Checkin' in on the Summer Bucket List

The question is: when does summer end? Does it end when the public schools start back? Does it end a month later when the University starts back? Does it end when the weather finally turns rainy? 

I am going to go with the latter. Oregon really doesn't have four seasons... it has the rainy season and the amazingly dry, sunny perfect season.  I posted a Summer Bucket List in mid-June when the rain cleared. Now that it is raining again, it is time to check back in and see what I accomplished during the 5 month break in the rain.

I wanted to read 20 books. I didn't do too bad on this one. I read 14 before classes started back. After summer conference, I took the scenic route to look off Vista Point and blogged about my adventures. 

I wanted to see live music at least twice. I saw Civil Wars in Portland June 21 and I saw a live band on the pier while on the family beach trip (which not only checked family beach trip off the Bucket list, but also allowed me to check off "Sit by the pool for a week and not think about work".) 

I definitely made it to the top of Mary's Peak. And blogged about it!  I wanted to attend the Association of Leadership Educators (ALE) Conference (and make my first trip to Denver) and I did it July 10-13 and blogged about it here. I drove a LOT of the Oregon coast. I have now driven from Northern California to Lincoln City, and watched the sunset, but I haven't done the northern coast. I am calling that a 3/4 victory. Lastly, I visited my friends in Columbia, Missouri, in August and blogged about it here. Amazing summer!

I didn't accomplish everything on my list. I am still finishing up the summer's big sewing project. I wanted to go to the Dahlia festival, but I missed it this year. I still plan to have supper at The Cowboy Dinner Tree, Shop the Pearl, and hit up Portland's Japanese Garden and Saturday Market. I also still need to make a few trips: Wallowa Lake and San Francisco (or Seattle). 

I think I can get 'em all!

Apparently

Apparently my 'Christmas' cactus is a Thanksgiving cactus.

Happy Thanksgiving y'all.

Saved by the Bell?!

Let's be honest: Most mornings I am flying out the door at the last minute and eating a granola bar once I am at my desk. Lately I have had some early mornings for trips with the student teachers or training sessions. That means I am eating breakfast in my own living room. Just for noise, I turned on the TV and guess what I found?!?

Saved by the Bell. Image credit

I LOVED this show as a tween. And, really when you are 11 years old - what is NOT to love about this show?

Here is my thought process as an 11 year old:

• This show is set in a school. I go to school. So I know things!
• I wanna be Kelly Kapowski.
• Isn't Zack dreamy?
• Boy, they just got one over on Mr. Belding... again!

Let me tell you: Those same thoughts are different when you are 31 years old - especially when you are a former high school teacher and current teacher educator. I sat, watching this rerun and was mesmerized by the show... because I couldn't see what I would have possibly liked about it.

Here is my thought process as a 31 year old:

• This is a school. Where are the teachers? Are they learning anything?
• Why would I have wanted to be Kelly Kapowski? Cheerleader -really? I am really more of a Jessie Spano. No, wait.Wasn't she that girl who was in 'Showgirls'? Eww. Screech is probably the only one in the group who is gainfully employed these days.
• Zack is an over-gelled kid who acts like a jerk to adults. Does he think he is being sneaky? 
• Oh Mr. Belding, you could be my role model. Well, if you weren't partially incompetent. 

Perhaps I should go back to my granola bar at my desk and leave the morning television to the 11 year olds.

Wordless Wednesday Halloween 2011

The nieces and nephew on Halloween 2011.

(the two older ones are my sister's and the three younger kids are my brother's).

Page CXVI

Page CXVI is in the Pacific Northwest!

I had the chance to see them last night at Sunset Presbyterian in Portland. It is my fourth time seeing them perform. They are going to be here in Corvallis Thursday night, but I already had something to do so I drove 3 hours round trip to watch their 1.5 hour show. Totally worth it.

If you are not familiar with their music, here is what you need to know. They do old hymns in a new way. They are a modern and accessible version of music written before my great-grandmother was alive. There is nothing I can say that can convince you, so check them out.

I bought Hymns IV last night and listened to them on the way home. You can stream and sample all of their music off their blog site. Seriously, love them. Hope you do, too. Go listen to their music. If you are in Corvallis, check out their show.

