I've lived in
this area for over 30 years now and have developed
my own favorite places to visit, shop, and spend time.
Let me share some with you. Some I can link to web
sites but there are others that I'll just have to describe
until they get a web-presence.
Let's start with
my all time favorite place.. the McKenzie River. I
already show several
pictures of the river along with telling you the reverence I
feel for the forests. Let me tell you a bit more. I
love the sounds around the river.. the crashing of
the water over rocks, the wind through the trees, the
call of birds etc. I remember several years ago trying
my hand at gold panning in the river and although the
water was freezing and I didn't find any gold it was
still a wonderful afternoon surrounded by incredible
beauty. When my children were younger we would go for
day picnics up the river; there are several parks (both
overnight camping and day parks) all along the river.
It's only an hour drive from Eugene, and the powerful
quiet and incredible beauty just drain me of all tensions
and worries.
Here in town there
are a few favorite parks. Close to where I live is the Owen
Rose Garden. This park has over 400 varieties of roses
in bloom during the season and a cherry
tree that is over 100 years old. This has always been
a special place for my family and I so when I got married
in 2002 we had the wedding at this park. Here
are some pictures that were recently taken in the Rose Garden
I love gardening.
My own yard is being reclaimed for the next few years (it
was overgrown with blackberries for a long time) so the
tales of my own bit of land will have to wait to develop.
However that doesn't stop me from my annual visits to area
nurseries. Going to Gray's Feed & Seed is something
I look forward to every year. They have nurseries in both
Eugene and Springfield. They carry a wide variety of plants
and seeds including Territorial
Seeds.
Another source for
excellent plants and seedlings is Petal Pushers. This
little stand hand-picks each plant from the grower
and their choices are always the best to be found.
They offer planting services and custom container plants
too. Prices are very reasonable. You can find them
at 4150 West 11st Ave. in Eugene.
Oregon is full of
beautiful gardens and growers. Here's a list of several
around the state:
