Willamette Valley

I love Oregon.

Today I drove up from Valley of the Rogue State Park, which is 25 miles north of Ashland. I pulled into camp there last night at about 7:30, which was exactly half and hour before it started really raining, which it did all night. I was cozy and dry, though, and at times even a little too warm. It was after dark when I arrived, so waking up to fall colors I wasn't sure were there was a treat. I tried to take some pics of the trees there, but my camera was on a funny setting and they didn't turn out.

I didn't figure out what was wrong with the settings until about 100 miles later after having a hazelnut ice cream cone covered in chocolate and nuts for lunch. The ice cream was made in Junction City, about 10 miles north of Eugene, with hazelnuts from a local farm and candy maker, which is where I bought the cone. My car saw the sign "Nuts and Chocolate" and just turned off the road, much like my bike turned around for bacon at Burning Man.

[Bunny Break. I'm staying with my friend Natalia in Portland, who has two of the softest bunnies EVER! More on them later.]

The Nuts and Chocolate farm/candy factory was off of 99W in the Willamette Valley, directly West of and parallel to I-5. I decided to take the scenic route through farm country. It was so gorgeous. I can't help it. I love farm country. It reminded me very much of mid-Missouri with the green, the clouds, the trees turning, the little farms and the rolling hills.

Oh, and a fabric store in Corvalis pulled my car into a parking spot. This is probably the best quilting fabric store I've been to in a while. (I stop in them whenever I see them, whereever I go.) It has a larger batik selection than even Eddie's in Mountain View! There was this orange batik bundle of fat quarters I was drooling over. But instead of the fabric, I bought a book. A very big book full of contemporary art quilts, which I am Very excited about. (Ah, the pleasures of being easily amused. I'm ecstatic over a book about quilts!)


This is one of the great quilts they had in their store. Sooo Cute!!

And now, I'm in Portland. Natalia lives in a cute neighborhood in NE Portland. I arrived safe and sound this afternoon. She's a friend from Wash U in StL and is now teaching anthropology at Portland State. She'll be home soon, and we'll figure out what adventures we want to take this weekend!