Category: Travel

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Unexpected

Life is full of surprises—some delightful, some of them not so much. Kelly and I have had a string of unexpected events over the last month.

photo courtesy of alexander krivits, unsplash

First—his sudden trip to the hospital with an intestinal blockage just before Valentine’s. I was thankful our daughter was with him on this out-of-town trip. She kept me updated through the night, took him to the ER when necessary, and stayed until I could make the five-hour drive to be with him.

I drove through an unexpected snow storm to the hospital, thankful for my good little car with snow tires and four-wheel drive. Kelly received excellent care, didn’t have to have surgery, and was able to leave after three days. We stayed at our vacation rental a couple days to recoup and enjoy the beauty of the snow.

After a week at home, we embarked on our previously scheduled Valentine’s trip. All Kelly would tell me was we were headed to Idaho. When we got to Destinations Inn in Idaho Falls, I still had no clue what unexpected delights were behind the door marked “Paris.” Oh my!

We spent two fabulous days enjoying our own Eiffel shower, jacuzzi tub, Parisian café, candlelight, chocolates, sparkling cider, cheesecake, and breakfast delivered to our room. Then we got to move next door to “Venice” for another two nights in this magical hotel.

When it warmed to 32 degrees, we walked along the Snake River, which was covered with 4-inches of ice and topped by a foot of snow, yet water still trickled into it beneath the frozen falls. Beautiful! We visited the aquarium, drove around town, and dined out.

Then another unwelcome surprise. Our washer had quit unexpectedly in early February, so we had decided it was the perfect time for a makeover while we were away and waiting for new appliances. However, the crew working at our house had to cut a hole in the office floor, as well as a wall in the laundry room, to replace ancient plumbing. Sadly, they had just installed new flooring and painted the walls of the laundry room.

Since our house was torn apart, we stayed away another two nights. It was just as well—I came down with a cold and our new washer and dryer got delivered to Washington instead of to our house. (They finally arrived Tuesday and it was thrilling, after five weeks to wash clothes in my very own house.)

When we got home from our trip, we inspected all the work and began putting our home in order. In my exuberance, I caught my foot on the edge of the baseboard and broke my baby toe. Didn’t see that one coming either.

Three days later Kelly’s dad had a heart attack and the EMT’s were not able to resuscitate him. His death shocked us all.

I’m sure you prefer delightful surprises over hospital trips, home disasters, and losing loved ones as well. But in this world, we experience both pleasures and trials. This last year has brought unexpected disease, death, natural disasters, and violent uprisings—changing our world and shaking our sense of security.

As Easter approaches, I’m considering what a shock Jesus’ death was to His disciples. He was at the height of His popularity; they fully expected Him to take His rightful place as King over Israel. Instead, Jesus willingly offered himself as a sacrifice for our sins. But that was not the end. He then triumphed with the ultimate of all unexpected events, when He came out of that grave, victorious over death and hell.

Because of the unexpected resurrection of Christ, His disciples knew they could face anything that came their way—hunger, persecution, death. And because of Easter, we can face all the unexpected things in life, because Jesus walks through them with us. The unchanging love of God holds us steady—through His Word, through the prayers of God’s people, and in everyday blessings as simple as daffodils and rainbows.

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation…” (1 Peter 1:3, NLT).

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Weird Oregon Day Ten: History and Home

The last day of our Weird Oregon trip, Sunday, October 25, dawned bright and sunny, but well below freezing. The Astoria Column, our first destination, rises 600 feet above sea level from Coxcomb Hill where ocean breezes chill even on warm days. So Kelly and I lingered in our hotel room until checkout. Finally, dressed in multiple layers for the day’s journey we set off. We found our way not only by GPS, but also by following the cleverly painted markers on the road shaped like the Astoria Column. It kind of feels like a treasure hunt as you wind your way up the hill.

On the way, Kelly told me that when he was a teenager he and a buddy from Tillamook used to drive the hour and a half just so they could race up the 164 spiral steps to the top. I think there might have been mention of ice cream and burgers in there somewhere too. We agreed we probably wouldn’t “race,” but we looked forward to the exercise and view from the top.

Patterned after Trajan’s Column in Rome built in 113 A.D., the Astoria Column was completed in 1926. Its fourteen scenes painted on the outside highlight northwest history—the native wilderness, the Lewis and Clark expedition, and the arrival of the railroad. We tried to identify each scene, but our necks gave up before we could circle the column that many times. Again, we had to settle for outdoor viewing since the stairs were closed due to COVID. A lot of people were enjoying it anyway.

