4fpKBxqjE6BmNO0hk9NLwgyr93/s1600/DSC06837.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxilRuTkLuaoQTF48brx_pSwfdls_-XDYpW9U-_8MiL4gwijRgoYtA_lqx7A2Po18R05y4lmYGoAaMVuG3FWoOcanCVMSs2YJ_xKbhiWxCtaY3sqy0I4fpKBxqjE6BmNO0hk9NLwgyr93/s320/DSC06837.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5734417997398302562" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >not One Tree Hill</span><br /></div><br />... and then headed to Auckland airport to end my three-week adventure. What a fantastic trip, and I am so grateful that I could share it with good friends.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIluu7g2b2DRfvN_vswnhvly1vefTRs10K1ZzpZT9oBc8u_ky2DupQegX4QO9UjfQZH7ZMtp717WOrfQbUC0qz9EPzqLKiZqMkYTnYhMajYDdRM9XoJUxMmk_kjatku2zImtlEIFF5SGSR/s1600/DSC06864.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIluu7g2b2DRfvN_vswnhvly1vefTRs10K1ZzpZT9oBc8u_ky2DupQegX4QO9UjfQZH7ZMtp717WOrfQbUC0qz9EPzqLKiZqMkYTnYhMajYDdRM9XoJUxMmk_kjatku2zImtlEIFF5SGSR/s320/DSC06864.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5734407476777325442" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >farewell for now, New Zealand</span><br /></div>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-51652175293890532682012-02-25T06:17:00.002-08:002012-04-22T21:01:24.790-07:00Tongariro National Park, Day 2: can't say they have these in Portland... oh wait yes they do, except for the cicadas.rain, volcanic ash,<br />craters, lakes, bush, cicadas -<br /><a href="http://www.tongarirocrossing.org.nz/">this hike</a> had it allJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-67602826704947249612012-02-25T06:13:00.001-08:002012-04-22T18:41:41.309-07:00Tongariro National Park, Day 2: still no hobbits! I want a refund.Pieke, the lovely guide from our Tui trip who offered to hike the crossing with me, arrived bright and early Friday morning and we boarded the shuttle to the drop off point. On the way she chatted with the bus driver - she seems to know everyone on the island as it is, but she also used to work winters in National Park so this tramp was a bit of a homecoming for her. Given the impending weather, I was even more grateful that she offered to join me on the trek.<br /><br />The bus driver gave us a stern safety talk before letting us off the shuttle. It's a pretty intense hike (they estimate 6-8 hours of exposed hiking over about 12 miles, winds can be treacherous, visibility can be low to nil, etc) and once you get up there you're pretty much stuck with no means of shelter from wind or rain. They've had to rescue people who head up without water, proper clothing, food - we call them dumb - and as a result, they've really upped the safety warnings in recent years. The girl working at the hostel even said that the shuttle won't take you there if winds are more than 80km/hour. (You can still go on your own, but this absolves them from responsibility.)<br /><br />But! Off we went, starting from the Mangatepopo car park.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsEBRGXlF265YaGi6OyItfQl_r0giBE5pUf2WSI535NV-NFw1yAtJxniJKr5LjoygoUr9IoGJ92MoubbZryX9-JD8TGa5V-jv3L27YB-yV3e6dh1MJ_TX9kExvuevsOAQd2zGB8wAu9wIw/s1600/DSC06751.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsEBRGXlF265YaGi6OyItfQl_r0giBE5pUf2WSI535NV-NFw1yAtJxniJKr5LjoygoUr9IoGJ92MoubbZryX9-JD8TGa5V-jv3L27YB-yV3e6dh1MJ_TX9kExvuevsOAQd2zGB8wAu9wIw/s320/DSC06751.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5733924720428679650" border="0" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >about 20 minutes in, </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >before we lost all visibility</span><br /></div><br />The first two hours pretty much sucked. Not the hiking - the trail itself was well maintained and fairly easy - but the mountains were completely fogged in and for the most part we couldn't see a thing. I was sad that I missed the peaks and a lot of the scenery (especially since my nerd curiosity was interested in comparing landscape to the Lord of the Rings movie - this is where they filmed the Mordor scenes). At some points we caught glimpses of mountains...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapykxFpuYRBM92hp_I__xsQPiJnqbpro0KnLCUFyqwCp6syjDxHTrrKGDHngvxRsbTGaNmZfZ0yrAyrbrS5UyCM_rGxY_DIEV8Oo1urIzl43q5agfv-_Gi-i1vZtjJguStw-UWxOrfah_/s1600/P2240058.