Oregon Road Trip: Crater Lake, Umpqua River, Ashland

We set out on the winding Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway the next morning and found ourselves easily distracted on the 90-mile trip to Crater Lake. The road traverses alongside the stunning Umpqua River almost the entire way to Crater Lake, which meant that we were driving in a secluded, wilderness dream and could not imagine missing a single drop of the beauty. Our intention to reach Crater Lake in one day was officially squashed as we read about the waterfalls, hot springs and hiking that awaited us along the road up to Crater Lake. 

Toketee Falls beckoned to us and we listened, making our first detour of the trip a mere 50 miles from where we started the morning. We hopped out of the car and hiked on the perfectly maintained trail until we reached the highlight of the hike, the roaring, two tiered Toketee Falls. The falls' first tier drops 40 feet into an upper pool, then crashes another 80 feet down basalt rock into another gorgeous, green-blue pool. 

Toketee Falls on the Umpqua River, Oregon

After feeling the mist of the Toketee Falls, we were eager to soak in the elusive Umpqua Hot Springs. We had read online that it is rather difficult to access, but we thought that together the three of us could figure out the cryptic maps. We read that it was a short, but steep hike up to the hot springs - which perch atop a rocky bluff that drops 200 feet to the rushing Umpqua River below. After circling the area a couple times, we jumped out of the car and started hiking on a trail that seemed to match the descriptions we had read online. An hour and a half of hiking later, we decided we were likely not on the right trail and turned back. The unintended hike may have wasted time, but it did make if feel like we actually deserved a soak in the hot springs. With new determination we found the hidden turn in the road, climbed the steep trail and found ourselves in heaven. 

The cloudy, blue-gray pools line the cliff of the mountain as they descend down to the river. The top pool boasts a temperature of 112 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a bit steamy to soak in for too long. The pool temperatures gradually decrease as you descend the mountain and we found ourselves, like Goldilocks, testing each and every pool until we found the one that was "just right." By the time we left the hot springs, the sun was beginning to set and we needed to find a place to stay the night. 

Umpqua Hot Springs

I have read that the best time of year to visit Crater Lake is from late May to mid-October when all of the roads are open, but we pressed our luck in my little Honda Civic and were rewarded with cheap hotel rooms, zero tourists, and lovely snow. After spending the night in a questionable motel, we found ourselves slowly driving up a snow covered mountain to Crater Lake. At the top, we spent a whopping fifteen, frigid minutes gazing out at the deep-blue water before heading into the gift shop for heat. 

Crater Lake is a caldera lake, which was created by the collapse of the volcano Mount Mazama. Mount Mazama once stood at a little under 12,000 feet, but when it exploded about 7,700 years ago it was reduced to just over 8,000 feet. Left in place of the mountain peak was now a caldera, which filled with rain and snowmelt over the years until it became Crater Lake. Reaching a maximum depth of more than 1,900 feet, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and among the deepest in the world. 

Crater Lake National Park

Nestled along the boarder of Oregon and California, lies the friendly town of Ashland, Oregon. As we explored the town, our extreme disappointment in Eugene was suddenly replaced with visions of our future home in Ashland. Home to the renowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland welcomes over 400,000 visitors each year from February to October to attend plays produced by William Shakespeare. The majority of the plays take place on one of three outdoor stages and the city bustles with tourism. I kept imagining Chase having a solid career in prop design with such a theatrical culture. I imagined myself owning a farm in one of the most fertile parts of our country - where the climate is so mild that they can even grow tropical fruit! 

We ended up staying two nights in Ashland, where I was able to catch up with a friend from my days working for F.H. King at UW-Madison. Vincent is now a professor at Southern Oregon University and just as eager as always to get students interested and passionate about growing food. I had a delicious dinner with his family and noted that if we did move to Ashland, we would actually know someone in our new town. 

After a few busy days of sight seeing and hiking, we were anxious to finally cross the border into sunny California. Next on the agenda: Redwoods and wine country. 