Down the hill a bit, a canoe marks Chief Comcomly’s gravesite, a Chinook native who helped Lewis and Clark in their expedition. Even in the biting wind, the view was exquisite and worth the visit.

While we warmed up on our way out of town, we read about a couple of Columbia River sea monsters: Colossal Claude and Marvin. Regular Claude sightings by ship captains and their crews occurred from 1934-1950. The men described it as forty feet long, with long tan hair and a head like a horse or camel.

In 1963 divers for the Shell Oil Company spotted another unusual animal off the coast. They filmed something fifteen feet long swimming in a spiral pattern in the water and sent it to authorities for identification. The experts did not agree—it could be a collection of jellyfish, a chain of salps (invertebrates that move together in coil patterns), or the spine of a plesiosaur or other kind of prehistoric creature. Locals dubbed the animal in the film Marvin.   

So caught up in these stories, we were miles down the road when I realized our second stop, Fort Clatsop, was far behind in Astoria. The original seven buildings constructed by the Lewis and Clark gang in March of 1805 had rotted away. Historians designed a replica to be built on the most likely site of the original in 1955. After a fire destroyed it, they built an even more authentic version in 2005. Kelly and I agreed to add Fort Clatsop to our list of “future trips” and continued driving south on 101 toward Fort Stevens near Hammond, Oregon. 

Despite the cold, Kelly and I had a great time walking the expansive grounds for two hours looking at military vehicles, guns, and underground buildings. There are trails everywhere, which I’d like to go back and walk when the weather is warmer, plus a Frisbee golf course with a killer view of the Columbia. We learned Fort Stevens was the only military base attacked in the continental U.S. during World War II. When Japanese submarines began to fire on the Fort, Maj. Robert Huston realized they were landing far short. He wisely instructed his men not to return fire and give away their location. It worked; the subs gave up and left, and the Fort and all the men in it were saved.

As we wound through the neighborhood on our way back to the highway, we came across another small herd of elk. The full rack of antlers on the bull looked intimidating. And even though he seemed pretty calm I wondered how the neighbors felt with him guarding his harem so close to their homes.

On the final stretch, we decided to stop in Seaside. We love walking and visiting shops in this sweet coastal town. It has the deepest stretch of beach between land and sea I think I’ve ever seen.  It was significantly warmer by then so we walked along the promenade. From the other end a marvelous jazz musician serenaded us on his saxophone. On the way back to our car we discovered a new shop with smoked salmon, chocolates, and other delicious local products. Don’t tell, but we did a little Christmas shopping!

At this point we both echoed the message from Kelly’s hot sauce packet at lunch: “Take me home.” After ten days of traveling the great state of Oregon we were totally weirded out, in a good way, and ready to get home. Most of what we experienced was not as weird as it was interesting and unique. Some of it made us laugh or feel a sense of pride; much of it elicited exclamations of wonder in the natural beauty and variety of Oregon; some of our history struck us with grief. I guess we could view our lives the same way.

As I look back on my less than sixty years, many memories bring laughter; I’m proud of some of the things I’ve said and done; mostly, I am filled with wonder at how God brought beauty from even the worst times in my life. I grieve over the times I spoke or behaved badly, and habits or relationships I continued in that harmed both me and others.

Although Kelly and I learned some of the wicked past of Oregon, we didn’t let this information ruin our trip, or convince us to move to another state. We did ask God to cleanse and heal our land, however, and for the people of Oregon to have hearts to seek Him now. It’s not enough to be shocked about the past if history just repeats itself in our generation.

Paul told the believers in Corinth, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2 Corinthians 7:10). I want to live without regrets. That doesn’t mean I minimize the sins of my past, but that I leave them at the foot of the cross where Jesus covers me with His forgiveness and gives me a fresh start. He takes away sin’s power to hurt me, and turns those memories into an impetus for change. And every day of this journey I’m closer to my forever Home, where Jesus reigns in perfect radiant light.

If you are a weird, fallible, Jesus-loving follower of the living God you know He can transform even a strange year of extreme challenges into a time of wonder, delight, victory, repentance, and new beginnings. Despite tragedies and disappointments, if you trust in the Lord, you can choose gratitude because you’re on your way Home.

Thank you for coming along on our journey. I hope you will share your weird and wonderful discoveries from 2020 with us as well.

