Green Peter Lake Oregon

Hi It's Tim & April and Tabi too!
This time we are off to do a little camping and boating this is the last run before we sell our trusty "Das Boot" at Green Peter Lake, Green Peter is located about 10 miles from Sweet Home Oregon in Linn County and only a short 79 miles from our hometown of McMinnville. The lake is nestled in the woods it boasts hiking, camping , boating , fishing, Picnicking and swimming .

We choose to stay at Whitcomb Camp Ground ,there is a charge, the spaces were nice and you have room for RV , trailers or Tents, you can reserve online, it does have bathrooms and water (that was kinda a funny color) but NO SHOWERS , it was a short 1/2 mile hike to the dock through some beautiful woods , you can camp many places along the lake for free if you choose .

Green peter is just past Foster Dam , also a great little lake , we found Green Peter to be a bit more private , the water was 74 degrees and most of the time we had the lake to our selves .

We like to go on the week days rater than the weekend feels like the lake is yours alone most of the time .

There are plenty of inlets to get away too and even if you don't have a boat its nice on the shore , there was plenty of wood washed up on shore for your nightly fires . Bring some bug spray there are alot of bugs waiting to drink your blood .

There is plenty of space to roam around the lake the mornings are a bit cool which was nice even on the cloudy days the sun came out in the afternoon . The lake is very long and very deep .

Pack whatever you need it is a ways to town and don't forget a camp shower if you want to wash up . Its a great place for families and kids right in the woods of the northwest . Those cold mornings make the bacon taste better! If your a boater you'll love the space to roam , speed limit is 30 MPH and their is plenty of room to tube swim fish and ski , Tabi tubed for hours . There is also a floating bathroom on the lake for you to use which was nice to have , the dam is worth a walk across the view is awesome .

Get out there and enjoy the rest of summer , in Oregon it can end in a heart beat so enjoy the sun.

Till next time

Tim April & Tabi!

Henry Hagg Lake Oregon

Hello once more !
This week we are off to explore and relax at "Henry Hagg Lake" a short 30 minute drive from our home town of McMinnville , Oregon and a stones through from Forest Grove, Oregon.


Henry Hagg lake is a Nice Fishing and recreation lake , it features some of the best small mouth bass fishing around as well as a dedicated high speed boating area , and by high speed the top limit is 30MPH.


There is a great hiking / biking trail that completely surrounds the lake 2 boat launch areas with a nice bathroom and picnic table areas , there is tons of access to the lake even if you don't have a boat and even food available at one of the launch areas.

The daily fee is $6 or you can get an annual pass too the area is day use only.

One of the great things besides it proximity to us and Portland are all the things you can do at this 1113 acres lake! There are over 15 miles of hiking trails and the lake is stocked with , Bluegill , Small & Large mouth bass as well as crappie , if you are like me and a little A.D.D. trolling is great year round here .

The water was over 70 degrees already and its only June .

Now there are some drawbacks and pluses to a visit here .
In the summer weekends it gets busy the water sports end of the lake gets like a choppy bathtub from all the boats in the afternoon , get to the lake early and pick a spot and your good , it seems like most of the sports boaters come in the late morning or early afternoon.

One tip if if you re like us and trying to eat better , don't pack a ton of food for your trip just bring the food you plan to eat it pretty much removes temptation and not having a full bag of chips sitting there is a diet plus , you ll find it makes swimming more enjoyable not being stuffed anyway .
If it does get to choppy for you you can always pick a spot on the no wake side of the lake , the fishing is great on both ends though.

You can fish from short but in the hot months it tends to not be so great , out in your boat close to the bottom does better in summer and you can check out this map for where the fish are .


So if your looking for a close place to spend the day take a spin out this way , you can even stay in McMinnville or one of the many B & B's in the area and do some wine tasting after the lake closes down. Or even call one of the local Limo services like Willamette Valley Limo have them take you to and from the lake and on a great tour of the local wineries .