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapykxFpuYRBM92hp_I__xsQPiJnqbpro0KnLCUFyqwCp6syjDxHTrrKGDHngvxRsbTGaNmZfZ0yrAyrbrS5UyCM_rGxY_DIEV8Oo1urIzl43q5agfv-_Gi-i1vZtjJguStw-UWxOrfah_/s320/P2240058.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5733929954187067890" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >... but for the most part it was this ...</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySQFoiU9MPOWmoOuAISMP_h2LA6xBHb2_3vKptJ0_8tgBcLWrqXIRaVzwDC3qGItlpJ07dh7r4yKJiChnpIzDVq-6ABoRLUNwd6p6jSIexczVW-8uaxOXUY9p4hb_MezIdIU2FJ6Y4W9d/s1600/P2240055.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySQFoiU9MPOWmoOuAISMP_h2LA6xBHb2_3vKptJ0_8tgBcLWrqXIRaVzwDC3qGItlpJ07dh7r4yKJiChnpIzDVq-6ABoRLUNwd6p6jSIexczVW-8uaxOXUY9p4hb_MezIdIU2FJ6Y4W9d/s320/P2240055.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5733929942472501010" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">... and this ...</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgclaUmtfA2-rJT6-5Q084R5XIILsAic_DHlmAw1dX3SnBN6zP8Tn5VtwLFdyTBcU9byitcl7ZFR-Id-WGsbWg-fo5i5lkNVoKgV9IjJsWkKIuHl8LiwuQ9r_a6If0ffX3_oZQGaWyudF/s1600/P2240053.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgclaUmtfA2-rJT6-5Q084R5XIILsAic_DHlmAw1dX3SnBN6zP8Tn5VtwLFdyTBcU9byitcl7ZFR-Id-WGsbWg-fo5i5lkNVoKgV9IjJsWkKIuHl8LiwuQ9r_a6If0ffX3_oZQGaWyudF/s320/P2240053.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5733929937060630226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">... and a few foggy lakes </span><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(this one was Emerald, </span><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">which I bet is gorgeous on a clear day)</span><br style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><br />Don't get me wrong, I have no regrets. It was an absolutely amazing trek. At times it was like I was walking on the moon - if the moon had really low visibility and red rocks scattered across volcanic valleys, that is.<br /><br />The good news was, since the weather was such crap, we made it to the hut for lunch in record time (as I recall, we left around 8am and reached the hut by 11:30am or so). Freezing and wet, we rested there for about 20 minutes and then put our soggy boots back on to finish the trail.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4p2WQLca4n1OMMQ7bWjAq5xGW1uDtKLXwpYmUZgF6_T-bsPE8-7LZ5eWrSr6PNRN4BM0dtcFHAoQ52ml6FEFgAnL_lPGnpYkkDAsd03VQyeXYRu6x5HHoWZrzG3zv4vGWTMbghtQgb1o4/s1600/DSC06756.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4p2WQLca4n1OMMQ7bWjAq5xGW1uDtKLXwpYmUZgF6_T-bsPE8-7LZ5eWrSr6PNRN4BM0dtcFHAoQ52ml6FEFgAnL_lPGnpYkkDAsd03VQyeXYRu6x5HHoWZrzG3zv4vGWTMbghtQgb1o4/s320/DSC06756.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5733924735576394354" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >hostess with the mostess Pieke</span><br /></div><br />On the way down the weather cleared remarkably. REMARKABLY. In about 30 minutes we started stripping off layers and the balmy rainforest thawed us out.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryL7xWBHm0GbxInIl6gtOMVBLLrM2iVns6wrIo8cgm4HWlsHqBvUVEMmkA9sW3ch_rQZHQehK7cbIzSOzLK7dbCmb8pX2jORp-4VbuKrDZHGyKOTHt9ceiIpbzzQfhwbl1B9OX_T8MxpV/s1600/DSC06763.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryL7xWBHm0GbxInIl6gtOMVBLLrM2iVns6wrIo8cgm4HWlsHqBvUVEMmkA9sW3ch_rQZHQehK7cbIzSOzLK7dbCmb8pX2jORp-4VbuKrDZHGyKOTHt9ceiIpbzzQfhwbl1B9OX_T8MxpV/s320/DSC06763.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5733924741488027090" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >balmy</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaAgoCics7vVWc6q875hmPKwjz_mst9ESjOAZq1b5Yac82wVp8COIzFhWsV-nBIGatufStCsGazH17YSFpOHSer_N_ag4yffOc4-dmAWjJsStu79yTNmp8e9IerRhXGhsTpCmUP_ZB1jVr/s1600/DSC06772.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaAgoCics7vVWc6q875hmPKwjz_mst9ESjOAZq1b5Yac82wVp8COIzFhWsV-nBIGatufStCsGazH17YSFpOHSer_N_ag4yffOc4-dmAWjJsStu79yTNmp8e9IerRhXGhsTpCmUP_ZB1jVr/s320/DSC06772.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5733924754807247362" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >rainforest</span><br /></div><br />We reached the end of the trail around 2pm and the shuttle wasn't coming until 4pm. Lucky for me, Pieke ran into some friends and we got a ride back to town. Squeezing into a hatchback with five other people wasn't exactly fun, but they were very nice, it was a short ride and I was so very grateful not to have to sit in the sun for two hours.