The best part about a college town

The best part about living in a college town (even a small one like Corvallis, pop. ~50,000) is the culture. I was reading through the 'OSU Today' email this past Wednesday morning. I realized Nancy Giles was going to be speaking FOR FREE on campus as part of a diversity seminar. If you don't know Nancy, this is an excerpt from the bio that was posted on the University's website. "CBS Sunday Morning contributor, comedian and actress Nancy Giles delights TV audiences with her social commentaries and theater fans with her solo pieces. She is a funny, perceptive and provocative observer of today’s world. Her acclaimed work on CBS Sunday Morning has provided the largest audience yet for her unique blend of laugh-out-loud humor and common sense wisdom."

Credit

She had an 'opening act' in that she followed street poet Joaquín Zihuatanejo . He was awesome! He has some stuff on YouTube. You should look him up.

I went to see Nancy and she was great. She speaks the truth in an accessible way. I love her essays on CBS Sunday morning. Watch one here.

So, the best part about living in a college town (besides the football, of course!) is that on a random Wednesday morning you can check your email, find out about a free community event, walk over to said event after work, be moved to tears and forced to think while being engaged in your own community. Then head the three miles to home. Does it get any better?

wordless Wednesday 11-2-11

Fall color in Corvallis

Two.month.hiatus

It has been nearly two months since I posted. It is not that I don't have a story to share. I do. I have tons. I have been adding them to a list.. Some are even here in Blogger in rough draft form. But life got busy. The term got rolling. I was traveling. Classes needed to be taught. Excuse. Excuse. Excuse.

One of the things I remember most from grad school was this phrase: Write before you are ready.

It's message is simple, but extremely difficult to execute. You want to have all of your thoughts together. You want them all to be golden. But that isn't reality. You have to write. Some of it will be good. Some will be awful.

If it is writing that truly matters (i.e. the 10 conference submissions I am writing now) then you write and edit and write more and edit more and wind up with a completed product of which you can be proud (in this case hopefully by the December 19th deadline). If it is writing that doesn't determine your fate - like this blog- just write. Polish some. Post.

There is no excuse for not writing.

The reality is this: This blog is not a drain on my productivity. It is an outlet for my creativity. Writing this way frees my thoughts up for more academic writing. Writing begets more writing.

My issue is I don't like to write until the post is finished in my head. I don't like to "let posts go" until they are done. I need to get over myself. Time to write.

Looking over Marys Peak

Yesterday I left work around 4:30 with the idea that I was going to get my oil changed. It is due next week but my parents are coming to town and we are going to road trip around Oregon... so the responsible thing seemed to be getting it done before they get here.

Something happened on the way to the service center... I decided to drive to the top of Marys Peak instead.You can see this peak from Corvallis and it is the tallest in the coastal range. Going to the top has been on my summer bucket list and, after a day of feeling unproductive in the office, I thought it might be nice to check something off some list somewhere.

I learned something about myself. On the windy, switchback road to the top, my knees were getting a little shaky and my breathing was off.  I had a thought: I think I might be afraid of heights. I know I don't like ladders and rock climbing is not on my wish list anywhere, but this was a new sensation. It is weird that it was as powerful as it was yesterday. Coming home from Missouri each Christmas, I would race over the Appalachians between Knoxville, TN and Asheville, NC, at 65 mph (sometimes in the snow). It has never really phased me. But that was Interstate 40 and it is 2-4 lanes wide. This was a winding, tree-lined road that, in places, was really only wide enough for one car. It shook me up a little, I won't lie.

I stopped along the road to take a few pictures and catch my breath.

Once you get to the parking lot at the top, you are above the treeline.The view was worth the shaky-kneed drive. There is a bit of hiking across a field along a service road to reach the actual peak (4,097ft above sea level) and I made the trek.... still in my sandals and dress clothes from work (being impulsive has its down side).

After hiking the service road/trail up to the top, you are rewarded with panoramic views of the coastal range, the Willamette valley and, on a clear day, all the way to the Pacific. This was not a clear day, but great all the same.

 

This was my favorite... a shot as I turned around to head back down.

Finding my focus

Photo credits: Dani Ihtatho.

My focus is gone.
It is one of my strengths. In fact, on StrengthsFinder, it is my #4 strength.*

But it seems to be gone and I am not sure why.

I have some theories:
Perhaps it is because my back is angry right now and sitting for any length of time just wears on me. I get up to stretch and relieve the aching and I cannot seem to jump back to the same place.