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Weird Oregon Day Nine: Wicked, Weird, and Wonderful

Many Portlanders pride themselves on keeping Portland weird. After our visit on Saturday, October 24, I’d say they’re doing a pretty good job. What we learned fell into three main categories: wicked, weird, or wonderful.

Our last name may be Vice but Portland’s wicked history has us beat. Quoting Weird Oregon authors Eufrasio and Davis, “Portland has been known as a hotbed of vice.” In the 1940’s pinball machines were the big concern. Mayor Dorothy Lee’s efforts to crack down on illegal gambling were thwarted by underworld leaders and dishonest policemen until the 70’s.

That’s nothing, however, compared to the cruelty of the Shanghai Tunnels. Originally built to move products in and out of Portland, the five miles of underground passageways began to traffic in men as well. Crimps targeted transients and drunks. Those not already passed out were drugged and delivered to ship captains who bought them for $50 apiece. Most didn’t wake up until they were at sea. When the captains no longer needed them, they were let off the ship wherever they happened to be at the time. Many never made it home again. 1,500 to 3,000 men a year were kidnapped from 1870-1915. The tunnels, and a very dark period of Portland’s history, were sealed in 1941.

Kelly and I have often seen a line of people waiting to buy a raspberry jelly filled doughnut in the shape of a doll at Voodoo Donuts, complete with a pretzel for stabbing your victim. But in case you’re not into hexes and blood, they have a lot of other unusual flavors as well. Kelly and I decided to skip the line and went to a park instead.

We had hiked to the Witch’s Castle (or stone house) in Macleay Park before, but never knew its history. The land where it sits was originally owned by the Balch family, whose daughter fell in love with the hired boy, Mortimer Stump. Dad was not happy when they asked to marry, so they eloped. Whether he intended to kill his daughter’s new husband or it happened by accident as he claimed, Stanford Balch’s double-barreled shotgun went off in Mortimer’s face. Balch ran, but was eventually caught, tried, and convicted for murder. We chose to cast all wickedness aside and be grateful for the well-kept trail and crisp fall day.

The next wicked destination was the Fulton House, Nancy Bogg’s former floating bordello (brothel). Apparently she managed to escape police raids by moving her house from shore to shore, doing big business in the 1880’s. After that, no one seemed to know what happened to her or the house until John and Wendy Fencsak bought it in 1990 to remodel for a bed and breakfast. A former owner and historical records described how the house had been moved by a team of horses from its location on the river bank and set on its current foundation and put to good use.

Beginning the Weird part of the day we traveled to Mills End, the World’s Smallest Park, on Naito Parkway and Taylor. A variety of plants have lived in this two foot circle of dirt in downtown Portland. On the day we visited, a dead branch stood bravely in place. Just before we crossed the street to take pictures, another couple did the same thing. We wondered if they were on a Weird Oregon trip of their own.   

Our next stop was Giants Gym on Sandy Blvd to find a twenty-two foot, one ton, fiberglass “hulk.” The gym is now Hollywood Fitness and the giant is gone. When we told the girl at the desk about our quest she discovered a picture of the statue on the wall. It was fun to find it together.  

We read about other weird places and people on our way to our next photo shoot with a twenty-six foot tall fiberglass rabbit named Harvey, at Harvey Marine in Aloha. COVID, time, and distance prevented us from visiting the Rimsky-Korsakoffee House, Pioneer Courthouse Square, Chinatown, the Willamette Meteorite (now on display in NY), Mondo Extremo the Clown, some unusual tombstones in the area, and the source of Portland’s water supply—Bull Run Reservoir.

Even rain is strange sometimes in Portland. On June 4, 1894 it rained ice fragments three to four inches square and one inch thick. Dark rubbery objects fell from the sky in June of 1911 and turned out to be salamanders. And in 1920 another storm brought a downpour of “glistening, white fragments” like china. So the next time you’re in Portland and it starts to rain, you might want to run for cover!

Our day in Portland ended with some wonderful stories. We read about Bobbie the Wonder Dog who traveled across seven states to get back to his family after they were separated while on vacation. Six months and 2,551 miles later, he came home. A little white house with red trim marks his final resting place in the Oregon Humane Society Pet Cemetery. 