<br /><br />That evening I enjoyed a glass of wine with dinner and attempted to read by the fire... and promptly fell asleep by 9pm. Long, good day. The perfect almost-end to an almost-perfect trip.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-52724013335583476152012-02-23T21:15:00.000-08:002012-04-21T11:30:23.581-07:00Tongariro National Park, Day 1: the end is near.goodbye to good friends<br />time for three days on my own<br />mountains, here i come!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-14750589574512364932012-02-23T21:13:00.001-08:002012-04-21T11:30:06.035-07:00Tongariro National Park, Day 1: I {heart} quiet mountain towns.Big travel day today. The morning flight to Auckland was uneventful, and after picking up the rental car I headed south. The weather was dreary - overcast if not rainy, cold - which didn't bode well for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongariro_Alpine_Crossing">Tongariro Alpine Crossing</a> the next day, but I figured that however the day turned out, it would be better than sitting in a cube.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yAxGhlpTOB6KyzcjXsmiDBwyhCcGPhyLE7dGiopxjKj1jg-z_Dfr65Z6Pl1CFwzJNGSiRoSSpMoVleDDza_XZ3hIlu6YJRjfAg6TH5l49PmCxLQG0zDUcFbuJB2hRLu4iGKQGDQ0hBEf/s1600/DSC06748.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yAxGhlpTOB6KyzcjXsmiDBwyhCcGPhyLE7dGiopxjKj1jg-z_Dfr65Z6Pl1CFwzJNGSiRoSSpMoVleDDza_XZ3hIlu6YJRjfAg6TH5l49PmCxLQG0zDUcFbuJB2hRLu4iGKQGDQ0hBEf/s320/DSC06748.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5733921555287827922" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Piriaka Lookout</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >on the way to Tongagiro National Park</span><br /></div><br />I arrived at the <a href="http://www.skihaus.co.nz/">Ski Haus</a> hostel late in the afternoon and was thrilled to learn that I had a 5-bunk dorm all to myself. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongariro_National_Park">Tongariro National Park</a> is in a pretty remote area of the island so after settling in, I wandered around "town" for a bit and then headed back for dinner. Other than a few families and couples, the only others at the hostel were three young folks who hung out in the common area all night complaining about how there was nothing to do.<br /><br />I, on the other hand, loved that there was nothing to do.<br /><br />Early to bed in prep for the big adventure!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-72844024269402365532012-02-22T23:12:00.001-08:002012-04-14T22:16:05.866-07:00Queenstown, Day 3: note to self.wine tour and dinner<br />low residual medium dry south island<br />rieslings: my new cabJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-17695726534381911152012-02-22T23:12:00.000-08:002012-04-14T22:14:02.890-07:00Queenstown, Day 3: wine-ing and winding down.After a very loud night at the aforementioned hostel, a lovely lady named Debra picked me up for the Central Otago wine tour. Five beautiful vineyards and many excellent wines later, I have to give a wholehearted two thumbs up for <a href="http://www.pinotthymetours.co.nz/">Pinot Thyme Boutique</a> wine tours! And dry Rieslings! Who knew.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiH9XZrylQzMM_bLWXn2s-YMeqoaSwghmTO9QdLUjeKYiUjqVUwL_6qgFhxGRIu6Cp3VgZi7p7HzFJg0rYMxMgalNoVuInmvvdVbK0HXF_kQkGt58iuKw8Q7cYq8JMmdRZMY9krSI8sPdG/s1600/DSC06698.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiH9XZrylQzMM_bLWXn2s-YMeqoaSwghmTO9QdLUjeKYiUjqVUwL_6qgFhxGRIu6Cp3VgZi7p7HzFJg0rYMxMgalNoVuInmvvdVbK0HXF_kQkGt58iuKw8Q7cYq8JMmdRZMY9krSI8sPdG/s320/DSC06698.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731412843156540050" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >I really liked this one, </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><br />partly because it was really good, but also </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><br />because it was named "the Viper"</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgntGS1-xZjiixvsTF9Ar3CyK1Hi0Kxpl2NMnIo4ZC_3q_3bcGIKDPGZY4rwSeA_zSCVb6oYw2Nanjy-On9yz1rapWk24vJgYyA_IlwEUnJXyjz10ZTPMw2GTtzuhtcTE3UMWsDY8UeQEB/s1600/DSC06716.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgntGS1-xZjiixvsTF9Ar3CyK1Hi0Kxpl2NMnIo4ZC_3q_3bcGIKDPGZY4rwSeA_zSCVb6oYw2Nanjy-On9yz1rapWk24vJgYyA_IlwEUnJXyjz10ZTPMw2GTtzuhtcTE3UMWsDY8UeQEB/s320/DSC06716.