Oregon is pretty

It's pretty schmaltzy too.

I don’t know why, exactly, I booked a stay in Sutherlin, Oregon. I think that Eugene was booked up for the weekend or maybe I thought that a taste of rural life might be interesting. And it is! Especially if you’re shopping for oversized mushroom sculptures, gnome art, or patchouli incense. You know, that special something that speaks to you….

But, oh boy, it’s pretty outside. Nearby we visited a preserved historic site, some 1100 acres, with an old house, barn, shed, trails and trails to explore. We found mushrooms and berries while hiking in the woods.

Turkeys, ground squirrels and peacocks (yes, peacocks!) roam freely on the property.

In the charming town of Roseburg lies a gem of a garden - cultivated by local volunteers and filled with vegetables on the vine and rows of ginormous flowers.

Oddest thing that happened? Seeing a guy with his face covered in scratches and blood, like he’d done a face plant onto a porcupine, exiting the cafe where we went for breakfast. The waitress said he didn’t come in to eat, just used the bathroom to wash up.

I didn’t get a pic of him, sorry.