Oregon Road Trip: Tillamook, Lincoln City, Yaquina

When there is no defined schedule, no planned route, life's most difficult decision each day is, where do we go next? Yes, the fact that such a trivial matter is our daily burden means that our life is utterly incredible at this moment, but somehow it still tends to become a major point of anxiety. I look at the atlas and I am suddenly paralyzed with indecision, I read through the guidebook and imagine visiting every wine tasting, lighthouse tour and picnic stop within our general vicinity. If we miss the beach covered in mysterious ocean glass, will I ever see it again? If we head east instead of south, will I never see the continent's largest sand dunes? What if I never smell the sea cavern that is home to hundreds of sea lions? At some point in the morning I always end up realizing that I must make a decision or we will be sitting at the Arco gas station for the rest of our lives. Luckily, for the next part of the trip I had Chase and Alex in the car to calm my worrisome mind.

We left Portland first thing in the morning knowing that we needed to reach San Francisco within the next month. If we wanted to take the shortest route, we could have cruised down I-5 for 650 miles and reached it without a hitch. But, how boring is a road trip that only drives on one road, and a four lane interstate for that matter? Instead, we left Portland and went west, back to the beach. Chase and I were still in a delightful daze from our visit to Cannon Beach and we wanted to show Alex the beach beauty.  The lovely highway 101 runs all along the coast of Oregon, making it easy to leisurely explore the wild coast.

On the way to the beach we made a pit stop at the Tillamook factory. While you in the Midwest may have never heard of Tillamook cheese, it is a regional mainstay in the West. We have seen it on grocery shelves from Seattle to San Francisco. Tillamook is famous for it's rain, they receive over 90 inches each year, which makes for lush green grass and the perfect place for cows. There are about 120 dairy farms in Tillamook County, which amounts to 28,000 cows countywide. In the early 1900's local farmers organized their efforts and created a dairy cooperative that is still responsible today for running the Tillamook factory. Together, their farms produce about 1.3 million pounds of milk each day, all of which is processed into award winning cheese, yogurt and ice cream. We spent a couple delicious hours sampling cheese and watching the incredible workings of a dairy factory. After our tour and tastings we felt like we deserved lunch and we were well rewarded at the factory cafe with gooey grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.

The famous Tillamook baby loaf of cheese in the factory and on the road!

After such a filling morning, we walked off our calories along Lincoln City's beach. This isn't any ordinary beach, this is a beach filled with treasures. Each year between October and May, the city hides over 2,000 glass floats along a 7 1/2 mile stretch of beach. They commission local glass blowers to create these wonders to promote tourism in the off-season. It sure worked for us. We called the local Visitor Bureau when we were 15 minutes from town and got the scoop. Each day they hide 7-10 floats along the beach to be found by anyone dedicated enough to walk 7 1/2 miles in the rain and wind. We were adventurous, we had rain coats, so we set off determined to search until we found treasure. Three hours later, soaked to the bone and chilly we got back into our car feeling like pirates who couldn't remember where they had buried their treasure. I wish so much I could show you a picture of us holding our treasure, but it will have to wait until the next time I return to Lincoln City.

As evening approached, we decided that it was going to be a bit too blustery to sleep in a tent. We found the next best thing at the Beverly Beach State Park - a yurt! Yurts became our new best friend on this road trip. For only $40 a night we had the luxury of electricity, heat and shelter. After a warm, restful night of sleep we awoke to find that we were only a couple steps from the beach. There were seals swimming in the ocean and we soaked in the beauty of the coast.

Our yurt at Beverly Beach State Park, Oregon

We jumped in the car, eager to get a few miles under our belts, but became distracted within the first six miles by the Yaquina Head State Park. Earlier this year, we splurged and purchased a National Park annual visitor pass for $80.00. Anytime we think we will be able to use it, we do and Yaquina head was the perfect destination. We received an 1800's style lighthouse tour from the daughter of the keeper, we watched seals bask on the rocks and we touched sea creatures in tidal pools.

Yaquina Head State Park

Night number two found us in another yurt, this time at the Umpqua Lighthouse State Park, home to North America's largest coastal sand dunes. We walked around the beautiful freshwater Lake Marie and ended up on the ocean once more, but this time surrounded by sand as far as the eye could see. We had only managed to travel 200 miles in two days, so we decided to pick it up a bit and head inland to Eugene. We had extremely high hopes for Eugene - too high, in fact. I had spent some time researching it's appeal as a city and on paper it checked all the boxes: decent size city, entrepreneur friendly, thriving art scene and decent weather. However, seeing something in reality is much different than reading about it online. It felt worn out and grungy, not a place where we could see ourselves living. Although we had planned to stay the night in Eugene, we ended up getting out as soon as possible and driving south. Our next destination was Crater Lake and we stayed in Roseburg for the night, a great launching pad for exploration into the Umpqua National Forest.