Kelly and I pass the Burger Family in front of the Shute Park Aquatic & Recreation Center in Hillsboro all the time, but never knew their story. In the 1950’s and 60’s chain mascots became popular and the Burger Family represented A&W. When the Hillsboro restaurant closed in 1984 the community couldn’t bear to part with their Family. They did a brief stint at Papa Aldo’s, but Teen disappeared, and Baby suffered a broken arm from an overly zealous admirer. The remaining three members were donated to the city. After Hillsboro art students repaired Baby, an orphan Teen came from Longview, Washington, and the Burger Family was again complete. The heartwarming story of a family overcoming adversity, even if they’re burger mascots, is enough to make you smile as you drive past.  

Kelly couldn’t resist giving Baby a hug!

Our last stop on Saturday was the World’s Tallest Barber Pole at Pacific University in Forest Grove. Chuck Olsen’s idea to build the biggest and best for the 1973 barber shop convention in Portland involved painting a seventy foot tall pole with red, white, and blue stripes. It made a hit and when his quartet arrived home the town put it on permanent display on the University football field.

On our way north to Astoria, Kelly spotted a herd of elk grazing just off the main highway. We drove in slowly but they didn’t seem to be worried. I’m sure hunters would have drooled over this opportunity, but we just admired these majestic creatures. The setting sun created a dramatic backdrop. 

I couldn’t get over the beauty of the evening as we passed over the Columbia River into Astoria and amazing view from our hotel room.

Wicked, Weird, and Wonderful not only describes our day, but is an apt description of mankind in general. We have all heard about evil deeds and cruelty beyond imagining. If we’re honest, we see our own propensity for wickedness and our desperate need for God’s power to change.

We’re all a little weird too. Some in adorable, quirky ways, others so far off center you wonder how they keep from falling over. But God loves each one of us just the same.

And wonderful—on this day of Thanksgiving I am grateful for all the wonderful people who have touched my life. I’m thankful for their kind words, smiles, hugs, music, presence, prayers, and godly counsel.

I hope you’ll join us for one last day of Weird Oregon. In the meantime Happy Thanksgiving! Speaking of which, Thanksgiving may be weird this year, yet we still have much to celebrate for which we can be thankful. Weird can still be good because God is good.

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Weird Oregon Day Eight: Inventors and Dreamers

One of my family’s favorite commercials when I was young was the lady in a yellow house dress advertising Tarnex. She confided to her TV audience the trials of being a housewife. “You have to clean the house and cook the food, but the most miserable and time-consuming job of all is cleaning and polishing the silverware.” My parents, sisters, and I all quoted her lines by heart, especially funny to us since my mom had a yellow dress exactly like hers.

This lady would have appreciated Frances Gabe’s self-cleaning house. She was a forward-thinker who hated housecleaning too. Kelly and I read her story from Weird Oregon and watched a video interview with her from 2014 and her modified house in Newberg, Oregon.  It didn’t look very cozy, but it is fascinating to think about never having to clean again.

Day 8 of our trip, Friday, October 23, we spent mostly at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon. It features Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose–made entirely of birch, balsa, and basswood and the largest plane in the world at the time. Built to serve in World War II as a cargo plane, it took too long to build and never made it to war. If you’re an air and space nut this is the museum for you! I am neither, but thought Kelly would enjoy it. I had no idea how much! Kelly got hooked on all the details about pilots, planes, engineering, training, and space travel.

The Spruce Goose in the background, the centerpiece of the large building
The Sopwith Camel, made even more famous by Charles Schultz’s cartoon character Snoopy

We learned how people’s dreams of flying and outer space travel became reality because of the ingenuity and courage of the men and women who designed, built, and flew them. We toured all three buildings—the air museum, movie theater, and space museum. It was very cold, so bundle up when you visit.

Does it say anything about how scientifically minded I am that my favorite part of the space museum was the space character selfie posters?

There is no try, only do.

When we left that afternoon it felt good to get toasty in the car on our way to the Bomber Complex in Milwaukie. In 1947 an aviation buff named Art Lacey thought he might attract more business to his gas station if he parked a WWII B-17 in the lot. He flew to the Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma and eventually got permission to buy a surplus plane for $13,750.

His first attempt to fly it home involved a mannequin co-pilot, crash landing into another B-17 (injuring them both), and actually being allowed to go home with a different plane! The government wrote off the first two as “wind damaged.” The second time around he got two live pilots to help him and after a few more adventures they landed the plane at the Troutdale airport. Since it was still more than twenty miles to Milwaukie, he applied for a special permit to bring it by truck; the request stalled in bureaucratic tape. Tired of waiting, Art took his extra large load to his gas station via four trucks at 2:00 am. He was fined $10 for illegal transport.