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731412859447534546" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >but this one really sold me</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >on the whole "dry riesling" thing</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0bioJ6T-mpmx-1V30QaIrV1X2lTB_u-9HZEiVeiBk9Z7CtCwQVMUbsr3UW81yqsMfBaSr3qbNpVx9oNr7I59BqG31-mOmXahqkgJJeT9tOetYkXEqzlmwydbwElxjncWyfk9d9B68Pjd/s1600/DSC06710.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0bioJ6T-mpmx-1V30QaIrV1X2lTB_u-9HZEiVeiBk9Z7CtCwQVMUbsr3UW81yqsMfBaSr3qbNpVx9oNr7I59BqG31-mOmXahqkgJJeT9tOetYkXEqzlmwydbwElxjncWyfk9d9B68Pjd/s320/DSC06710.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731412847133150770" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >downtown Cromwell</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtOPgGpl9Gb14VZ54gXgicbqt6VyKND-hSFNglIgiNRhKgFcS86gIpwjmVwxFiIc4-kX8fDuDz27J-M65Zp6PiK4y51VydyCtXpfXS4BARXK6nukLLzoZmlMHwBGMNev1wnBHmdxziWqO/s1600/DSC06721.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtOPgGpl9Gb14VZ54gXgicbqt6VyKND-hSFNglIgiNRhKgFcS86gIpwjmVwxFiIc4-kX8fDuDz27J-M65Zp6PiK4y51VydyCtXpfXS4BARXK6nukLLzoZmlMHwBGMNev1wnBHmdxziWqO/s320/DSC06721.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731412865325174626" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Debra's vineyard</span><br /></div><br />After the wine tour, Kim, Jill and I met up for one last celebratory dinner and drinks at <a href="http://www.finzdownunder.co.nz/">finz</a>. Great seafood dishes, and especially excellent fish & chips!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSXqAJnZm0POSQgdU9X-NHqTz28goAsIWEWQrOOYwlr7TYdyprLG7P32EW8Mr7df5AViD1xbmRMZP8d2FhP2xxP-rHTv1px6rXU3ASKeR6CLU8Tcdk8egaJsN2nHQXTZvmRM34uevi3jX/s1600/DSC06731.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSXqAJnZm0POSQgdU9X-NHqTz28goAsIWEWQrOOYwlr7TYdyprLG7P32EW8Mr7df5AViD1xbmRMZP8d2FhP2xxP-rHTv1px6rXU3ASKeR6CLU8Tcdk8egaJsN2nHQXTZvmRM34uevi3jX/s320/DSC06731.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731412879535812882" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >last celebratory drink :(</span><br /></div><br />After this I would say farewell to my friends and head north for my own Tongariro adventure. But first I would endure another LOUD night at the hostel... Sooooo ready for some mountain time.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-5807318487008426812012-02-22T06:11:00.001-08:002012-03-31T12:13:45.193-07:00Queenstown, Day 2: I did go back for seconds, after all.jumping off a cliff<br />willingly and on purpose<br />might be addictiveJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-90073160902025235192012-02-22T06:10:00.008-08:002012-03-31T12:12:11.571-07:00Queenstown, Day 2: "AAAAAAAHEEAHEEAHEEAHEEAHEEAH!"(That's how you spell the Tarzan yell, right?)<br /><br />Tuesday morning I drove back to Queentsown and met up with Kim and Jill for lunch at Bob's Weigh (yes, again - chicken pesto...mmmm!). We wandered around a bit and headed over to the <a href="http://www.canyonswing.co.nz/">canyon swinging place</a> to prep for that day's adventure.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzV66DNXXYQvVqQ61Vt0nGQUzidC0MkErjybXAPx5syeXbd_Te9_6EqmYGWie80EpBd5boq1_mCwywnIcLs-gpXI-6DVf_sLygtOLMpWqOFPAmsELF9QWNaeVtwqtLQxM-yQSLN_HGMUp/s1600/DSC06668.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzV66DNXXYQvVqQ61Vt0nGQUzidC0MkErjybXAPx5syeXbd_Te9_6EqmYGWie80EpBd5boq1_mCwywnIcLs-gpXI-6DVf_sLygtOLMpWqOFPAmsELF9QWNaeVtwqtLQxM-yQSLN_HGMUp/s320/DSC06668.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726134057403436018" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >from their brochure - 'nuff said</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgD9LWOQ-2TJRTO4GWbgvjqetR5_6Dxct2gWQBtzy5jlNFa_q3sf4MglelowWcKtETnwa-YgHge-x8lJKOBa5wGuguMKj62ppOkKl7Eu-slJPkoJm1nwOQFnZ_eFywIO91J5ytV5qMxl2/s1600/DSC06675.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgD9LWOQ-2TJRTO4GWbgvjqetR5_6Dxct2gWQBtzy5jlNFa_q3sf4MglelowWcKtETnwa-YgHge-x8lJKOBa5wGuguMKj62ppOkKl7Eu-slJPkoJm1nwOQFnZ_eFywIO91J5ytV5qMxl2/s320/DSC06675.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726134065626264658" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >wondertriple powers, activate! form of: scared ladies!