Hello Everyone!
It’s been a beautiful week of spring weather here in north-central Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The days have been warm and sunny and the evenings cool and pleasant. It’s the kind of weather where I don’t really want to do anything but sit outside and read my book and enjoy the day. Thankfully the days are long so there seems to be time for that and to keep exploring. Oregon is such a pleasant and relaxed state, making it a wonderful place to enjoy such fine spring weather. Cherries and strawberries are coming back into season which makes me happy and flowers are blooming like crazy everywhere I look. I’ve spent the week chasing waterfalls, exploring small towns, finally making it to the end of the Oregon Trail and exploring the state’s capital city of Salem. My camera has been busy and I’ve really been enjoying my week so let me get right into it.
After finishing up this post last week I went out to have a look around downtown Lebanon. It’s a quaint and quiet little town but it didn’t have much to offer. I stopped into a little bar called Sam’s Place for a beer and then called it an early night.
On Thursday I took off first thing and headed out to see the Hoffman covered bridge out near Scio. This was a great, fully functional bridge with a 10 ton weight limit still in daily use. It was quiet enough out there when I visited to take a few photos on the bridge, which was pretty cool. From there I made my way into Albany for the day. Albany is a cute little city of about 56,000 people situated on the Willamette River and founded back in 1848.
I was very excited to have a whole day to check out some of the many waterfalls flowing into the North Umpqua River as I made my way down Route 4 from Crater Lake to Roseberg. I love everything about waterfalls - from the spray on my face to the sound they make as they roar over the rocks. They are also among my favorite things to photograph as they really are magical, especially with a nice long exposure. The day I made this journey I visited six waterfalls: Clearwater Falls, Whitehorse Falls, Watson Falls, Toketee Falls, Fall Creek Falls and Susan Creek Falls, Toketee was probably the most stunning of the six because of its setting, but Fall Creek Falls sure did take a good photo. I also really loved Whitehorse Falls and I think my favorite photo is the one I saved for last. The lush green surroundings of Clearwater Falls made me hang around for a while, and the sheer drop of Watson Falls was simply awesome. Susan Creek Falls was in a great setting, too and it was truly stunning. It’s hard to have a bad day when you’re out chasing waterfalls, and I hope you enjoy these photos from the spectacular Umpqua Canyon.
Crescent, Oregon is the kind of town that makes me hit the brakes as soon as I pull in. Coming from Bend in the North, the first thing I saw when I arrived in Crescent was the giant bear statue atop the public library. Next, the lumberjack on the Woodsman Inn caught my eye. Finally, the Bigfoot Tavern sealed the deal and I pulled over and came back to take some photos. Crescent got its start back in 1909 when Edward Rourk opened a small store in the area. A post office opened in the store the following year and Rourk would serve as the postmaster for several years (the store still stands today). The coming of the railroad and the opening of Highway 97 both contributed to the growth of Crescent and its population today hovers around 400 people. I wasn’t able to find out much more about Crescent online, but the next time I’m passing through I plan to stop and ask some questions. I hope you enjoy these photos from quirky little Crescent, Oregon.
Hello Everyone,
Spring has definitely sprung here in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon. Flowers are blooming, pollen is flying and minor league baseball is just getting started. The weather has been amazing and it’s nice to be here. I’ve had a very pleasant week on the road here in the Beaver State as I made my way from Bend through the Cascade Mountains and up into the Willamette Valley. It’s been a week of mountains, lakes, waterfalls, covered bridges and adorable little towns – all things that make me happy. The days are getting longer and my spirits are high. Let me tell you all about what I’ve been getting up to lately.
After I left you last week, it was already pretty late in the day. I wandered through downtown Bend and then down to Monkless Brewery, a Belgian-style taphouse situated right along the Deschutes River. It was a sunny afternoon and the view out over the river was amazing. The bartender was friendly and the beers were excellent. I’m a big fan of Belgian beer and consider it the best beer in the world, which is only an opinion but one I’m not alone in. Many Belgian-style beers just don’t live up to the expectation set by labeling it as such, but Monkless was a real exception and it quickly became one of my favorite breweries in the region. I had a couple of beers there and then wandered down by the river for a while to soak up the last of the sunshine. I stopped into the River Pigs Saloon for one last quick beer after the sun went down before calling it a night.
I hit the road on Thursday morning and headed south towards Klamath Falls. I passed through a couple of small towns on my drive, but one made me stop and get closer look. Crescent is the sister city of the nearby company logging town of Gilchrist .
