Medford Moments #1

So many daily utterances that escape my and M's mouths, or tiny moments we randomly experience, capture our new life in Southern Oregon just as well, or maybe better, than any long blog post can. I now share with you this blog's first Medford Moment.

M.: "Today, I had a burrito from a taco shop attached to a gas station. It was pretty good."

California Dreamin'

Last weekend, M. and I decided to act upon a moment of strong wanderlust. We took a day trip down to Redwood Country.

O Pioneers!

I started reading O Pioneers!, the classic novel by Willa Cather that somehow managed to escape my grubby little bookworm hands for over thirty years. Sure, the book is set in Nebraska--a state we did not travel through on our westward journey--but I can't help but imagine some of it must be similar to the experience of those Oregon Trail wagoners. I'm only about a quarter of the way through the novel. Already, there are lots of references to people leaving the demanding work of farming finicky Nebraskan soil to return to the reliably bustling life of eastern commerce. I'm thinking, Obviously they knew it wouldn't be easy, so what made them head westward in the first place? 

Back O'er Oregon

Thanks to Soul Pancake, M and I discovered The Weather Machine, and specifically this song by them. This video beautifully highlights all of Oregon's 185 state parks.  What a breathtaking state we live in--I can't wait to explore it.  Enjoy!

Exploring the Northwest

With the upcoming long holiday weekend, M and I are thinking about road trips. We are in this area of the country that is brand new to us, and we're eager to explore not just our new home city, but also our new home region.

In Southern Oregon, there's a ton of natural beauty to experience, so there's a few "must see" places that folks immediately recommend: Crater Lake National Park, for one. The Rogue River and its surrounding parks and hiking trails are another. We have been glad to get so many good suggestions from people who know the area well.

But what about the broader region? We're looking for suggestions of one- or two-day trips, nothing involving a car trip so long it will feel too much like our recent cross-country trip. We'd love to see the geographical diversity of our new state, and we also want to see the Pacific Ocean.  Which Oregon/Northern California beach town is best?  Any cities in Southern Washington worth a visit? Eastern Oregon, what about places over that way? (Please do not disclose the location of anyone in the witness protection program, though.)

And while we're at it, what's the best way to go visit Seattle?  Plane, train, or automobile? (Or hoverboard, a la Marty McFly?)

Basically, how shall we spend our long summer weekends?  Give us some suggestions.  All ideas are good ideas.

O States

So I've lived in all the O states. There are three: Ohio, Oklahoma, and Oregon. I lived in them in alphabetical order.

Post-move adjustment

Moving is hard.

The first time I moved, I was six years old. My family relocated from Pittsburgh--the only place I'd ever known, and the only place my parents had ever lived--to the suburbs of Baltimore. I was too young to really have any opinion on the matter.