Westward Ho!

I'm in Oregon this week doing some hikes in the Portland area. I'm here accompanying my spouse who is attending a writer's workshop. The photo on the left is the view from our deck in Oceanside, a lovely coastal village about 1.5 hours west of Portland. These huge rocks are called "Three Arch Rocks" and are part of the Oregon state park system.

As you can see, this is a place of great natural beauty. Oregon has it all: a dramatic, rocky coastline... stunning mountains... thick forests... pastoral wine country... and very warm and welcoming people.

There is something serene about being on the Pacific ocean. The Pacific is anything but peaceful! Continually, there are powerful waves crashing against the coast. Although we're staying several hundred yards from the beach, the sound of the waves can be heard through closed windows and doors.

Oregon is an outdoorsy state. It seems that everyone is either hiking, biking, jogging or doing something active. I'm going to join in and do several hikes this week. Look for coming blogs about hikes on Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens and more...