Hey You Guys! Coming to you from Oregon

Yes, Oregon! I am currently blogging to you from the deck outside, on the mountain. I did some laundry this morning and am watching my clothes dry out here as I type. I am soaking in as much as this fresh air as possible while I enjoy my time on the mountain. Earlier I watched a deer, and her two fawns mosey through the yard while I sipped coffee. If you haven’t been here, you need to add it to your bucket list. This Minnesota girl feels so at home in Oregon. This post will have more photos than normal. But I want to share the fun and beauty of this place.

I am not on vacation. I came with a purpose.  Last Sunday night I booked a last-minute flight for Monday to come help my mother-in-law with some medical and logistical tasks. I am not going into further details about why I am here, it’s not my story to tell. Especially not on an internet based platform.

I don’t know how long I will be here or when I will be back next. Our long-term plan is to move here. Like I said, this Minnesota girl feels home in Oregon. The air is just indescribable. Anyway, while here I wanted to fit in some sightseeing and family. I have been fortunate enough to get some time for both. But I must admit, I miss my husband and kids.

I have had the pleasure of being able to spend some time with my sister-in-law and my stepsister-in-law. I prefer to drop the in-law term and call them my sisters. Essentially, I have gained two sisters on this trip and am so thankful! They are both amazing!

I am a huge Twilight fan. The Bella Swan house is about 20 minutes away from my mother-in-law’s house. I went back to see it within a couple days of being here, along with the alley, dress shop and restaurant from the first movie. Even though I have seen them a few times already over the years, it never gets old! They are located in St. Helen’s. The town also happens to be where Halloweentown was filmed. I checked out the town square from the filming and read the historical markers. After, I enjoyed a toasted smore iced coffee overlooking the Columbia River downtown. St. Helen’s is a small town, but so cute and feels kinda magical.

Friday was spent at the Oregon zoo with sister Wendy and nephew Lennon. That was a treat! That kid is the cutest! He totally knows his way around that zoo! It was fun to watch him play. I definitely enjoyed his huge grin! Because it was raining (I know, weird, rain in Oregon) the animals were very active. The polar bear was playing with his giant ball, the elephants were carrying on quite the convo with each other. Super fun! This particular zoo has some sentimental value to me. It is where my husband and I took Arden, the first time I met him.

I do want to toot my own horn a bit. This Minnesotan Flatlander has been driving quite well through the mountains, up and down, around curves. It sounds simple, it’s not for someone without any experience with terrain. I had to reacquaint myself with driving a stick shift, it’s been a minute. And from the top of the mountain. No better way to get back in the saddle I guess, than to drive a manual transmission down a mountain and back up. Several times. This trip was the first time I drove Cornelius Pass on my own. It was a somewhat intimidating at first. Once I got through the switchback OK, I knew I was good. That was on my Zoo Day. It was raining. I did well. Maybe I can become an Oregonian after all! The driving here is so different than home.

Yesterday I wanted to get Carlee (my mother-in-law) some soup that her and her husband enjoyed. I thought it might stir up some happy memories and bring her good nostalgia. The restaurant that sells it is in Westport. At that point I am halfway to Astoria. Of course, I kept going. Driving from Longview, through Clatskanie, Westport and Knappa to Astoria is beautiful. There are farms tucked into the mountain side, amazing river views surrounded by mountains. Just beautiful! And really, not much traffic until I get close to Astoria. Traffic increasing is the 2^nd clue that I am close. The first are the “Tsunami Hazard Zone” signs LOL.  My Sunday drive then took me to the Goonies house. Childhood movie favorite! The house is iconic to my entire generation. Once again, have seen it a few times now and it never gets old. After the house I went to the jailhouse that is now the Oregon Film Museum. I did not go in. I would like to save that for when my childhood BFF can come out with me. We used to watch that movie over and over. The reason for visiting but not going in is sitting in the parking lot. The Jeep from the movie, with the bullet holes, sits there for fans to see. It actually holds the gas tank in the back end of the jeep. If you remember, they used that gas tank to start a fire wall for the jail break scene.

After I saw my two “must sees” in Astoria I spent a little bit of time just tooling around. That is the area we want to eventually move to. I didn’t go close enough to the ocean to put my feet in. However, I did enjoy just breathing in the ocean air and listening to the seals while I grabbed a bite to eat at a food truck pod. I walked down to the river to enjoy the view. It’s so gorgeous.  I am including a photo I took on my walk up to the Goonie house of a couple of palm trees. That is to show my husband they can grow there. I want one when we do finally move. This trip has been spent in Northern Oregon. I can’t wait to get back to the southern coast in the future!

The internet is slow, way up here on the mountain, to be expected. This blog is taking a long time to complete. But I would not trade my time here for anything. Sometimes it’s good to disconnect, to absorb the peacefulness and serene. No, I am not here for vacation. But as long as I am here, I will enjoy what I can. Life is short, live it to the fullest!!!

Here are a few more pics for your enjoyment.