Perhaps it is because the to-do list seems to grow, not shrink lately and the freedom I need to focus and not flit between projects just doesn't seem to be there.

Perhaps it is because there is no space in my life right now. I need to make room so I can have a profound workday.

I read a post recently about Getting Focused and Concentrating.(read it here)  My new goal is to turn off the music, close the email, make a shorter (daily) to do list and get my focus back.

*My Strengths are Achiever, Deliberative, Learner, Focus and Competition.

First Beaver Game

I went to my first Beaver Football game on Saturday. I wish I could say a good time was had by all - but I would be lying. There is nothing fun about losing a non-conference game to a Division I-AA team, in overtime. I am bracing myself for a Beaver bloodletting in Wisconsin this weekend. I am, however, ridiculously excited that college football season is here. And, lucky for me, I can also root for my Missouri Tigers and the NCSU Wolfpack.

Currently Anticipating: A visit from my parents - arriving on Saturday and staying for a week!
Currently Dreading: Finalizing a mini-grant summary report by Friday. Ugh.
Currently Enjoying: A taste of summer in Oregon and reeling in the 90 degree temps.

Worshiping the wrong way

I saw this on Michael Hyatt.com and was challenged enough to share it. I am willing to admit this is sometimes me. What about you?

Some of this week's favorites

I have been spending quality time with my Google Reader. I am down to only 180 posts or so which is major progress. Here are some of my favorites:

As someone who always feels over committed, I enjoyed reading Being Spread Thin Is Not Sexy by Caitlin Muir.

This photo series from MSNBC made me chuckle out loud.

I always enjoy the 'Don't Be That Guy' posts from Tyler Stanton but I really enjoyed the College Football Fan edition (You geeky conference types will also like the conference version of DBTG from Bryan Allain. Good stuff.

I am digging into the archives on Jeff Goins' site which is all about 'Writing'. It was a good addition to the Reader.

Adding Pages to the blog

I recently spent some time adding Pages to the top of my blog. (If you only follow this blog through an RSS feeder, you might have missed them) They are works in progress, but I am a list maker by nature, so it seemed like a natural thing... to make lists.

There is a list of all the things I have read and want to read.

There is a bucket list.

There is also an about me page (definitely still under construction).

Those of you that know me well, how would you describe me?
What is on your reading list?
What is on your bucket list?
What else do I need a page about?

Columbia will always have a place in my heart

They say you can't go home again. The same is true for going back to places where you have been a student.  You can't go back, but you can visit. And last week I did just that. I went back to visit friends in Columbia, Missouri, where I spent 3 years as a PhD student.

I took off at 2:30am Wednesday and headed to Portland for a 6am flight. After a small layover in Salt Lake City, I made it to Kansas City. And, what do you do when in Kansas City? You find BBQ.

We found Oklahoma Joe's. It is in a converted gas station on the Kansas side of KC.

The menu is great and the food was amazing. I had a simple pulled pork sandwich with a side of life-changing fries. The only thing left on the tray were the pickles. 

This was the first of many diet de-railing stops. In the course of 4 days, we visited Shakespeare's, D. Rowe's, Addison's and Andy's Frozen Custard. We grilled steaks one night and I had a lunch at the HyVee Grocery Store (Only the best for me)! I do miss the comfort food of the Midwest but living in Oregon sure makes dieting easier.

I watched two movies... in the theater. Went to see 'The Help' with Claire on Friday afternoon (I had read the book back in June). I went to see '30 minutes or Less' with Jonathon on Saturday afternoon. I haven't seen many movies in the theaters lately so this was quite the splurge.

To top it all off, Claire and I spent a lazy Saturday afternoon watching the Lifetime Movie Network's 'Stranger in My Bed'...a truly mockable flick that made for some entertaining viewing. We even managed to predict some of the lines.

Columbia is a great town and I enjoyed my time living there. I truly did. But for me, the people made my experience.  Many of the people who made Columbia so special have moved away to Arizona, Iowa, Oklahoma, Utah, Hawaii, Nevada, Texas, South Dakota, and elsewhere. But most of my Thursday Office Night Crew still lives there- for another year at least. And, despite all the places I went, amazing food I ate, and movies I got to see, the best part was spending time with Jonathon, Heidi, and Claire. Love you guys!

My dad's new toy

He has wanted one since 1995... it is about time. Go dad!