Only three days into our road trip and we have seen beaches, oceans, sand dunes and mountains. On the agenda next is Crater Lake, hot springs and moldy motels. Check back soon!

Road trip roadies: seals, seagulls and us! 

City Livin'

It has been far too long since we have updated you on our travels. We left Zig Zag Mountain Farm the first week of November and since then have been vagabonds, exploring the western coast without a care in the world. That's not completely true, we are always concerned that we are spending too much money or that we won't find our next farm, but overall life has been blissfully tranquil. 

It's incredible how quickly a new place can feel like home. We left our farm in the mountains sad to go, but excited for the adventure ahead. The owners of Zig Zag Mountain farm also own a hostel in downtown Portland, so our first stop was to spend a night at the Northwest Portland Hostel. This hostel is unlike any I have experienced traveling abroad. We had a private room, with a fireplace and down comforter on the bed. For this type of private room it runs around $60 / night, but if you prefer to stay in a dorm room it will only set you back $21. The hostel is located in Portland's quietly cool Alphabet District, close enough to everything downtown Portland offers but secluded enough to feel relaxed. 

Indulging in Portland's most famous junk food

Our first stop after Portland was to spend time with my Dad's cousin, Mike, at his farm on Puget Island, Washington. We spent a restful weekend casually touring the island on our bicycles, taking the ferry to Astoria, where we educated ourselves on all things ocean at the Maritime Museum and getting to know local artists at the Tsuga Gallery in Cathlamet. At the museum, we learned what it took to be the fishing capital of the coast. Canneries filled the seaside towns, ready to process the daily catch. Most cannery workers were Chinese immigrants and were extremely efficient. An individual could clean a 40-pound salmon in 45 seconds. In a grueling 11-hour workday, this amounted to 1,700 fish cleaned per day. 

Mike's farm is a picturesque property spanning a hundred acres on the small Puget Island. It's an hourly thrill to watch ships carefully navigate down the Columbia River and into Portland. With the right phone app, it is even possible to track the country of origin, cargo and destination of each ship that passes by the living room window. 

Exploring Puget Island

We left Mike's farm with the plan of heading north to Seattle, where he and Priscilla live year-round. But, Chase and I decided to take the scenic route and wound up spending the night along the stunning Oregon coast. Yes, we went south rather than north, but it was more than worth it to spend an evening in Cannon Beach. The typical cold, windy, rainy weather disappeared when we arrived and we spent our afternoon on the beach, basking in rays of the rare November sun. It seems like the more we travel, the luckier we become with finding deals on accommodations. Of course it also has something to do with the fact that it was a Sunday in November, but either way, we scored an apartment-sized room just a stone's throw away from the beach for $75. Our lodging came complete with a full kitchen, gas fireplace and plush linens. Whenever we find a town that feels right, we start planning our future, so it may be that our next home is a farm/art gallery on the ocean, just outside of Cannon Beach. No, we haven't yet decided how to fund our future, but that doesn't stop us from dreaming.

Panoramic view from atop the Astoria tower, playing at Cannon Beach alongside the famous Haystack sea stack

The next day we cruised to Seattle along the winding, coastal roads. Seattle was never a city where we imagined ourselves settling down, but after seeing it on sunny day, we have added it to our ever-expanding list. We spent our day in Seattle taking part in all of the free activities we could find, with a little help from National Geographic. The first stop was to climb atop the old water tower in Volunteer Park to get a view of the entire city. Looking west is a panoramic view of downtown Seattle and to the east is Lake Washington. Who needs the twenty-two dollar Space Needle when there is an equally stunning view for free? The next free stop was under the Fremont Street bridge to see the famous 18 foot, one-eyed, stone troll that lurks beneath. Our sculpture tour continued at the Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Park. The nine-acre park traverses from the city center down to the Puget Sound. Sculptures line the path all the way to a remote beach, in the heart of the city. It seemed an oddly relaxing place within the bustling city. The weather was too nice to be wasted indoors, so we continued our outdoor adventure at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in the Ballard neighborhood. Chase and I cheered salmon as they climbed up the fish ladder and watched boats passing through the locks. 