</span><br /></div><br />I can't really describe the experience properly. Probably best if I just point you to a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42768772@N00/6817499230/in/set-72157629188837221">few</a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42768772@N00/6817519214/in/set-72157629188837221/">videos</a>. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42768772@N00/6964499691/in/set-72157629188837221/">OK</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42768772@N00/6963592463/in/set-72157629188837221/">four</a>. Suffice to say, we all survived and I had a great time.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_My384kkFarg4uTuXeZbEcOcpufg482sZm4MAFWcnUksd_2t9msjy1XnN91nYAsrtnPJV7aBQjCQv3h9tBgTAKyIoUj3TSRrTZYIJYcaMJlnrJFxRrV5lWCv56WRWEwSaDGBvUCZO6KGH/s1600/Post+canyon+swing+celebration_6927620051_l.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_My384kkFarg4uTuXeZbEcOcpufg482sZm4MAFWcnUksd_2t9msjy1XnN91nYAsrtnPJV7aBQjCQv3h9tBgTAKyIoUj3TSRrTZYIJYcaMJlnrJFxRrV5lWCv56WRWEwSaDGBvUCZO6KGH/s320/Post+canyon+swing+celebration_6927620051_l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726134066486498354" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >mandatory round of celebratory drinks</span><br /></div><br />After drinks Jill and I headed to <a href="http://www.fergburger.com/fullscreen.html">Fergburger</a> so that I could truly round out my Queenstown experience.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2c9cqcEnx4BoIQABQXZMVus1FH_qRaYWcwzG5KdVSuZ8IX_zAC9aaTNv6v9IlFRCL7FG-O7lPDaBShHmYI4q0p0oWMxSutaXQ4WRUfqfUzFzIO4QtxftKrQ2jZ0T_fW9Gbq4mkJY0zzS/s1600/DSC06666.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2c9cqcEnx4BoIQABQXZMVus1FH_qRaYWcwzG5KdVSuZ8IX_zAC9aaTNv6v9IlFRCL7FG-O7lPDaBShHmYI4q0p0oWMxSutaXQ4WRUfqfUzFzIO4QtxftKrQ2jZ0T_fW9Gbq4mkJY0zzS/s320/DSC06666.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726134052435634562" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >lines like Portland's Screen Door or Voodoo Doughnuts</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_sRwbjzdFZUfrQ0H01lvtjNfRCsjIYk04PXfa8UHpOSpqOC5j8inE57kszVNbcCEZTPrh1mQT8MZju5Jnn-7BeG0Y3nOKM-QUi7Xo-LHrBmgL0tN7pIOHAYb6Yicoo1RFgw9AFjbGv_Q/s1600/IMG_1787.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_sRwbjzdFZUfrQ0H01lvtjNfRCsjIYk04PXfa8UHpOSpqOC5j8inE57kszVNbcCEZTPrh1mQT8MZju5Jnn-7BeG0Y3nOKM-QUi7Xo-LHrBmgL0tN7pIOHAYb6Yicoo1RFgw9AFjbGv_Q/s320/IMG_1787.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726134862390625746" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >NOM!</span><br /></div><br />Or so I thought. I opted to stay at <a href="http://nomadshostels.com/hostels/new-zealand/queenstown-nomads-backpackers">Nomads Backpackers</a>. This may have been the only bad decision I made the entire trip... It was a total party house, and even though I requested an all-female dorm (which was nice and quiet), the walls were thin and the street party outside went on until about 2am.<br /><br />I would stick it out there for another night, because time was too precious to waste looking for another place and transferring my stuff, but let the record show two things: 1) I am not a city girl and 2) I am too old for that shit.<br /><br />Next up: wine tour!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-10472589335227819232012-02-20T22:10:00.001-08:002012-04-14T16:57:03.577-07:00Wanaka, Day 2: can you?there must be worse ways<br />to kill an afternoon but<br />i can't think of one<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLX6BtrAdvqtcWvC6hNSQsb4kneV7eSbfwp5Njkd9JJIUHdhsYJX8KvAzNNLOWwaDjoimoRjNS1k3wBSRVDOsvtbiTIUB2_XmSoAzSqGFncG6OLAKdaTMkB23yd9ilatnGdLAUbNLHIu4o/s1600/DSC06650+%25281%2529.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLX6BtrAdvqtcWvC6hNSQsb4kneV7eSbfwp5Njkd9JJIUHdhsYJX8KvAzNNLOWwaDjoimoRjNS1k3wBSRVDOsvtbiTIUB2_XmSoAzSqGFncG6OLAKdaTMkB23yd9ilatnGdLAUbNLHIu4o/s320/DSC06650+%25281%2529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726130284471699890" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >the view from the traffic jam</span><br /></div>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-52326337077389123372012-02-20T22:09:00.000-08:002012-03-31T11:27:25.579-07:00Wanaka, Day 2: glaciers and sheep and carrot cake, oh my.The plan was to get up early this morning and head to <a href="http://www.newzealand.com/int/article/rob-roy-glacier-track/">Rob Roy Glacier</a>, since the weather was a little questionable. But I think the last week was catching up with me and instead of rushing out, I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and coffee and hit the road around 9am.