Wordless Wednesday 8-17-11

While at the state park this weekend, I saw kids playing in the lake. This diapered up kiddo preferred the icky, stagnant water between the floating pier and the shore.

(Her brother was wearing Oregon gear so I feel I can safely call her a 'baby' Duck)

Florence

I spent Saturday at Honeyman State Park in Florence, Oregon. My Grad and Career group was camping Friday to Sunday and, well, I don't camp. So, I got up at 6am on Saturday, grabbed some Starbucks and made the 2 hour trek south to meet them. We spent some time around the morning campfire and then decided we would try the beach. They have done these camp outs for years. And, every year they go to the beach. And, apparently, the weather rarely cooperates. 

This year was definitely an exception. Check out the views from the tops of the dunes.

I picked this spot to sit and enjoy the waves. Gorgeous! Thanks for cooperating, Oregon.

After the beach, we had sandwiches and hiked around the park and lake for a while and came back to camp in time to enjoy some camp stove fajitas. I then made the trek back to Corvallis (with my friend Kim along for the ride). I got to spend the day on the beach and in a State park and still sleep in my own bed. A good time.... and no sleeping on the ground :-)

How I Travel

I like routines. I like things clean. I am a planner. (If you ask my sister, she will say I am O.C.D.)

Toe-maato, Toe-mato!

There is a routine I go through when I travel (meaning being away from home more than one night). It goes something like this.

48 hours (or so) before departing:
Clean the house (vacuum, mop, dishes, counters, toilets, etc.).
Do laundry (so that everything I might want to pack is clean).
Pull out suitcase (complete with travel sized liquids containers- refill if necessary).
Make an overall packing list.
Set up online bill pay for anything that may come due while I am gone. (I typically only pay bills once a month but sometimes my travel dates occur across when this one bill paying session comes around.)
Set DVR for the time I am gone.

Night before I travel:
Pack my bags.
Make a "last minute list" of everything that cannot get packed the night before (i.e. cell phone charger, pillow).
Water the houseplants.
Make sure I have cash on hand (if not, I hit an ATM or a store with a cash back option).
Check mail. (I only do this once a week but I try to make sure I have done it right before I am gone).
Print boarding pass.

Day of travel:
Pack the things on the last minute list.
Load car.
Carry out all trash (including things from the fridge that will expire while I am gone).
Unplug any electronics that can be unplugged.
Lock up doors and windows.
I always park in the same area of airport parking so I can remember where it was (and I put the parking zone's letter/number into my phone's calendar on my return date).

Returning:
First, I check the mail. It is an apartment mailbox so it can get so full they stop delivering.
When I come home, the house is clean (because I left it that way).
My suitcase goes immediately to the laundry area and gets unpacked and put away as I arrive (or if I am home after midnight, it is first thing the next morning).
I plug things back in as I need them, saving me electricity by not having items plugged in that are not in use.

What did I miss? What else are you certain to do before/after you travel?

Google's sense of humor

Google definitely has a sense of humor.

Example 1: I took a moment to clean up my browsing history. I use Google Chrome as my browser . You have to select what you want to delete and how far back. I love that I was choosing what to 'Obliterate' and that I had the choice of deleting items from 'the beginning of time'.

Google also has a sense of humor when you search for ridiculous directions. Ask a silly question, get a silly answer. For example, when I ask how to get to Hawaii from my town here in Oregon, they tell me how. Notice Step 13: Kayak across the Pacific Ocean (2,756miles). Thanks Google!

Do you have other examples of Google being humorous?

My upstairs neighbors

I live in an apartment. In fact, I have been there just over a year now. For the first year, there was a tiny girl and her occasional boyfriend who lived upstairs. I am assuming she was tiny. Either that or she levitated rather than walking on the floor because I rarely heard her up there. I know three other things about her: She played the flute, she ate lots of things that needed to be chopped on a cutting board between 5-6pm, and her boyfriend slept over on Sunday evenings (don't ask me how I know that last one). If it had not been for those things, I would have assumed the apartment above me was vacant. Apparently, she moved out in July.

Fast forward to two weekends ago when I got new upstairs neighbors.

If noise level is any indication, they a band of overweight, tap dancers and they have a small child who is required to run from one end of the apartment to the other every 4 minutes.

I miss my levitating, fruit-chopping, flute player.

