I am playing catchup, this little trip began on June 14th, but I am just getting to the writeup now, enjoy:
The same scene as my very first photo of my Asia trip! I-5 Going over the Ship Canal Bridge, with downtown Seattle on the right. I drove about 5 hours to Eugene, Oregon to meet my friend Dan.
Dan The (Mustache) Man.
The green glory of the Pacific North West! Eugene is a fantastic bike town, we rode out for some food.
Buying the essentials.
The destination was to one of Dan's friends, Heidi. It's an off-the-grid home in southwest Oregon and a very cool place.
Heidi's garden.
I brought out my childhood bb-gun and shot at cans from the porch.
In the afternoon we set out to Heidi's property where she is building her own home. (the hose above is her moms)
The dog getting some exercise, and me getting some hydration.
Doing a little work: digging, chainsawing, cleaning the inside of the house.
And here is the inside of the home. A lot of work to be ready for winter, but a great little space.
Gorgeous weather in a gorgeous place.
Heidi shooting her pistol. When out here, do as the locals do: arm yourself!
Also here were three others, including two French travelers. Made me feel like I was on the road again talking with them.
Back to Heidi's place to do some more work.
It's hot out so a quick dip is an order. Luckily the property is on a great little creek.
The town consists of just a few buildings, the most important being the taco truck.
We visited the home of some friends in town, and their property included this 1900-era school house. One room, a black board and a wood stove, classic!
I'd yet to ever take Dan tree climbing with me, so I brought my gear down and we went up a big fir. We topped out at about 80 feet and transferred into a neighboring tree before repelling to the ground.
The French couple was kind enough to cook dinner, some delicious crepes.
The evening was a full moon, and we sat by the fire late into the night.
In the morning we headed out to visit the Umpqua Hot Springs. The van there is owned by the French couple and they are traveling the US in it.
It was a short hike from the road, beginning with crossing the river.
Reaching the springs. There are 8 different pools, 7 in a series of descending altitude and temperature and one that is covered.
The bottom of the pools, right on a river.
That evening Dan and I returned to Eugene, and I pushed on back to Seattle the same day. It was a really great trip, just what I needed :)
Stay tuned, more adventures on the way shortly!