The Bomber Complex once. included the gas station (until 1991), a restaurant, and gift shop. Now the lot sports only a sign and coffee cart. A ring of apartments encircle the former War Garden, guarded by a Native American totem pole and a growing population of fluffy bunnies.

Two miles from the Complex in front of a strip mall, is an unexpected bit of patriotism—a sixty foot tall replica of The Statue of Liberty. Pretty impressive! I guess she had a hard time settling in—a piece of her crown broke off as they were setting her in place and caused an electrical fire. But she was quickly repaired and now stands straight and tall, a reminder of our country’s promise to welcome those seeking safety and freedom.

It was getting dark as we headed to our hotel. We were filled with gratitude for all the dreamers and inventors God has inspired through the years—whether they acknowledged Him as the Source of their genius or not. My curiosity prompted a little research. How many professing Christians were inventors or have made major scientific and medical discoveries? The list is staggering! Here are just a few I found interesting:

Nicole Oresme (1323-1382): Discovered the curvature of light through atmospheric refraction.

William Turner (1508-1568): “Father of English botany;” also an ornithologist. Arrested for preaching in favor of the Reformation.

Francis Bacon (1561-1626): Established today’s scientific method of inductive reasoning.

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642): Italian astronomer, physicist, engineer, philosopher, and mathematician.

Isaac Newton (1643-1727): Discovered gravity.

William Kirby (1759-185): Introduced the atomic theory.

Louis Pasteur (1822-1895): Discovered the principles of vaccination and pasteurization.

Joseph Lister (1827-1912): British surgeon and pioneer of antiseptic surgery.

Lord Kelvin (1824-1907): Proposed the mathematical analysis of electricity and formulated the first and second laws of thermodynamics.

George Washington Carver (1864-1943): American scientist, botanist, educator, and inventor.

Igor Sikorsky (1889-1972): Aviation pioneer in helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.  

Wernher von Braun (1912-1977): Developer and champion of space exploration.

Joseph Murray (1919-2012): Pioneer of transplant surgeries.

Katherine Johnson (1918-2020): Space scientist, physicist, and mathematician whose calculations were critical to U.S. manned spaceflights (Featured in the movie Hidden Figures.).

Fred Brooks (1931-present day): Computer scientist and software engineer. Evangelical Christian active with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship; helped with 1973 Billy Graham Crusade.

None of these men and women saw their faith as an impediment to dream, invent, study, or teach. Their faith in the God of creation fueled their desire to meet challenges head on, imagining the impossible and making it reality. I am thankful for these curious, intelligent, persistent people and the contributions they made to our lives today.

What Christian dreamer or inventor has inspired you? Click on the title to this post and leave a comment sharing your story.

See you here tomorrow for Day 9 when Kelly and I venture into the weirdest places of all, in the Portland area.

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Weird Oregon Day Seven: What We Leave Behind

Our trip was more than halfway over and Kelly and I were in a rhythm. On Thursday, October 22, we reviewed our list and headed out for sightseeing in Salem. Even though the temperature had dropped, the sun was shining and it promised to be a glorious day.

I had planned to start at Enchanted Forest—home to storybook characters, a slide through an old woman’s shoe, and a bobsled ride. I used to take my girls there every year when school let out and it is one of Kelly and my favorite places to play with our grand kids…or without them. But since it was closed for the season we did our best to locate the former site of the Fairview Training Center, our first stop.

Its history is a sad one. I remember it was still open my senior year of high school but didn’t know anything about it then. The original intent was to train those with handicaps and disabilities to care for themselves and others. When they opened in 1908, they raised animals on the 672-acre spread and most of their own food. But somewhere along the line those in charge lost sight of their purpose and compassion for their patients. The institution became a dumping place for epileptics, promiscuous girls, hitchhikers, and the homeless. Care-givers carried out sterilization, hysterectomies, even castration to keep their residents in check, and to prevent their breeding with other “undesirables.” Eventually this came to light and Fairview closed its doors in the year 2000.

After that sad bit of history, Kelly and I were glad to go to Mission Mill. The Thomas Kay family opened the Mill in 1889 and it operated until 1962 when wool was replaced by synthetic fabrics. They opened the museum in 1964 for tours and events and now host a café and cluster of shops that sell beautiful woolen yarn, crafts, and local products. For the price of admission, we were given a passkey for our own self-guided tour to three homes and Presbyterian church, moved on site to preserve their historic significance, and the mill. We roamed at our own pace learning about the rich history and stalwart spirit of the missionaries, businessmen, and Native Americans who settled this area.

