I like fun.

     When I was about six years old (this guess at age is a total crap shoot – I actually have no idea how old I was, I could just have easily been five or eight) my dad traded a dinner ware set (the kind he makes, he’s a potter) for a small sail boat and his love affair with wind and water began. Before this transaction took place, I’m not sure my dad had ever sailed before. Here’s what I do know. My dad learned to sail using a book and his family as crew. Our time on that first boat is cemented in our brains because of all the painful and hilarious moments that always resulted in one of us screaming in exasperation – Dad! Read the book! We weren’t convinced that he was studying at all.

Here’s what WE learned:

1. There’s almost never wind when you need some.
2. If someone shouts “coming about,” you had better duck for cover because you’re about to get a boom in the head (it was a very small boat). For years, even as my dad’s sail boats got much bigger and ducking ceased to be necessary, whenever he said “coming about” I had the instinctual reflex to hit the deck.
3. There’s only one bush (it’s likely sage brush) on all of Lucky Peak Reservoir and we stared at it for many, many, many hours as we waited for a “gust” to speed our way back to shore during those early expeditions.
4. My dad will never buy a motor big enough to water ski behind. This was particularly earth-shattering for all of his kids and from what I’ve heard it’s going to be the same “boat” for the grandchildren.
5. There’s hardly ever wind. But when there is wind, it’s usually way too much and embarrassing things happen when there’s too much wind and you’re trying to learn how to sail.
6. They’re called oars, not roars and no matter what you want to call them, it sucks when you have to use them.

     My dad loves to sail. I think it’s his most favorite fun thing and he’s graciously endured a family who never really warmed to the activity. Even though it’s not my most favorite thing, as my Dad’s sailing skills improved, I learned that sometimes it’s actually pretty fun. On our trip to Eastern Oregon this week, Brent and I were able to sail with my parents on Wallowa Lake. We had just enough wind to keep things interesting and the sailing, a little bit of sun and the company made for a wonderful afternoon on the lake.

     Wallowa Lake is one of my favorite Oregon destinations. I’d say it’s the fourth most beautiful part of the state (the Columbia River Gorge, Crater Lake and the coast slightly out-shine it, but not by much). It was Brent’s first time to Joseph and Wallowa Lake and it was so fun for me to see it all for the first time through his eyes.

     On our way to Joseph, we stopped in Enterprise at Terminal Gravity Brewery. Brent was surprised that such an un-assuming spot brews the beer that so many Portlanders love. We sat outside in their grassy picnic area, had a pint and enjoyed the gorgeous scenery. I love that they have a cooler full of hand-blown glasses that belong to each of the locals who drink there regularly. The charm oozes and the beer is plentiful. Something about the setting makes a Terminal Gravity IPA taste better than it does anywhere else.

     Then it was on to Joseph with its shops/galleries and brass sculptures. The majestic mountains are the perfect backdrop for a stroll through town. My Joseph favorites include – R&R drive in (best soft ice-cream for hundreds of miles – oh, except for the Little Bear in Wallowa – it’s stinking good too), the Outlaw Saloon – they serve beer in frozen mugs that are so cold that ice crystals float up through the beer from the bottom of the glass, the “sexy cowboy” sculpture – just discovered on this trip. I’ve never noticed it before, but my mother enthusiastically pointed it out to Brent (much to my amusement), Embers – sitting on their patio with a glass of wine with the mountains front and center is fabulous and Bee Crow Bee – unbelievably luscious soap and they also have a spa there now.

     And then…Wallowa Lake. The view from the non-state park side (shown above) holds that spectacular beauty that I mentioned earlier. In addition to the camp ground and the lodge, there’s a bunch of kitschy tourist trip-type stuff at the State Park end of the lake. Things like bumper boats, mini-golf and the like but the lake and the mountains are the main attractions in my book. We got a good dose of both from my dad’s boat. We spent a couple of hours sailing and it was relaxing and fun. My water-loving husband even took a quick swim.

     So thanks Mom and Dad for a fun stay in Eastern Oregon and thanks Dad for teaching us all to sail – I’m happy to report that I’ve learned to appreciate the art (and the fun) of it.