<br /><br />"The road" ended up being 50km of driving, 30km of which was on a gravel road and the last 10km of which involved fords (fortunately dry creek beds). Rappelling, rock climbing, treacherous/slippery/steep/alpine hikes, canyon swinging - whatever. That drive was probably the most stressful activity I would perform on this entire trip.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2v8MXkuMifBI3hCMRBqiCi5G4sYXk4Msos9BGpYfbLOteOAu4ZOKs0HRqEZAoZNLFWGc1wm_em8QDFqrkMt7fH7qWWCsFcKRc6Zy1NENHp52Ep73_mXe-8T_zo9AL72INrn3ayur9qxG/s1600/DSC06639.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2v8MXkuMifBI3hCMRBqiCi5G4sYXk4Msos9BGpYfbLOteOAu4ZOKs0HRqEZAoZNLFWGc1wm_em8QDFqrkMt7fH7qWWCsFcKRc6Zy1NENHp52Ep73_mXe-8T_zo9AL72INrn3ayur9qxG/s320/DSC06639.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726125919117842978" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >OK!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFODhRP9dIjs1o-5JM4EQpIjEGKC2Rpzv7vU4riQwcN1zNXmnSgQDckkmt4lssBhCqcrt7QQVtVVAvf5Xybq6WIFj95TlKgqoZT8c5ILoFMzeupMsFchU8Ht6ItbnaLX-4L0Gk6f9DdKsk/s1600/DSC06564.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFODhRP9dIjs1o-5JM4EQpIjEGKC2Rpzv7vU4riQwcN1zNXmnSgQDckkmt4lssBhCqcrt7QQVtVVAvf5Xybq6WIFj95TlKgqoZT8c5ILoFMzeupMsFchU8Ht6ItbnaLX-4L0Gk6f9DdKsk/s320/DSC06564.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726125951727829810" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >after 30km of gravel road, a warning</span><br /></div><br />Finally headed out to the trail around 11am. It started steep and leveled off, all through a lovely beech forest with the river running constantly right next to the trail.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0cjJtiZNp8YyyCsVbs_V-Ex4hyphenhyphenGvsOTPh_CA3JjYTwnMQMnNBO44GZXKzsnTLlGygcAk-5QfEFek0_liy3YX_kR2F4YYBRLC0ju_scUf7_WlLPdg7gY85URIpCxZzakNXaNLmMwc0uw_/s1600/DSC06588.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0cjJtiZNp8YyyCsVbs_V-Ex4hyphenhyphenGvsOTPh_CA3JjYTwnMQMnNBO44GZXKzsnTLlGygcAk-5QfEFek0_liy3YX_kR2F4YYBRLC0ju_scUf7_WlLPdg7gY85URIpCxZzakNXaNLmMwc0uw_/s320/DSC06588.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726127164346266482" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >I want to live in a van...</span><br /></div><br />And then suddenly Rob Roy Glacier was right there.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqdgfYbYIyfhe-wvjrGaOCMFYYZYcbrKC-FNevSahDWezbyKbTAymqKo0hr6iXAwalA6xhLZCRPheyHpEWHceiwmBJCmdwz9n3whKN2MfD3Q6bvDpS3dLg7plLs_8ajgMctpZ6Blb5wTT/s1600/DSC06601.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqdgfYbYIyfhe-wvjrGaOCMFYYZYcbrKC-FNevSahDWezbyKbTAymqKo0hr6iXAwalA6xhLZCRPheyHpEWHceiwmBJCmdwz9n3whKN2MfD3Q6bvDpS3dLg7plLs_8ajgMctpZ6Blb5wTT/s320/DSC06601.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726125955544168690" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >not a bad lunch spot</span><br /></div><br />A few more switchbacks and I was a bit closer - but not too close. I ate my PB&J and marveled at the beauty around me, then headed slowly back just as the rain started. And then stopped and started and stopped and started and stopped.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SCS-M6K7Uon-IL1zwmFOfqXbK9561F0hlpHLCIFsf_Ti2YTRrkd0qpyqondaS8LXAAofw9Npv1UwfbEmfi8fGBC9STvWj1f1rJsu0Iq0Pnj_DUMkII6f6PL28Je4Gk64QAWsyFGVBoF_/s1600/DSC06616.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SCS-M6K7Uon-IL1zwmFOfqXbK9561F0hlpHLCIFsf_Ti2YTRrkd0qpyqondaS8LXAAofw9Npv1UwfbEmfi8fGBC9STvWj1f1rJsu0Iq0Pnj_DUMkII6f6PL28Je4Gk64QAWsyFGVBoF_/s320/DSC06616.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726127170977430066" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >looking back down the valley</span><br /></div><br />The weather has been amazing this whole trip, and if the only bad day is Friday when I'm supposed to hike Tongariro Alpine Crossing, so be it. I cannot complain.<br /><br />On the drive back I was treated to an unstaged sheep herding...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNgKypko33oMyYD3WHfntO2I43wSPR1-Z3dxlZkG6h8S2hXcCmCztAJuCkmjmRLGV8xWErLns7BiVQqjnP3fUiyhfQKEUXR421AhRphBlLLTqB8YAG570K633xJIa38JeJ5TPYpsrwcH0a/s1600/DSC06648.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNgKypko33oMyYD3WHfntO2I43wSPR1-Z3dxlZkG6h8S2hXcCmCztAJuCkmjmRLGV8xWErLns7BiVQqjnP3fUiyhfQKEUXR421AhRphBlLLTqB8YAG570K633xJIa38JeJ5TPYpsrwcH0a/s320/DSC06648.