Yellow Bottom Camping 2017

Every year, Joel and I camp at Yellow Bottom Campground in Quartzville. 

This was our 3rd annual trip and the first time we have brought friends with us!

This is my happy place.

We only stayed a couple of nights this time. Our first afternoon there, we spent time doing one of my favorite things: floating under the sun!

There were so many butterflies! One landed on my floatie :)

We drove back a way (for cell service) to make a phone call, and we practically had to drive almost all the way back to Green Peter Reservoir, but look how beautiful it was! It was so quiet and the color was so pure!

On our phone stop, we got out and gathered some things for our Nature Mandala's. 

We also challenged our hubbies to find us some things. I so wanted a picture of the two of our guys picking flowers for us, but I couldn't snap it in time!

The idea for making mandala's came from the book "How to be a Wildflower" by one of my favorite artists, Katie Daisy.

Oh yeah, getting crafty!

Mine.

 Jeannine's

Van's.

Van's x2.

Joel's.

Joel found these fox gloves for me :)

Reading and playing games are a must when camping.

We may have brought to many sausages.

We experimented with melting glass.

I made my husband take some tent selfies with me before bed :)

All the extra sausages made for some delicious breakfast burritos!

Our glass experiments.

We left a floral arrangement for the next campers to come to our site.

Before we left, we floated and explored the creek one last time.

Some jumping happened.

Rock art.

One of the best views in the world.

Good times with good friends! 

Until next summer Yellow Bottom!

Do you have any favorite camp sites?

Happy Wednesday!

Hiking to Blue Pool (AKA Tamolitch Pool) on the McKenzie River

A few weeks ago, Joel and I went hiking with some friends, to a place called Blue Pool or Tamolitch Pool on the McKenzie River. We left early in the morning, because it took us a couple of hours to get there (although it's not too far from where I grew up!). We were the first ones to the trail head and it was still pretty cool when we got there. This was the view from the trail head parking lot.

I adore pine trees. They are so magnificent. It's one of my favorite things to look at. I wish I had this view every day.

Off we go on our hike!

The hike to the pool is relatively easy. There is not a lot of up hill/down hill. It does, however, get a little rocky in parts, and once you get to the pool, you do have to do a little bit of rock climbing, and actually getting down to the pool is really steep.

The Mckenzie river actually goes under grown for a few miles after Carmen Reservoir and Blue Pool is where it comes back up. The water is VERY cold. Not really the type of water good for swimming, but we had fun watching a few unsuspecting people jump in :)

View from above.

When I took this picture, I was standing in what looks like an empty waterfall.

I love how the surroundings reflected into the pool.

Joel was in such a good mood, he even suggested we take a selfie! Of course, this was before we decided to extend our hike onto Carmen Reservoir, making our 4 mile round trip hike into a 10 mile round trip hike. Let's just say I learned on this hike why people use hiking poles and I am going to buy real hiking shoes. My knees hurt so bad when I got home I had to CRAWL up the stairs!!

Even though we were all really tired when we finished our 10 mile hike, we all felt really accomplished! Such a fun adventure to be had with friends. It will always be a cherished memory!
I highly recommend the 4 mile hike to Blue Pool. It is so beautiful, you will not regret it!!
For more info check here.

I love exploring Oregon. I am in love with trees, mountains, lakes and rivers right now.
We just got back from Eastern Oregon and a Country Music Festival and I'm having a hard time coping with the fact that I am not waking up surrounded by trees and mountains every morning!
*Sigh.
Happy Wednesday!

Birthday Celebration 3: Portland Pearl Casa del Matador

Birthday celebrations continued a week later when my husband and I went up to visit my in-laws and we went out to dinner at a restaurant I've been wanting to go to for a while: The Casa Del Matador in the Pearl District of Portland.

I love interesting places with cool decor, and Mexican/Tex-Mex food is always good!

 

Me and my mother-in-law

  Details outside the door.

I have to say, I seriously failed at taking pictures for this post. The ambiance is way cooler in person than it looks in my pictures.

We ordered margaritas and items off the happy hour menu: Nachos and bacon wrapped, goat cheese stuffed jalepenos. The Nachos were HUGE and delicious, Joel and I shared them. I wish I had taken a picture of them because they were seriously, like, a mountain of nachos, and they were only $5. The bacon wrapped jalepenos were also delicious. They sneak up on you though! They are not spicy until the last bite!

The bar at Cas Del Matador is so cool! I love the eclectic decor, and there is a fireplace in the middle! I'd like to go back sometime and sit at the fireplace, I've heard, though, that its a pretty hard seat to get!

After dinner we went to the Bull Run Distillery across the street and we had a tasting flight of several different liquors that they make. Again, sorry I didn't take may pictures (I get self conscious about taking pics and sometimes Joel gets a little embarrassed/irritated.) I'm not a big drinker, so everything mostly just burned to me, haha, but it was interesting to learn about. The one I remember the most was the Aria Portland Dry Gin. It smelled so good, like juniper! It tasted a little of juniper too, but not too strong.  The bottling is beautiful!

We also went and walked around the Pearl District and looked at all the different businesses and restaurants (after I changed out of my heels!) There were a lot of interesting places: expensive stores, eclectic vintage stores, and shops like what you see in Portlandia (I'm talking feminist bookstore-esque places). There was event a little gourmet popcorn joint called "Poplandia". I wish I had snapped some pictures, but I'm dying to go back and explore more so maybe next time I will.

Happy Monday!