Our next stop didn’t take long. I have passed it thousands of times over the years but never knew its significance. Waldo Park, on the corner of Union and Summer St., consists of a single sequoia tree planted by Judge William Waldo in 1872. When he was forced to sell his land to the city his only stipulation was they keep the tree. A hundred and fifty years later it still stands, on a twenty by twelve foot corner of land dubbed Waldo Park in 1936. It reaches more than eighty feet tall and more than six feet in diameter. Looking up into its branches we smiled at Waldo’s appreciation for a tiny sapling that became a mighty tree.

Although the sun was strong, the wind was cold. It felt good to get inside the Taproot downtown and warm up with a delicious lunch. Kelly and I shared a monkey bread roll from Great Harvest next door. We will definitely visit both places again!

Our final destination wasn’t weird, just a celebration of all things autumn. We drove to EZ Orchards and the place was packed! We decided to forego cider donuts since we’d just had a yummy lunch and dessert and instead stood in line for the entrance. The corn maze was the best, with interesting informational signs at every turn about Oregon nuts, fruits, and veggies.

Satisfied with our day, Kelly and I set the GPS for McMinnville, where we settled in for the night. We learned a lot of Salem area history–delightful, shocking, inspiring, and fun. The choices we make today—for our families, the people entrusted to our care, in our work, and how we spend our time and money—leaves a legacy. I paused to ask myself, What life story am I writing? What will I leave the next generation?

I know what I want to pass on to them; the same thing the writer of this psalm desired: “I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone. Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come” (Psalm 71:16-18).

I am so thankful for the legacy left to me by my parents, grandparents and church family, near and far. They not only taught me about God’s love and mercy, but they lived it. I saw firsthand what it means to be a God-follower and how to get through tough times with determination and tenacious faith. And to never stop singing.That is what I hope I have passed on to my children and our grandchildren. What tremendous blessings await us!

I would love to hear about the legacy you are building. What is your story? To leave a comment, click on the title of the blog and fill in the box.  

Tomorrow we will visit a few dreamers and inventors. Come along for more weird adventures on our tour of Oregon.

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Weird Oregon Day Six: Seekers

After having two less hurried days, Kelly and I decided to go with the same plan on Wednesday, October 21, and go to only one place on the list. We set our sights on Silver Creek Falls near Sublimity and read about everything else from our book on the way.

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh gathered disciples at an alarming rate at the former Rajneeshee commune and almost overran the town of Antelope. Although he promoted free love there was nothing free about his teachings—evidenced by his collection of ninety Rolls Royces paid for by his followers. Things began to unravel when several unhappy Rajneeshees told the press that the salmonella outbreak in The Dalles had indeed been intentional as suspected. They also leaked information about their leader’s bio-warfare labs and plans to use infectious viruses in the future. After years of struggle, he was finally tried and deported back to India. In a lovely stroke of justice, the former commune is now a Young Life Christian youth camp.

Next we read about the mysterious appearance of a quarter mile wide image of the Sri Yantra on the desert floor of the Mickey Basin. Bill Miller first spotted it from the air and no one seemed to know who carved this giant Hindu meditation symbol on the Alvord Desert floor. Bill Witherspoon, an artist from Iowa, finally admitted he and his team of helpers had dug the 13.3 miles of lines, ten inches wide and three inches deep. Despite his explanation and even video footage of the process,  many desperately wanted to believe it had more to do with aliens, UFO’s or a mystical message from the gods, and debated it for years afterward.

Kelly and I read more stories about Sasquatch sightings and another water critter in the northeast corner of Oregon named Willowa Lake Wally. We read some disturbing facts about 1,001 concrete bunkers along I-84 called the Umatilla Chemical Depot between Boardman and Stanford. After the use of chemical warfare in World War I, the US decided to prepare our own for World War II, but vowed we would only use them if absolutely necessary. Thankfully we never did, but then had to figure out how to safely dispose of them. It was a slow process, but the last was slated for decommissioning by 2012. How cruel is war and how far-reaching the effects!

Also in 1941, the government decided to create a place for soldier training between Eugene and Corvallis, a few months before the Pearl Harbor attack. Camp Adair grew to a forty-four thousand acre training facility. During its operation (1942-1969) the 1,800 buildings served as warehouses, barracks, chapels, recreation facilities, and a hospital. During the war it became a temporary POW camp and cemetery for those who did not make it home.

