Through the Mist

Warning: This might be a fairly long post since I haven't had a chance to write since last last Thursday.

Friday ended up being a very full day, beginning with us packing up a case of wine and dropping it at a small shop to have it shipped back home before we headed down to Salem. We met friends, Michelle and Josh, at Cristom, did a tasting there, and then went next door to Witness Tree to try out their product as well. Both were pretty good and we, of course, ended up with bottles from each. The four of us then drove into Downtown Salem and had a nice lunch at yet another McMenamin's -- Boon's Treasury. We might as well own stock in this company. With a little time to spare before needing to hit the road again, we ran by Michelle and Josh's house so we could see it and their two dogs -- a chocolate lab named Tahoe and a Siberian Husky named Timberline (Timber, for short). Both the house and the pups were beautiful, and it was fun to sit and chat with friends I hadn't seen since they flew out for our wedding back in 2002. The most exciting news is that Michelle is four months pregnant with a possible Christmas baby.

After saying our goodbyes, we headed to Sutherlin and arrived at Grandma and Grandpa Larry's just as my Aunt Kathy and her new husband, Brian, pulled up. My great grandmother was also there, and we all enjoyed a yummy homemade spaghetti dinner together. Grandma had even baked me a cake for my birthday, which was very sweet of her.

While at Grandma and Larry's, Jarrett and I slept out in their trailer on a bed that was far and away more comfortable than the joke of a mattress we slept on at the Travelodge. I quite enjoyed sleeping in a bit Saturday morning before the four of us took off for Crater Lake. The drive up was absolutely gorgeous. We basically followed the Umpqua River the entire way, which made for stunning views. Larry was kind enough to pull over quite a few times so I could snap some photos. We stopped at Diamond Lake which sits below Crater Lake and had lunch at the lodge there and then continued the drive up and all the way around Crater Lake. I don't know that my photos do justice to how beautiful this lake truly is. It's the deepest lake in the United States (at 1943 feet) and is filled with only snow melt and rainwater -- there are not inlets or outlets to the lake. Because of this, the water is also considered some of the cleanest, most pure water in the world. It is the most incredible blue you have ever seen. We spent the entire day at the lake, stopping off at various pull-outs and just enjoying the views. That evening we grabbed dinner at a Mexican restaurant close to the house, Si Casa Flores, which was quite good -- especially the salsa and the margaritas!

My Uncle Dan (my mom's brother), Aunt Wendie, and two of their friends met us in Sutherlin on Sunday to tour around the country and visit some of the wineries in Southern Oregon. Because Jarrett and I knew nothing about wine from this region, it was interesting trying -- and discovering that we liked -- a few of these wines. We visited four -- Henry Estate, Abacela, Girardet, and Hillcrest Vineyard. I think HillCrest ended up being my favorite, mostly because the woman serving us told us a lot about their processes and how everything is done by just their family of five -- herself, her husband, and their three children. What an amazing and fulfilling (at least it seems it would be) way of life. I left there feeling proud for them. The day was a lot of fun, especially seeing my uncle enjoy his new favorite pasttime -- riding his bright yellow Harley. He and Wendie were on their bike and their friends were on theirs, and they just followed us from winery to winery and then on to the pizza parlor when we hit our max on wine. Later in the evening Grandma and I headed over to Great Grandma's so I could visit her a bit more and say my goodbyes (goodbyes really suck, by the way). It was nice to spend a little more time with her -- it's so great to still have her around. She's 94 and you'd never know it -- she is still completely able and totally with it. She has her aches and pains, but she's doing great.

This morning we went out to breakfast with Grandma and Larry and then headed off again, this time out to Highway 101 (the Oregon Coast Highway) and headed up the coast to Newport. We stopped along the way to take a sand dune buggy ride in Florence -- something we did when we were out here four years ago and just had a blast. Last time it was just the two of us and a driver. An insane driver who seemed pissed at the world that day and slowed down for nothing. It made for a fun, thrilling ride. Today was just as fun -- just not quite as crazy -- though we shared the driver with another couple from South Carolina. I think the other woman wanted to take over control of the wheel, while her husband was clinging onto his seatbelt with all his might. We had a really good time.

We're now at The Whaler in Newport. It's nothing fancy, but we actually have a fabulous view of the Pacific, complete with a balcony and chairs. Our plan is to hit the Rogue Public House for dinner and a couple of pints and then hopefully bring some beer back to the motel and enjoy it on our patio. Last year we brought some back in a Mason jar... we'll have to see if they still pour it that way.

Oh, and if you're wondering about the dog in the photo, that is Molly, Grandma and Larry's Shih Tzu puppy -- spoiled rotten, but can you blame them?