Wordless Wednesday's 8-10-11

I found artwork for my bedroom this weekend (I haven't hung it yet, but I will soon). I love it!

Currently looking forward to: Spending Saturday at Honeyman State Park in Florence
Currently giddy about: my trip to Missouri next week
Currently dreading: the mountain of qualitative data sitting on my desk
Currently reading: Time is a River by Mary Alice Monroe

The Murano needs a name

I think cars need a name.

I have had my Nissan Murano for one year (it wasn't new, but it was new to me). It took a bit of a beating in February (read the story here). I was still on the hunt for a name for my car when this happened so I decided to temporarily call her Fergie (because she had a black eye- get it!).

After spending last week at the body shop, she is all better.Thus, I think she need a new, more permanent name.

Here is what you need to know:

• She is definitely a "She:... girl or gender neutral names only.
• She is a Nissan Murano.
• She is silver.
• Word on the street (mixed results on Google) is that 'Murano' is a slang Spanish word for pig so piggy-themed names could be appropriate. Leave your suggestion in the comment section.

Wordless Wednesdays 8-3-11

In honor of my parents who celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary on Friday.

Couldn't care less....

I saw a post a while back on BryanAllain.com called 21 Things I Couldn't Care Less About. 

Here is his list:
1…what the school board voted to do last week.
2…which of my friends have recently changed their Facebook avatar.
3…the new cast of Dancing with the Stars.
4…anything that involves the phrase ‘APR Financing’.
5…the score from last night’s WNBA game.
6…which celebrity wore it best.
7…how loud your motorcycle is.
8…whether you’re on Team Jacob or Team Edward.
9…your proficiency in whatever first-person shooter game is the flavor of the month.
10…what Lady Gaga is or isn’t wearing
11…the correct pronunciation of that word I just mispronounced.
12…the weight loss secret doctors don’t want me to know about.
13…why you won’t watch LOST.
14…who put the bop in the bop she bop she bop.
15…how much you drank last weekend.
16…what they talked about on The View this morning.
17…how much research your stock trading software allows me to do.
18…boxing.
19…which state won Miss USA.
20…the price of tea in China.
21…anything Keith Olberman or Bill O’Reilly has said in the last 100 years

I agree with most of his list, but it got me thinking: What are the things that I couldn't care less about? Here are my additions...

What Lindsay Lohan has done.
Who let the dogs out?

My horoscope.
Any celebrity and their 'love' children...this means you, too Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The size of your carbon footprint.
Your score on any Facebook game.
Who won a Tony Award?

Any of the 'Real Housewives' of any city, anywhere

The latest research study that says coffee is bad. I am going to drink it anyway.

The latest research study that says coffee is good. I am going to drink it anyway.

Royal weddings.

Google+

Al Gore.

What else should be on this list?

Sometimes a weekend...

Sometimes a weekend is just a weekend. I had grand plans for this weekend that would have been followed by a fabulous blog post about the amazing Oregon-like things I did with my weekend. Instead, this was one of those veg-around-the-house-wearing-your-pajamas-nearly-all-day kinda weekends.

I went to a Corvallis Knights game on Friday night with some friends. It was a great time. Saturday morning I rolled out of bed and drove across town to weigh-in at a Weight-watchers meeting. I weighed in, but didn't stay for the actual meeting. I ate a breakfast bar and back to bed I went - for 5 more hours. I got up long enough to run to the grocery store and find something for lunch/dinner. After eating, it was some DVR on the couch and an early bedtime.

Sunday was a virtual repeat. My grand plans went out the window. I did make it to my dinner & documentary group (we had dessert instead of dinner and it was a movie instead of a documentary - but who's counting?) but I was in bed less than 20 minutes after the movie ended.

I guess my body needed sleep more than it needed an entertaining Oregon weekend. Maybe next weekend.

Currently Craving: fabulous Columbia, MO food (I am making a list of places I want to visit in a few weeks)
Currently Reading: Cutting for Stone as my entertainment book and Jesus Calling as my daily devotional (Thanks Betsy!)
Currently Planning: to check some more things off my Summer Bucket List

My anniversary

Today is my anniversary: I have been with Oregon State one year.

That is almost hard for me to believe. Last summer was a gut-wrenching mix of graduating, getting a job, leaving friends, moving cross-country, starting a new job, and beginning the process of settling in.