The Trojan Nuclear Reactor in St. Helens took five years to build at the cost of $450 million and only provided electricity for three years before things went awry—the discovery of an earthquake fault nearby, construction errors, and the formation of a crack that leaked radioactive water. The reactor operated from 1975-1992, and the estimated decommissioning and demolition expenditures equaled what it cost to build. Even so, it was fun to watch the YouTube video of its demolition in 2006.

After that we took a break to look around as we drove. The recent Beachie Creek Fire along the Santiam highway destroyed 182,000 acres of forest and communities. The road reopened only days before our trip. This familiar route of mountains and hills of green forests with lush undergrowth, and the lovely Detroit Lake community and other small towns along the way, now looked tragically naked. Some stretches remained untouched, but most were leveled by the fire. Where homes once graced the Lakeside, blackened chimneys stood as mute survivors. We grieved for the families affected and prayed for their restoration and the rebuilding of their homes and businesses. Forestry workers and locals alike worked everywhere to salvage fallen trees and clear the way for construction and reforestation.

Then, as suddenly as it had turned black, everything was green again as we neared Silver Creek Falls. What makes this a “weird” location is its history with Al Faussett, who bought the land and the surrounding acreage when the owners refused to let him ride the falls in his homemade craft. Faussett first got hooked on fall jumping in 1926 when a movie crew offered $1,500 to anyone willing to ride a canoe down the Sunset Falls in Washington for a western they were filming. The stunt got cancelled, but Al chose to do it anyway and that was the first of his many fall jumping stunts including Eagle Falls, Spokane Falls, Oregon City Falls, and Silver Falls. His final jump off Shoshone Falls was the highest of all.

The road to Silver Creek Falls winds through hillsides of neatly planted Christmas trees of all sizes. Although Kelly and I have been there many times over the years, each visit is a delight. By the time we reached the north falls trailhead the misting rain had stopped and we were thrilled to get out in the brisk autumn air for a hike to the upper and lower South Falls, admiring true northwest beauty at every turn.

Everything we read and experienced on Day 6 of our weird adventure, reminded me of the word “seekers.” We are created with hearts that long to be filled; we may try many things, but only a relationship with God will satisfy. The Rajneeshees followed a deluded guru who promised love but delivered only lies. The Sri Yantra offers clear-minded meditation, but leaves its followers empty. Stories of UFO’s, Bigfoot, and sea serpents titillate our attraction to the mysterious, but cannot come close to the mystery of the God of the Universe. We seek safety, power, and thrills. Again, nothing compares with the Almighty God who abundantly gives His followers all that and more.

Jesus said it this way: “For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:32-34).

Kelly and I left Silver Falls and headed for Salem feeling satisfied with the way we spent our day. As we continually look to God to fill us up, no matter what comes our way–old age, sickness, financial worries, political upheaval, or a worldwide pandemic–we know God has a plan and purpose in it all. And He will take us safely home.

Come join us tomorrow for our excursions in Salem, my hometown, where we learned a bit of history and played in a corn maze like kids. Remember, if you’d like to leave a comment, just click on the title of the post and the comment box will appear. I always love hearing from my readers and other readers enjoy your comments as well!

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Weird Oregon Day Five: Balancing Act

One thing Kelly and I realized after our wonderful day Monday—less is more. Although it sounds great to see eight things in one day, it is not relaxing. Since this was Kelly’s gift I wanted it to be enjoyable for him and not take him home exhausted. So on Tuesday, October 20, we reduced our itinerary from three destinations to one. It was such a good decision!

We will make a point to see Petersen’s Rock Garden and Museum in Redmond, and Monkey Face Rock north of there another time, when we can give them the attention they deserve. From this trip alone we will have enough places we didn’t visit for several more excursions.

With that settled we slept in, puttered around the house a bit, and got coffee on our way through Sisters to Cove Palisades. The entrance to the State Park was a little more than an hour away and it was quite a distance past that to the Balancing Rocks.

As we wound along crossing and re-crossing the Crooked River, we admired the deep blue water, rock formations, and a petroglyph on display along the side of the road.

As before, having the book and online information still wasn’t enough to get us there. So we pulled over at a market at the top of the hill, bought a couple candy bars, and asked a local.

