24/52: Father's Day Weekend

Our family is always up for an adventure Father's Day Weekend and this year Pop's choice was a visit to the Oregon Vortex just outside of Gold Hill.

This roadside attraction has been open to the public since 1930 and takes you on a strange glimpse into the strange world of gravity hill/optical illusions.  Local legend according to Native Americans refer to the site as "forbidden" land and travelers would often times have trouble with horses passing through the area.  Most in our party, believe that the effect is due to a distorted background that induces a forced perspective and not anything paranormal.  At any rate, it was a fun adventure and we all enjoyed the visit.

We then drove just down the road to Del Rio Vineyards, which was established in 1997 and was once home to the Rock Point Hotel built in 1864.

We had a 5 wine flight, which included a Pinot Gris, Viogner, Grenache Rose, Claret and a Cabernet Savignon.  Absolutely beautiful tasting room and grounds.  It would be a great place to pack a picnic lunch, play a round of cornhole and drink a bottle of wine in the sunshine!

Finally, we headed down old highway 99 past Rogue River and ate lunch at River's Edge outside in the beautiful sunshine along the river.  My shrimp scampi with spaghetti squash was amazing and I know Brian, Sandra and Steve enjoyed their Halibut Fish and Chips.

Our Father's Day adventures are always a fun time for our family.  Now on to planning next year!

Enjoy!
Stacy

23/52: Walla Walla

Friday Night after arriving in Walla Walla at Mill Creek Brew Pub

At Otis Kenyon

We had a great weekend in Walla Walla, WA to celebrate Brian's oldest niece, Heidi's 40th birthday.

With their husbands at home, Brian and I took Heidi and her younger sister, Ericka on a wine tasting day strolling along Main Street in downtown Walla Walla.

Our first stop was Canoe Ridge Winery where we sampled about 8 different wines including a Rose and several reds.  The tasting room was cute and paid homage to the Walla Walla Valley railroad.  I brought home a bottle of Rose as it was only $20 and one of my favorites of the day.

Stop # 2 was Otis Kenyon on Main Street where we tasted 4 nice, but young red wines.  The story of Otis Kenyon , was worth the visit and Brian in the bowler hat was hillarious!

Our third stop was next door to Otis Kenyon, Henry Earl Estates.  The tasting room reminded me of Tolly's in Oakland, OR and we sat on parlor style sofas by the front window and had a 5 wine "flight".  I bought a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, a rare choice for me but a wonderful summer wine.

Our last stop was the family vineyard owned by the Bledsoe's.  You remember Drew Bledsoe? Bledsoe Family Winery began in 2007 shortly after Drew's retirement from football.  The Elizabeth Chardonnay was my favorite wine of the day and we sat in the tasting room a enjoyed an entire bottle!

We had so much fun packed into a very short visit to Walla Walla that I know Brian and I will be back soon.  With over 50 tasting rooms in Walla Walla, there are plenty more wines to drink...but I would have to say that spending time with family meant the world to both of us.

Enjoy!
Stacy

7/52: A Nice and Long Weekend

Since Brian and I have seen each other a total of 5 hours this month, we really needed an adventure to Port Townsend, WA.

We enjoyed exploring historic Port Gamble (see barn below), walked main street Port Townsend and did some shopping, then had lunch at Silverwater Cafe before finally exploring Fort Warden (Point Wilson Lighthouse).

Enjoy!
Stacy

Crab Cakes with Shaved Fennel Salad

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

33/52: Solar Eclipse

Being in the path of totality and seeing the solar eclipse on Monday was the most amazing thing I have ever witnessed in my life. We had the opportunity to attend the first ever eclipse delayed baseball game in Keizer, OR home of the Volcanoes.  The game started at 9:40 AM and was delayed about 10:00 for the total eclipse...resuming again around 10:45.

It was so emotional to see the moon cross in front of the sun's path and shade the earth in total darkness. Seeing the corona and the Diamond Ring Effect brought me to tears. 

Of course, I didn't have the camera equipment to capture the moment so I shut off my devices and spent the 1 minute and 52 seconds staring directly at the sun (you can take off your glasses in totality).  The event left me speechless.