Chase being a supermodel in the Olympic Sculpture Garden

All of this walking built up quite an appetite and we had a few hours until we were to meet Jocelyn and Scott for dinner. The Scandinavian neighborhood of Ballard beckoned us to an oyster happy hour, beer tasting and snacking on cured meats. Yes, I tried my first raw oyster. The bartender was quite the oyster shucking professional having shucked them his entire life with his family and over 900 just last weekend. He taught us all about selecting a quality oyster and encouraged me to try the first one plain - no lemon, no sauces, just raw shellfish. I tried hard not to gag as it slipped down my throat, but I wouldn't say it's my new favorite food. Somehow, Chase loves the slippery little things and delighted in each bite. We indulged in Ballard and in return felt at home in the friendly neighborhood. Jocelyn and Scott live in the nearby area of Queen Anne, where they spoiled us with homemade pizza and wine. Their cozy apartment left us nostalgic for a home of our own, maybe even in Seattle.

Oyster happy hour at Ballard Annex

Marisa, our Zig Zag farm friend, spent the weekend in Seattle so we gave her a ride back to Portland. Somehow, we found room in our car for another person. Her and Mick have begun to settle into their new home in Portland and cooked for us once again, crafting a coconut curry that had me begging for more. The next morning we picked up Alex, our other Zig Zag farm friend, and began an unforgettable two-week road trip throughout Oregon and California. Stay tuned! 

Dining and Lodging

Ecola Lodge
Cannon Beach, Oregon
Cozy, country lodge cottages with full kitchens and separate bedrooms 

Ballard Annex
Seattle, Washington 
Casual chic oyster bar and fine dining 

Noble Fir 
Seattle, Washington
Knowledgeable bartenders of extensive craft beer and cider menu

Exploring Mount Hood

We arrived at Zig Zag Mountain Farm just over two weeks ago but it wasn't until yesterday that Oregon proved it's namesake of being a rain soddened state. A little rain wasn't about to prohibit us from experiencing the wonders of Mount Hood, so we put on our rain gear and headed out for a hike to Lower Twin Lake. The first two miles of the trail traversed along the Pacific Crest Trail. The Pacific Crest Trail runs 2,663 miles from the boarder of Mexico all the way to the boarder of Canada. Approximetly 180 individuals successfully complete the hike each year and it takes roughly four to six months of hiking 20 miles per day. I hope one day I can persuade Chase to complete such a massive hike, but we will have to take it day by day and yesterday I was able to persuade him into hiking in the rain to a misty lake in the wilderness of Oregon - mission accomplished. 

After we were thoroughly chilled to the bone, we drove up the mountain to the famous Timberline Lodge to sit next to roaring fires and indulge in some desperately needed hot buttered rum. The lodge was built in 1936 as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project during the Great Depression. Franklin D. Roosevelt was especially proud of the project and visited the lodge upon it's completion in 1937 to note that this Lodge was a way to test the "workability of recreational facilities installed by the Government itself and operated under its complete control." The lodge was crafted with native timber by hundreds of local craftsmen that had been out of work until this project. In 1939, the original Magic Mile chairlift opened on Mt. Hood. It was the first chairlift in Oregon and the second chairlift in North America, with it came the golden era of skiing on Mt. Hood. Good times lasted until February, 1955 when the United States Forest Service was forced to shut down Timberline Lodge due to mis-management and bankruptcy. The formerly family friendly lodge was now overrun with gambling and prostitution. By July, 1955 the lodge was back open, complete with new ownership and new attitudes. Luckily, by the late 50's financial uncertainty was a distant concern as America flocked to the slopes and skiing became a new favorite American past time. 

We spent the rest of our afternoon cozy and content, sitting beneath fir trees with a six foot diameter and wondering how such a creation could have been completed in a mere 15 months. We watched as the land around us became white with six inches of freshly fallen snow. The food and drink only reaffirmed our love for Timberline Lodge. We shared a plate of northwest artisan cheese along with Portland made charcuterie. It was the perfect meal to follow such an idyllic afternoon with good friends.