Remember sun screen and a blanket and a good book and your all set !
(Click the links and photos for more great info and pictures on Flickr)


We'll be talking soon,
Bye for Now Tim & April

Rose City Weekend at The Deluxe Hotel Portland

Hello again It's Tim & April, This week we're taking a short trip to one of our favorite towns, Portland Oregon "The Rose City”, this is one of our favorite things to do just get out for a 3 day weekend NOT on a holiday weekend, go to a hotel we haven't been to before and just explore the city, take walks find those hole in the wall places we love. This weekend finds us at the Hotel Deluxe a sister Hotel of Hotel Lucia Also in Portland
( A Must Stay) we have had our eyes on this one for quite some time.

The Hotel Deluxe was created as a tribute to the Hollywood era of glamour and romance, All the design and detailing is based on the architectural and decorative arts of the 1920’s through the 1940's as well as glamour of old Hollywood of the 1940's and 1950's. The Hotel Deluxe is rated #1 by reviewers on Trip Advisor, #1 of 133 hotels in the Portland Area.

April & I will be taking you along on our tour of Portland and the places we explore this weekend, this will be a recurring theme for Portland there are so many places each trip finds new and wonderful places.
Our first stop is actually in Beaverton at Sandoval's Mexican Restaurant The food was good but most noteworthy was the back room where the owner has a nice little collection of memorabilia from the music industry, all autographed including a gold record from Carlos Santa and Pictures and posters all signed from the likes of BB King and Sammy Hagar, defiantly worth a peek.

Our next stop is just the run of the mill movie going experience at Pioneer Place There is a great view of the sky as you take a bunch of escalators to the top to see you move, which is a bit more expensive than our home town theater but way nicer seats.

After the movie we check into our super cute room with a comfy bed! The size of the room is a bit small like most boutique hotels but the amenity's totally make the room, of course you have upgrade options like the "Marlene Dietrich Suite" , the bathroom is a nice large size and a great throwback to another era, the building is an old one with great movie photos lining the hallways (click the pictures for more pics) Check out the speacials we got the "Staycation" free parking and $40 for dinner coupled with a discounted rate , another plus besides the friendly staff (Like Jessie who always took time to chat see how we were doing and see if there was anything he could do even when someone else was helping us) is your one block from the Max which runs right past the hotel and connects with the Portland Street Car, Tri Met has a huge free ride zone to get you around town it's toally worth a ticket to ride the street car the full route get off on 23rd st or or ride it down to the water front trail, heck just people watch. For less than $5 a day you can ride anything in Portland all day long, , next were off to the Driftwood Lounge a small wood tone bar in the hotel with a nice bar menu and happy hour, the bartender plays with drinks making his own concoctions at home, try the "green dragon" (soon to be on the menu and our waiter at Gracie's told us about) made with Agaves, which comes from south America but is illegal to process so it is sent to Amsterdam to be processed before its sent to America, then it is topped with champagne and absinthe which is newly legal in this country as well, it does a cool bubbling float in the middle of the glass if you like black lickerish you'll love it! The booths are comfortable, dark & romantic for some close conversation.
Next we went to dinner at Gracie's also in the hotel a wonderful small restaurant with curved booth seats and marble tables in movie style from the golden years they are very romantic, the New York steak is to die for and Ravioli is pretty good to, the details in the molding are worth checking out they line the lobby as well so much detail.
Take a minute and introduce yourself to your waiter if your not in the mood to be alone with just your loved one that is, you’ll find your waiter more at ease and lets them know its OK to talk to you you'll find some local incite, some history of the buildings and more, it can make for a much more pleasurable dinner experience.

Day two finds us with a full gym, as an alternative we found our own more enjoyable workout, the deluxe has a 9 floor staircase & each floor has great Hollywood photos, the staircase reminded us of our elementary schools. As an alternate to the gym try going down to the basement and jogging to floor 8 check out the pictures then back to the basement and back up to 7 by floor one you will have had a great workout and seen some awesome Hollywood history in photo.