I can now understand why people travel the world in search of the total eclipses.  It's an awe inspiring event....once in a lifetime for most people and something I know I will never forget.

Enjoy!
Stacy

24/52: Father's Day Weekend in Eugene/Springfield

Father's Day Weekend is becoming quite an event.  The last few years, it's been centered around some sort of road trip and this year we started off with a beautiful drive on Friday to King Estate Winery for a wonderful lunch.  It's a beautiful area and our lunch was spectacular.  We stopped off to pay a quick visit to my Aunt and Uncle (Mom's side) and it was nice to spend a bit more time with them having just seen them again for the family reunion at the beginning of May.

Friday night we hit PK Park in Eugene to see the Emeralds take on the Vancouver Canadians in minor league baseball action.  The park is great (just a few years old), very imitate and a nice place to see baseball (it's still not Civic Stadium).

Saturday we headed up the McKenzie River Highway on our way to Sister's, OR.  It was a spectacular drive with stops for waterfalls and panoramic views of Cascade peaks.  For me, it wasn't about the destination, although Sisters has a lot going for it...it was about the journey and spending quality time with my Pop over Father's Day Weekend.

The weekend went by all too soon and before we turned the rental "beast" van back into the rental car company, we were already planning next year's adventure.

Enjoy!
Stacy 

30/52: Fun Times on a Tugboat

Last weekend, Brian's friend from college, Russ and his wife, Sue invited us up to Anacortes, Washington for an overnight excursion on the tug boat, Inga owned and captained by her father, Chris.

This isn't the tug boat you are imagining!  We spent the night on a 37 foot Nordic Tug. Believe me, there is a difference.  This boat is for cruising, not working.

If you recall back in 2013, we went sailing with them in the San Juan Islands and we had a blast. This time, the sailboat has been replaced with a tugboat and the adventure was just as fun.

On Saturday afternoon, we took off from Cape Sante Marina in Anacortes and spent about 2 hours out in Fidalgo Bay, out around Guemes Island and into the Rosario Strait.  It was a beautiful evening and the water was clear as glass.  Brian was in heaven, and got to take command of the vessel.  Do I see a boat in our future?

We had a lovely dinner on board when we got back to the marina.  Brian and I brought up cheese and crackers with salmon dip, kebabs, salads, pound-cake and fresh raspberries.  We spent time in the galley catching up, drinking beer, wine and cocktails and enjoying the beautiful evening.

Brian and I slept in the state room at the head of the ship and it was so cozy that I could definitely imagine myself spending weeks on board in the summertime.  I can totally see why Chris has been spending his summers for the past 20 years cruising around the San Juan islands.

Our 18 hours on board just wasn't long enough.  We took a couple of small trips out on Sunday morning before saying goodbye and watching our friends head off for Deer Harbor and a week enjoying life on a tug.

Thank you so much for a wonderful experience.  Ahoy, Mateys!

Stacy

P.S. I took a ton of photos with my camera including a few group shots.  Be on the lookout for those on the July Vlog on my YouTube channel!

25/52: Father's Day Weekend

Brian, Chick and I all spent time in Eugene with Pop and Rosemary (plus Steve) over Father's Day Weekend. Chick and I drove to Eugene on Thursday night and Brian flew in from Seattle on Friday night.

Thursday was a family road trip to Pop's pick, Wildlife Safari in Wintson, OR. The dream and vision of one man, Frank Hart - Wildlife Safari was created in 1972 as a facility to save rare and endangered species from around the world. Visitors can view over 76 species from their cars including tigers, giraffes, zebras, lions, elephants, bison, elk and bears.

Annual attendance reaches approximately 150,000 making Wildlife Safari one of Oregon's top visitor destinations.

It was amazing!  We drove through the park with our windows rolled down just like we were on an African Safari.  We saw all sorts of animals and took tons of great pictures and lots of video (YouTube video to post).

Saturday was a Chamber of Commerce day in Florence, OR.  A tour of the Heceta Lighthouse, a walk on Heceta Beach, lunch in Old Town Florence and an hour of gambling at Three Rivers Casino.

What an incredible weekend!

I hope Pop had fun.  I know I did!

Enjoy!
Stacy