This year is vastly different. I have renewed my lease for another year. I have created a workout and diet routine that are working for me and I am down 22 pounds from this time last year. I have found a church I enjoy. I have made friends (although there is much progress to make in this area). I have research irons in the fire. I have developed working relationships with colleagues I enjoy.

Perhaps most importantly: I have learned the rhythm of Oregon State. It makes a huge difference when you have been in a place long enough to be able to anticipate what comes next and make informed judgments about how you should spend your time. That will make all the difference as I go through the next year.

I feel pretty settled -- perhaps as settled as I know how to be. What a difference a year makes!

Currently anticipating: My upcoming trip to Columbia, Mo
Currently watching: Season 9 of Project Runway
Currently thankful: My father's latest ER trip was apparently not heart related

Wordless Wednesday 7-27-11

If you aren't following postsecret.com, you should be. This was the most touching secret from this Sunday.

One Year Ago on "On The Wrong Coast"

This time last year, life was moving warp speed.
I started a blog.
I spent some time at home between getting a job and moving to Oregon.
I bought a car.
Roadtripped across the country... stopping in Missouri, Nebraska, Wyoming and Utah.
I moved into a new apartment and bought new furniture.
And, started work at a new job. So far, this July has been hectic, but thankfully nothing like the summer of 2010.

"These are a few of my favorite things..."

I have a number of bloggers that I follow. I thought I would share my favorite items they have posted or introduced me to lately....

Definitely love this idea behind this site: Dear Photograph (saw it on Tyler Stanton's blog)

I really enjoyed this post on Getting Unstuck from Michael Hyatt

I think I am addicted to PostSecret... and I look at it every Sunday morning (most of the time I can see it on Saturday night since I am on the 'Wrong Coast').

I know I cannot be the first one to tell you about this site, but I LOVE the Pioneer Woman... pretty much the whole site is amazing, but when I get busy, I still read the Confessions blog posts on a regular basis.

And I was asked recently how I find time to go to all of these individual sites on a daily basis... the quick answer is: I don't. I use Google Reader. You don't have to use that site, but you should be using something. From their own page, Google Reader is described as "Your personalized inbox for the entire web" And, most of the time I read right off of my iGoogle page so I don't go past my homepage unless I want to comment on  a post.

Back from the road

I am back from the road. I spent a glorious week and a half in North Carolina with family.

Edited 7/19 I should also mention that I got to see Dave, Tracy, Liz, Grover, Gabriel, Kira, Josiah, Jamie, Jim, Jeff and Joy. (Sorry for the oversight, Liz! I just consider y'all family.)

I got to see my brother's girls. Emily is old enough now that she understand what it means when I leave.

I got to eat Bojangles (3 times), but still managed to lose 2 lbs while on vacation.

I went to Myrtle Beach and played in the pool with my sister, her kids and my parents.

I got to see my friends Leigh and Sherilee (one who has recently become a mom and the other who will become a mom in about a month). Love these ladies.

I left NC and went to Denver for 4 days for the Association of Leadership Educators Conference.

I ate breakfast at a diner that had been on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives"... yumm-O.

I got to tour Invesco Field at Mile High.

We stayed at The Curtis hotel. (I couldn't take enough pictures since my nephew's name is Curtis. He will also be getting some hotel pens.) It was kitschy and fun and I recommend it to anyone traveling through Denver.

NC, I will see you for Christmas. Denver, I don't know when, but we shall meet again.

Currently Feeling: a travel hangover
Currently Anticipating: The last Harry Potter movie coming out at midnight (with the current jet lag state, I may wait until this weekend to see it.)
Currently Thankful: for the cool, settled weather in Oregon. Today's high: 72

Summer Conference in the Hood

Hood River, that is. Oregon Ag Teachers Summer Conference was held in Hood River, Oregon in June (I know I am a little behind but I have been on vacation so cut me some slack ;-)

It was gorgeous. Enjoy some photos of scenic Mt. Hood and the Hood River Valley.

On the way home, I took Scenic 30 and drove to the top of Crown Point to look out of the Vista House and take in the Columbia River gorge. This checks another item off my summer bucket list. There is a picture of the Vista House, and then a view east and a view west. It was definitely a great drive (just east of Portland) and I will do it again... hopefully when the parents come to visit.

And Yes, I am a Yellow Dog. Thanks for asking!