After a great nights sleep we hoped on the Max again and headed down to the Pearl District ending up at the Pearl Bakery on NW 9th , We had some great coffee, the pearl bakery smells so good! You can view the bread making area and get some great bread. Two doors down is Fuller's Coffee Shop an old fashion Breakfast coffee shop complete with the formica bar counter , Fullers was rated as one of the best places for Breakfast by the Portland Monthy , Pioneer Sq is always a great starting point. Check out the New courthouse and the new broadcast studio built right into the square. We ended our evening at Melting Pot a fondue restaurant and a TIP make a reservation way in advance this place is popular we used Open Table to make reservations , it is an easy way to make and track your reservation. This place was great the cheese portion of the meal was cheeselisious we could have just had that and desert and been Happy , if you have never been before get ready for some instruction from your waiter , Ours was Lamont who happened to be from Dundee down our way , they bring you all sorts of breads and a pot of cheese right on your table you dip and eat, they next bring you a plate will every type of meat you can think of you stick it and cook it yourself right at your table,the sauces are amazing , but the best part is the desert! oh my gosh! a plate with cheesecake, cake , brownie, banana and more you dip in warm chocolate man! So this is the end of this weeks adventure Id recommend the Deluxe both the hotel and staff live up to their reputation and if you catch the right weekend you can even screen a movie in the screening room or be apart of the murder mystery dinners held at the hotel some weekends , were back home and getting ready to wrap up the day and head to our own bed , for more tips and places to stay check out the Portland Monthly or go the Hotel Deluxe Blog.
Happy travels well be talking soon
April & Tim

Mexico Fun at The Valentin Imperial Maya

Hello again!
This time we are going in the way back machine back to Sept of 2008


This place was so amazing we decided to add it in ,
This time we are in Mexico, Playa Del Carmen on 1/2 mile of private beach called "Playa Del Secreto" (the secret beach) at the "Valentin Imperial Maya" a newer hotel that just finished being built in 2008.
The Hotel was beautiful and romantic , The pool huge and wonderful The staff friendly , the food plentiful and if you like cocktails your in heaven!

The entire resort is clean from the public restrooms to every place you can go in the resort great care is
taken to make it exactly what you would think it should be . The beach is cleaned every day , your fridge is stocked and everything you could want is included in the price you pay .

There are 9 restaurants and over 7 bars , one for whatever you would like to do , from sports to reading they have a space for you .

We got a swim up suite and boy is it worth it ! 10 feet out your door and your in the blue clear water it was hard to decide to stay by our room or hit the beach .
We have two words for you "Off Season!" we went in September the water was warm the sun was hot and the resort was only at 30% capacity . The greatest thing was if your like us and just want to be alone you could be, virtually any time you want, we had the beach to ourselves most of the morning except for the occasion bird and passing boat.
A little waring if its not your thing the beaches are topless optional .

Another nice thing is this is an
adult only resort , but not the ADULT ONLY you need to worry about.

Over by the swim up suites there is a self serve bar that they set up and leave for you , plus the restaurants are full service with many choices from Italian to french the food was great , the room service is 24 hours a day but the menu is limited , you don't have to tip but they do earn it!

Bring tipping money a insulated cup for the beach the ice melts super fast , it doesn't have to be the 64OZ big gulp type any one will do , the water is filtered and there is plenty to do, the main pool is huge you can float all day and hang at the swim up bar.

Some things to bring - Nice clothes you have to dress for dinner all though they didn't appear to enforce that rule, The insulated cup , Tons of sunscreen , Water socks - the beach is a little rocky getting in the water , a great book , band aids the ones they have at the resort turn your wound red, and get ready to be on vacation without worry . We would recommend this resort for the first timer to Mexico . Wander the trails hold hands , watch the late night shows in the out door theater, or have a coffee in the coffee bar , this resort is romantic safe and clean .


http://www.valentinmaya.com/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g150812-Playa_del_Carmen_Yucatan_Peninsula.html

Cascade Head Preserve

Hello It's Tim& April Again,
This time time we explored Cascade Head Preserve a 4 to 6 mile round trip trail just out side of Lincoln City, Oregon.