     You can see all the photos from our trip in the August 2010 album on Facebook. If you have an outrageous sailing story or a Wallowa Lake memory to share, I’d love to hear it! Feel free to comment below.

     I turned 33 last Friday. I always love a good birthday, but 33 seemed…well..anticlimactic. What I was looking forward to most was a fun day with Brent doing something in the sun. The anticlimactic nature of my mood perpetuated when I heard that the weather was supposed to be cool and cloudy on Friday.  I was forced to replace my daydreams about catching some rays on a river adventure with reading reviews and checking movie schedules.

     You can imagine my delight and surprise when I woke up on Friday to sunshine. YES! Temps weren’t going to be quite high enough for swimsuits, so we decided a good hike was in order. I’ve wanted to check out the waterfalls on Hwy 30 ever since my friend Jason Meketa posted pictures of Ponytail Falls on facebook earlier in the year. He described a fun hike that included a water fall that you could walk behind. I decided on this for my birthday adventure.
    

     The Historic Columbia River Highway was another black X on my “you’re a terrible Oregonian who doesn’t explore your state” record, so I was excited to remedy that. I’ve driven I-84 and marveled at the gorge and Multnomah Falls hundreds of time – and I can honestly say that even after hundreds of times both of those sites are still a marvel, but I’d never taken the time to drive the slow-paced Hwy 30 and see what there is to see beyond the freeway.

     It’s pretty amazing. We took the easy drive East on I84 from Portland to Exit 18 and curved up onto Crown Point Hwy. It’s a gorgeous scenic drive that leaves you wondering who’s lucky enough (and crazy enough) to live in such beauty. I looked longingly at the u-pick blueberry farm we passed, but we were on a mission. The first viewpoint we stopped at was Portland Women’s Forum. I’m still not sure where the name comes from, but it is majestic. This is the view that you see in so many iconic Columbia River Gorge photos. The word that comes to mind is: Wow. It was extra cool because there was a painting class happening while we were there. A group of artists were set up with their easels and brushes capturing one of the most beautiful sights in Oregon.   I took about a bazillion pictures and then we were on the road again. Next stop Vista House.
    

     Vista House is yet another sight I’ve zoomed by so many times without stopping to see. We found more incredible views, took more pictures and chatted with a friendly park ranger who gave us a map to the water falls. I honestly had no idea there were so many. We were in for a treat.

     During our adventure, we stopped at Latourell, Bridal Veil, Multnomah (we needed snacks) and Horsetail Falls. It was amazing. Many of these falls you can see from the highway with little or no hike required. I’d highly recommend spending an afternoon exploring. You can check out the photos I took in my August 2010 album on facebook.

     So –  Ponytail Falls. We parked at Horsetail Falls and took the .4 mile hike to see the Ponytail. It really does look like a ponytail and you really can walk behind the water. It’s cool and an easy hike because it’s short, but also is uphill switchbacks most of the way. I was definitely huffing and puffing, but the view is well worth it. You also get some pretty amazing glimpses of the Gorge from the trail (more photo opps). It’s not a girthy falls, it’s a relatively small shot of water that springs off the rock like a ponytail and cascades into a small pool that you can access with a short climb down. The trail hugs the rock wall that indents into a cave behind the falls and you can walk right through.  I’d do it again in a heartbeat, the experience was pretty spectacular.

     We set out on a birthday mission to walk behind a water fall and ended up with a really fun day filled with gorgeous scenery and some great memories. If you’ve visited any of these falls, or know of other fun hikes near PDX, let me know. We’re always looking for our next adventure.

     I think that it’s pretty terrible to report that this almost-33-year-old-Oregonian had never been to Crater Lake. Thankfully…I remedied that problem last week. On Wednesday morning, Brent and I dropped Roscoe off at the puppy sitter and packed our stuff and ourselves into the Schlager’s car to make the 5-hour-or-so journey South to Crater Lake. It was fun.

     We love a good road trip, especially with the Schlagers and this drive was oh-so-scenic. From Portland we took I5 to Eugene and then HWY 58 SE through the Willamette National Forest. One word: gorgeous. I’m adding Odell Lake to my list of fun places I’d like to camp/explore. Finally we hit 97 South and then cut back west on Hwy 138 – this was the junction where we started to glimpse snow-capped peaks and where I stopped believing the navigation system. It was reporting many too many minutes to drive the short mileage that we had left. Little did I know we had a slow and curvey road to climb.