Zig Zag Mountain Farm

I am exhausted. Our first week at Zig Zag Mountain Farm has ended and it wore me out. The month long hiatus we took in Minnesota did nothing for my endurance. I am now sitting in the kitchen, with a blazing fire at my back, sipping tea and reminiscing about our latest road trip. We planned on camping each night on our way out West, just as we did this summer, but this time the weather did not cooperate. Bismarck, North Dakota was our first overnight stop and Chase had picked out a sentimental campsite for us, located along the Missouri River, the same river we camped on earlier this summer when we set out on the road. However, the tornado warnings and torrential rain prohibited us from any outdoor sleeping and we settled on the cheapest hotel.

I do not have a single good reason for why we slept in a hotel on night two, only that we arrived in Missoula around 9:00pm, hungry and tired. We could not imagine searching for a campsite and setting up in the frigid darkness. Finally, on night three, in the middle of wheat country Washington, we camped. Our drive to Palouse Falls State Park was slightly confusing. We knew that we were camping next to a rushing waterfall that drops a sudden 200 feet, but we imagined it would be set within a lush, wooded area, since we had been told that the state of Washington was full of rain. Yet, once we crossed into Washington, it felt like we were back in North Dakota - only flatter. Fields of wheat ran off in all directions for as far as I could see. The road looked like it had been only recently paved and was so narrow that we held our breath whenever another car would pass. It was the type of road just meant for a car commercial. We snaked between farms and never once saw any kind of forest or wetland. Within a couple of hours, the GPS told us that we would be approaching our destination in one mile. Confusing, there was no water in site. We set up camp and could hear rushing water, but we still couldn't see this supposed waterfall. After walking a mere 100 feet, we set our eyes upon the beauty of Palouse Falls.

The falls are 198 feet in height and drop straight down into a 400 foot canyon. Tectonic forces and Ice Age floods over millions of years all contributed to the creation of such a spectacular sight. We climbed all around the waterfall for hours and never stopped being amazed. The canyon that contains the waterfall continues it's winding ways for miles. The best view is from atop the falls, standing slightly behind the drop. I could feel the power in the water that raged over the rock and I could sense the force that it took to form such a creation. There was no doubt in my mind that the energy in this location was palpable. The air felt like it was waiting for a single spark to unleash it's energy. Standing as close to the edge as I dared, I felt faint when I realized how much trust I was putting in Mother Earth. I was trusting that a cliff of rock and sand would hold my weight. I trusted that the ledge I was relying upon wouldn't crumble and become part of the pile of fallen rock below. What is it about nature that allows me to trust without question, when I can barely trust my doctor to read an X-ray?

Our night was a cold one. The temperature dropped to 35 degrees, but we were toasty warm in our sleeping bags and sweaters. The next morning we took one last hike around the waterfall and started towards our final destination - Zig Zag Mountain Farm. Along the way we watched the countryside turn from fields to forests. We drove parallel to the lovely Columbia River from east to west, until we reached our turn toward Mount Hood. Our home for the next month is located at the base of one of the largest mountains on the west coast. They say everything here is larger because of all the rainf they receive each year, but it has yet to shed a drop since our arrival. Each day, we work surrounded by Fir trees that rise 100 feet above the ground. The leaves on the Maple trees are massive and each time they tumble to the ground I mistaken them for an approaching animal. They don't just delicately drop to the ground like Minnesota leaves, it's as though they are trying to let the whole world know that this is their last moment of life by making as much noise as possible.

Zig Zag Mountain Farm is different from the other farms we have visited this year. They offer a mountain retreat for workshops and classes throughout the summer. The farm manager, A.J., makes sure that the garden is producing and that the land is in pristine condition. Part of his taking care of the land this summer has been completing a massive forestry project. He and the other volunteers have worked to thin 33 acres of temperate forest to promote tree health and prevent forest fires. I hope you realize what an undertaking like this entails, but in the case that you do not, it means taking a thick forest and removing trees until there is on average 10 feet between each tree. This way enough light can filter through to the trees and keep them growing strong. The process began with sawing down all of the unwanted trees. Once these trees were scattered across the forest floor they had to be responsibly removed. The felled trees had to be limbed, bucked and stacked into organized piles. This meant climbing up and down the mountain, carrying insanely heavy pieces of trees and placing them into organized piles. These piles of wood could now be used for firewood, building materials and woodchips. Chase and I worked on the tail end of this project for the first week and I am proud to say that together we can lift most any fallen tree in the woods - once it has been bucked up of course. My muscles are still getting used to this lumberjack lifestyle, but luckily we have a wood-heated hot tub to ease my pain.