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726125936566321026" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >New Zealand traffic jam</span><br /></div><br />...and a deer herding (complete with one lone confused sheep running alongside the deer).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVxk8RWKf9emwo_dCB58eevSo9INtrUNHMbrTjBJgYiS1CCdnkKhGzyYfWySqhaJ39RXjcagHEmd2t4omQdV4GNjFzvXrsQfKKzNf4JZMf8tQK01jro2OKwU8-CnV6uFbvgbyBat9qzoT/s1600/DSC06642.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVxk8RWKf9emwo_dCB58eevSo9INtrUNHMbrTjBJgYiS1CCdnkKhGzyYfWySqhaJ39RXjcagHEmd2t4omQdV4GNjFzvXrsQfKKzNf4JZMf8tQK01jro2OKwU8-CnV6uFbvgbyBat9qzoT/s320/DSC06642.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726127177687086818" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >just a cute sheepie, not related to the<br />aforementioned deer herding</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" > story</span><br /></div><br />Back at the hostel I cleaned up and went for a coffee, which turned into a flat white and "famous" carrot cake at <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g612500-d725033-Reviews-Ritual_Espresso_Cafe-Wanaka_South_Island.html">Ritual Cafe</a>...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINY4b12yWoDEmizALmM7EbPTmZ4cunR5MrFryARd29YmgGUXP0p_FJWjY82Vy1wUPzPu9x4Yy2NrDej2Gqi4RPiKnwhyphenhyphenb3gaq_Z2I5tn87SR9kUdxuAOAakXfITBUuCfAxrbojx6FDEwq/s1600/DSC06655.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINY4b12yWoDEmizALmM7EbPTmZ4cunR5MrFryARd29YmgGUXP0p_FJWjY82Vy1wUPzPu9x4Yy2NrDej2Gqi4RPiKnwhyphenhyphenb3gaq_Z2I5tn87SR9kUdxuAOAakXfITBUuCfAxrbojx6FDEwq/s320/DSC06655.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726125928120489026" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >it REALLY IS THAT GOOD</span><br /></div><br />... and then a few glasses of wine overlooking Lake Wanaka.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKJ_ZbjjDiKUCbfGW08MdYDWpJ3c85llXW-Q1k0gf6hI3CxLqVyElFclkZM-3zUDKu6oPSphmbtlG-1LoV40u7GWXK60P63UVMjKf8-Psmbr28V8mYUgjdpnhBWtMt3EDNoCnw09GDxo-/s1600/DSC06660+%25281%2529.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKJ_ZbjjDiKUCbfGW08MdYDWpJ3c85llXW-Q1k0gf6hI3CxLqVyElFclkZM-3zUDKu6oPSphmbtlG-1LoV40u7GWXK60P63UVMjKf8-Psmbr28V8mYUgjdpnhBWtMt3EDNoCnw09GDxo-/s320/DSC06660+%25281%2529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726128840134007490" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >hey, it was happy hour and I was happy</span><br /></div><br />I was in an amazing place, had seen some amazing things in/around this place, and the hostel and the hostel staff had found my iPod that I was sure was lost and gone forever. What was there not to be happy about? Other than the nearing end of my vacation, of course...Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-48173180100881714332012-02-19T22:08:00.001-08:002012-03-26T21:52:19.497-07:00Wanaka, Day 1: OK, it was mostly an accidental misstep.a brief thought of work<br />almost sent me off the edge<br />no more work thoughts pleaseJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-58327377593969842732012-02-19T22:07:00.001-08:002012-03-26T21:50:40.074-07:00Wanaka, Day 1: solo adventure, part I.Got dropped off at the airport, said goodbye to our new friends...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiTUOtgl3RW17DF5rR-_j6PlduTX3GXHGjUzU1_-86fOcgvt3OkVQ7l0flhB6B7m24wXeJ3GfyR5dceN9islVqtUyQYoSgDV1HVj3cNJQiyVq7vRTnW2kZMCDdYxZKg6oMwFvlWcD9H9z/s1600/_untitled_+009.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiTUOtgl3RW17DF5rR-_j6PlduTX3GXHGjUzU1_-86fOcgvt3OkVQ7l0flhB6B7m24wXeJ3GfyR5dceN9islVqtUyQYoSgDV1HVj3cNJQiyVq7vRTnW2kZMCDdYxZKg6oMwFvlWcD9H9z/s320/_untitled_+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724430871570336962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >and goodbye to Frank the tank! I will miss you</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >, Frank</span>,<br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >and your never-ending fruit and snack basket</span><br /></div><br />... and I picked up the rental car for my first solo left sided-drive up to Wanaka, which a coworker had recommended as being "more low key" than Queenstown. Turns out? Boy oh boy, was he right.<br /><br />The drive was uneventful! Almost disappointing, the lack of solo left sided-driving drama!