The trail head is only 47 miles from McMinnville and just a mile or two from Lincoln City, go North on Hwy 101 and turn on Three Rocks Road and follow it to the Parking area.

The trail is clearly marked and runs through some private land as well as forest land, There are bathrooms and paved parking at the trail head and a very nice view of the Salmon River Estuary and a cute little dock, the view from the dock alone is worth the drive even if you don't want to hike the trail, if you have a fishing boat you can launch it at the boat ramp and do some fishing too.

If you do want to see the view from the top but aren't up to the 2 1/2 mile trek you can drive up to an alternate starting point on Cascade Head Road and its a short walk without to much uphill.

What can we say about this trail? View View View! You will start out at sea level and depending on how far you want to hike you will go up as high 1200 feet, There are no dogs or bikes allowed on the trails. The trail is very well maintained and has a complete view of Lincoln City, The Salmon River and on a clear day the ocean as far as your eyes can see, you will see moss covered trees, thick forest, streams, grass land and more.

The trail will get you warmed up very fast with a heart pounding dirt and wood staircase not far from the trail head, those hours on your stair master will pay off here, they seem to go up forever before having you meander always gradually uphill through moss covered trees with the occasional view of the ocean .

You will keep going through a more dense forest pack like they cut the trail right through the brush till you break out on an amazing grass land that overlooks the Ocean.

Its not to much further to the lower lookout where you overlook 3 rocks and the Point.

The trail continues on if you wish up another mile to the end of the trail but its only 1/2 mile to the top view point at the 1200 feet elevation , totally worth the extra hike , bring lunch and pick a spot in the grassland and enjoy the view the hike back feels like a breeze because its pretty much down hill.

It is a little rough on the knees and would be considered a moderate hike but take your time and you will make it just fine, the hikers you meet along the way are all friendly and never seem to pass with out friendly hello, Bring lunch, water and your camera at the end of the day you will be happy you came and your heart will thank you for the workout.
Happy Hiking Tim & April.

http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/oregon/preserves/art6796.html

Drift Creek Falls Oregon

Hello this is our first post.
We thought what a great way to see and really get to know our Oregon together.
We hope to give an idea or two, enjoy!

This hike is definitely worth the drive!

Drift Creek Falls, Oregon
It's not too far from McMinnville, Oregon turn at Rose Lodge and make sure you look for and follow the Drift Creek Camp signs. It's only 9 miles from Highway 18 but feels like it's further due to the curvy road.

On your way, make sure you take time to stop and see
Oregon's oldest Covered Bridge. It's before your turn from Highway 18 and has a great story.

This hike is an easy stroll and ends with crossing a 200Ft suspension bridge 100ft above the creek. The bridge is an adventure in itself and quite a fun crossing even tough it does sway!
The bridge was flown in piece by piece by chopper. The view of the falls from the bridge is awesome! If you continue on, it goes to the bottom of the falls where water polished rocks and cool water awaits.

You'll see some great flora and a beautiful horsetail fall,
a relaxing easy hike and your their.

The trail is a bit muddy so bring shoes to change in to and lunch at the bottom of the falls is a must! It is $5 to hike but the donation station is broken at the time of this blog.

This 3 mile round trip hike in the woods of the northwest is a great way to start or end your day when visiting Lincoln City , Oregon.

looking where to hike? use this tool from the Portland Monthly
http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/travel-and-outdoors/find-a-trail/

Happy Travels
Tim & April

http://www.traveloregon.com/Explore-Oregon/Oregon-Coast/Outdoor-Recreation/Hike-Oregon/Hiking-and-Walking/Drift-Creek-Falls-Trail.aspx