     When we arrived at the South entrance to Crater Lake National Park our four passenger vehicle felt like a school bus full of excited kids. We were bursting to get there. We greeted the park ranger with our $10 park entrance fee (per carload) and greedily took the map and the guide that she provided. None of us in the car had ever visited and we didn’t really know what to expect. I read factoids about the lodge, the volcano explosion, the boat rides and such while we rubber-necked at the scenery and took the slow drive up the mountain.  Finally we approached the first look-out area and caught a glimpse of the bluest water you’ve ever seen. The car was filled with exclamations and we jumped out to take in the natural wonder that is Crater Lake. It’s awesome – kind of indescribable – and I don’t think any of us will soon forget that first look.

     We finished the drive to Crater Lake Lodge, stopping at each turn-out to catch a different angle of the lake.  The lodge itself is charming and cool and historic. The huge fire places and the porch lined with rocking chairs were by far my favorite parts. Sitting and rocking in one of the chairs, staring out into the blue beautifulness is just about as good as it gets.

     We really had no idea what to expect from our Crater Lake experience. Now, having been there once, here’s what we learned.

1. It’s a National Park which means it’s filled with hundreds of Griswold types on their family vacations. Rim Village is the worst-most congested area to be – avoid it unless you’re looking for a theme-park experience. The ideal place is the lodge’s great room or porch. They serve cocktails there and appetizers starting at 3PM.
2. The water is pretty unapproachable (much to my water-loving-husband’s dismay). It takes a bit of a hike to get to the water’s edge and the climb back out is equivalent to climbing 65 flights of stairs – we skipped it this time because we were in relaxation mode.
3. The boat ride around the lake and to Wizard Island looks cool (it requires the same hike mentioned above). We didn’t do it this time, because we arrived at 2PM and left the following day at 10am. Next time we’ll plan to be there longer so that we can spend a day at Wizard Island.
4. The rooms are small and clean, but nothing spectacular. We had a lake view which I would recommend (even though the windows are small). Next time I’ll try to get a room with a claw-foot tub.
5. The dining room is fun and replicates the original. There’s an awesome painting of the lake that changes color as day turns to twilight and to dark. The food is just ok, but the ambiance/affordability makes up for it. The wine list leaves something to be desired. We brought a nice Penner-Ash Pinot and we’re glad – corkage fee was only $10 and when you see their wine list – you’ll know why. Bring your own bottle, you’ll be glad you did.
6. Star-gazing is pretty radical. We loved those rocking chairs and made good use of them. It’s cold when the sun goes down, so bundle up.
7. Get up at 5AM and watch the sun rise over the lake. It’s worth it.
8. The history of the place is almost as cool as seeing the lake itself. Take the time to read and or listen to the history (there’s a CD in each room that has an oral history recording).
9. It’s a good place to get engaged?! I’ve never witnessed a public engagement, but on Wednesday afternoon while we were enjoying our cocktails alfresco, a man and a woman got engaged – giant sign hung over the porch-railing style. It was pretty fun to be a fly-on-the-wall during their romantic moment. It’s definitely a beautiful place to make a special memory.

All and all our trip to Crater Lake was super fun. You can see more photos in the Facebook album.

If you’ve been to Crater Lake, leave a comment with a tip, or your favorite memory.