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_T1DK2a8RM4MQSPEvulxZdN7GAqw8MXeTfhmpOXwDDnSQyjeDfVNACMkJ16tA2aWGapN2IKkUev2ZuawXWiOKwC5GZtMtc1FhyphenhyphenLv-H8UKID19k07s8l9en1PPGPTs4Nca2b7GUB7kNQf/s1600/DSC06447.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_T1DK2a8RM4MQSPEvulxZdN7GAqw8MXeTfhmpOXwDDnSQyjeDfVNACMkJ16tA2aWGapN2IKkUev2ZuawXWiOKwC5GZtMtc1FhyphenhyphenLv-H8UKID19k07s8l9en1PPGPTs4Nca2b7GUB7kNQf/s320/DSC06447.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724428375497832066" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >um, both thankfully and disappointingly uneventful</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8QRhzAT4qe_8GjRW6Ro5imRyMU_D_v4UzTsmysN6gk2qfbfq1hNG_W59-q0iyI5rflv38Cikj1fp3VjfTICo81Bn4NglofAqbCl85A2KFmzKsyvqod_QXH-O3AnzMSMXpPiDgObErna4/s1600/DSC06443.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8QRhzAT4qe_8GjRW6Ro5imRyMU_D_v4UzTsmysN6gk2qfbfq1hNG_W59-q0iyI5rflv38Cikj1fp3VjfTICo81Bn4NglofAqbCl85A2KFmzKsyvqod_QXH-O3AnzMSMXpPiDgObErna4/s320/DSC06443.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724428381929733730" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >the views were lovely though</span><br /></div><br />I couldn't check in to the hostel (<a href="http://www.hostelz.com/hostel/28224-HI---YHA-Wanaka---Purple-Cow-Backpackers-Hostel">Purple Cow</a> - two thumbs up!) until 2pm so I grabbed a flat white and, at the recommendation of one of the past week's tour guides, headed up to <a href="http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/otago/wanaka-makarora/diamond-lake-and-rocky-mountain-walks/">Diamond Lake Conservation Area</a>.<br /><br />There were three trail options - Rocky Mountain Summit Track, Lake Wanaka Lookout, and a circuit around the lake - and I took them all in willingly. The views were stunning and the sounds around the lake were serenity-inducing.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMdaG5HUGrHt7mKJTbvY_oZw_n1tZiVFKkKYq_95ph6J3TWRUTp0mf7eCpEV3iCRK_OgDR7oSAz1zwx9dSZAdYLN1uYg1vHRcIqDe5n1Gf3-zpxkGcGnwz_vCtC6rDAVmsXPD8_6xfDpW/s1600/DSC06476.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMdaG5HUGrHt7mKJTbvY_oZw_n1tZiVFKkKYq_95ph6J3TWRUTp0mf7eCpEV3iCRK_OgDR7oSAz1zwx9dSZAdYLN1uYg1vHRcIqDe5n1Gf3-zpxkGcGnwz_vCtC6rDAVmsXPD8_6xfDpW/s320/DSC06476.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724428391643505250" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >I sent this to a coworker saying "New Zealand is overrated"...</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >pretty sure he got the sarcasm</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMyTBOp482XH86EEC8YPoSjnHbK5r0pFZqj-16tPAXjdfPVskVd00XhATDSm9B8vE1yh6atkZmVcRtFnR8S4s0phP-NTfLo17bWSccP1J_QH2QZ8kpobnLAQvxZis3bQpbYERb5kI2dVV/s1600/DSC06498.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMyTBOp482XH86EEC8YPoSjnHbK5r0pFZqj-16tPAXjdfPVskVd00XhATDSm9B8vE1yh6atkZmVcRtFnR8S4s0phP-NTfLo17bWSccP1J_QH2QZ8kpobnLAQvxZis3bQpbYERb5kI2dVV/s320/DSC06498.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724433117651761602" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >bunnies, it must be bunnies!</span><br /></div><br />Afterward I showered, stocked up on two nights of dinner at the grocery store, had a glass of wine and headed three blocks down to the lake to enjoy the scenery with the ducks.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFw7uFawosIWJ9DGLx7LHi17SHjPgXcHvlreQsFpNZ13Y1evI0enZJgIEBryVjrHKbCFalYJrkTKvjMRb-qSwW_SpUKBhJRCfnepO4obedbq6mjSnDbFcDzUsX-SJ9OMgO5up6tpyyn67/s1600/DSC06560.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFw7uFawosIWJ9DGLx7LHi17SHjPgXcHvlreQsFpNZ13Y1evI0enZJgIEBryVjrHKbCFalYJrkTKvjMRb-qSwW_SpUKBhJRCfnepO4obedbq6mjSnDbFcDzUsX-SJ9OMgO5up6tpyyn67/s320/DSC06560.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724428396412522114" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >not a bad way to end the day</span><br /></div><br />Tomorrow's adventure: Rob Roy Glacier. Tonight's adventure: surviving the Russian girl skyping next to me for an hour. Ah, youth!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844117921951539255.post-5504363420987296712012-02-18T22:06:00.001-08:002012-03-26T20:59:52.497-07:00Tui Extreme, Day 7: again! please?not antarctica<br />but milford sound kayaking?<br />pretty damned awesomeJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12755435023674969641noreply@blogger.com0