     Goonies – it’s a Spielberg masterpiece, filmed in Oregon and a personal favorite.  I’ve seen it about a hundred times and last Friday night Brent, Roscoe and I watched it again for the one hundred and first time in the most magical and unique setting imaginable.
     Anne Amie Vineyards has this awesome (it really is radical and I don’t use either of those words lightly) event every other Friday during summer called Flicks n’ Flights. They set up a movie screen with their fields of vines and the coastal range as the backdrop. You can sit (on your lawn chair or blanket), sip wine, nosh on a picnic (bring your own, or try one of their cheese plates) and watch the sun set. It’s spectacular AND the view is only the opening act. When it gets dark a movie starts. I’m going to say it again. It’s awesome.
     I’ve been looking forward to Flicks and Flights all winter and when I found out Goonies was the flick for last Friday, I was ecstatic. Brent and I grilled out at home and then left Portland for wine country just after 7. Our strategy was to skip the CRAZAY Pacific Hwy. traffic and enjoy the drive (it’s about an hour) to Carlton. The plan worked like a charm. We had an easy drive west and I passed the time by quoting my favorite Goonie lines.
     When we arrived we were pretty much gob smacked (in a good way). The setting is picturesque to put it mildly. We picked out wine and settled onto our blanket just in time to see the gorgeous sunset. And then much to my delight, as the pink and purple hued mountains faded to black, I was watching Chunk do the truffle shuffle and Cyndi Lauper sing Good Enough. I was giggling like a school girl and cuddling my puppy and my favorite date. We watched the movie (I continued to quote lines) and lay on our backs amazed at how fortunate we are to live somewhere so beautiful.  The vineyard is far enough from the city that you can see the stars. We let Orion’s belt direct us to the big and little dippers while Data chanted “Chester Copperpot and ranted about bootie traps. It was getting chilly, so we snuggled even closer as Troy hollered (and I wispered) “Andie, You Goonie!”
     By the time Sloth was shouting “Hey You Guys!” we were pouring the last of our bottle of Rose. We had just enough wine to see a marble bag full of jewels save the goondocks while a pirate ship set sale on the Oregon coast. It was a super fun date night and one we’ll repeat frequently.
      A note about the wine, since I love wine and we were at a vineyard – the bottle of Rose that we drank was the Cuvee A Midnight Saignee Rose of Pinot Noir and despite its long name was totally fabulous, perfectly refreshing for a summer evening and not too sweet (too much sweetness bums me out). Their website boasts that Pinot Noir rules at Anne Amie and I beleive them. I had one of their Pinots last night and it was also very tasty.  
     The next Flicks n Flights is July 30. The rumor is that they’re showing Young Frankenstein, which I think will be fun and maybe sorta creepy. It really doesn’t matter what the movie is, the experience is so amazing everyone should partake. Watch a movie at a vineyard. I’m checking it off my list of future funs. You should also plan a trip to Anne Amie – you will love Flicks and Flights as much as we did.

You can see more photos from our Goonies + wine date night on Facebook in the Summer 2010 album.
Cheers!

     If you’ve read this blog, even just a little bit, you’ve probably figured out by now that I like fun, and I LOVE wine. After a slow and rainy start to summer, we finally have sun and the beautiful days that we live for in the Pacific Northwest. Sunny afternoons sipping wine on a vineyard’s lawn are perfectly dreamy and one of my most favorite activities.

     I come by it honestly. My parents used to pack us up with a picnic on sunny Sunday afternoons and head to St. Chapelle vineyard in Southwest Idaho. The vineyard was about a 45 minute drive from our house in Nyssa and amazingly scenic for what I think of as a not-very-pretty part of Idaho.

     We would spend the afternoon in the grass listening to live jazz. My dad was a huge Gene Harris fan and if my memory serves me correctly he would play there sometimes. It makes me nostalgic and happy when I think of those lazy days spent grooving to great music and munching on grapes. I’m incredibly grateful that my parents taught us (and also taught us how) to enjoy life.

     I’m glad I don’t have to drive all the way to Idaho to enjoy an afternoon at a vineyard. One of my favorite PDX vine spots (and pinots) is Oswego Hills Vineyards. It’s on Rosemont in West Linn (about five minutes from my sister’s house, which is VERY convenient). It’s a family run operation and after a few visits you’re feeling like one of the family. They’re open for tastings on Sunday afternoons. It is seriously fabulous to sit in one of their adirondack chairs, or in the lush green lawn, and look out over the vineyard at the Cascades while drinking their tasty wine.

     If you’re looking for something fun and relaxing to do next Sunday afternoon, check out Oswego Hills Vineyards. You’ll be glad you stopped to enjoy life there.

What’s your favorite (or one of your favorite) NW Vineyards?

PS – they’re dog friendly. Roscoe loves it too. They have a super-cute Yorkie who I fell in LOVE with at first site. Actually…come to think of it…my visits to Oswego Hills are the reason we have Roscoe!