“Keep going up this road.” she said, “When you get to the end of the asphalt take a right at an unmarked pullout and you’ll find a trail. That’s it.”

It was just as she said.

We could see the river snaking below. Kelly saw a snake making a hasty exit from the trail of buff-colored gravel. Then I was on the lookout for any more on our way to the lookout. You can either view the Balancing Rocks from there or venture down the scree-covered hill for a closer look. 

Of course we went down. What incredible weight each column must hold! A sign warned us not to tamper with them lest we destroy the wonder of what took years to form. Kelly had seen on the news this actually happened a few years ago. A couple troop leaders took their scouts to see the Balancing Rocks and encouraged them to push them over! Marveling at them now we were outraged. How long it takes for a masterpiece to develop; how quickly it can be destroyed.

I was excited to find these two completely different rocks side by side

The striking serenity of the rocks made me think how beautiful and rare it is to see a life lived in balance. It’s a constant challenge to maintain a healthy equilibrium between work and play, spending and saving, time with others and solitude, talking and listening. Balance in all areas of life, and keeping a solid foundation that won’t crumble.

I admire the wisdom of a man named Agur whose prayer is quoted in Proverbs: “Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God” (Proverbs 30:8-9, NIV). It’s easy to think we don’t need God when we’re doing well. When times are tough we’re tempted to despair and think God doesn’t care. But when we are thankful for what we have, our lives are balanced enough to worship Him and serve others.

It was early afternoon when we headed back for another night at Black Butte Ranch. I had surprised Kelly with a massage appointment and we planned to dress up for dinner out. The air had turned chilly so while he relaxed, I bundled for a walk to admire the fall colors. It had been a perfect day, with a much slower pace, and just what we needed.

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Weird Oregon Day Four: Our Favorite Day

Kelly and I were understandably hesitant to expect too much the next day of our trip, Monday, October 19. The weather was supposed to be warm and sunny, but it was in the 30’s when we got in the car and a thick fog made visibility difficult. Still, there was a surreal beauty to the fields of dried grasses and waterways on either side of us.

The sun-baked grasses glowed as the sun peeked through. Suddenly we spotted a huge bald eagle perched less than 20 feet from the car. Magnificent! This was only the beginning; throughout the day we also spotted fields dotted with plump hawks, lizards of brown and green, chipmunks galore, small herds of antelope, and about 8 coyotes out hunting! We think God might have been showing off a bit.

The sun burned through the fog in about an hour on our way to our first destination near Christmas Valley in south-central Oregon, Fort Rock. This impressive bowl formed in a volcanic eruption. Unlike Crater Lake, Fort Rock is dry and you can hike both inside and outside the rim. Kelly and I opted for the inside, accessible from the park entrance.

We were astounded at the beauty of this place. I hope you enjoy the photos; it was a challenge to only include this many!

I couldn’t stop taking photos!
Kelly added his own rock to the tower
A wonderful, easy trail
Kelly, king of the mountain
And me on my own smaller one

After seeing this we were so pumped, but wondered if the day would go downhill from there. Again, our GPS was no help, so we stopped at a market in Christmas Valley to get directions to Crack in the Ground, and a map! The lady who helped us was terrific.

“Go left at the highway,” she said, “turn left after the church and left again at the sign for Crack in the Ground. Its about 8 miles of gravel road and then you’re there.”

She wasn’t kidding! We drove 7.2 teeth-rattling miles of gravel road lined with rabbit brush, and an occasional house or scrubby tree. And then we were there—a pullout for about four cars and toilet. My heart rejoiced!

We took the short trail and suddenly there it was. A 20-30 foot deep crack, formed by underground lava flows. Originally two miles long it is now blocked in places where rocks have caved in. Kelly and I hiked the length of the first section and parts of the second and third. Most of the path is easy hiking while other spots you have to climb over, under, or around large rocks. We had so much fun! We felt like the good guys in a movie taking an underground passage to get away from the bad guys.

Again, we took so many pictures it was hard to decide which to share, but here are a few of our favorites.

View from above
View from below

 

After hiking both locations it was 3:00 and we were tired and hungry. Thankfully The Farmhouse Café in Christmas Valley has delicious hamburgers which we eagerly devoured. It was time to head northwest toward Black Butte Ranch near Sisters where we planned to stay the night.

Our final destination, The Hole in the Ground, was on the way. Although there was a sign off Highway 31, there were no markings after that. The forest is criss-crossed with dirt roads in every direction. After following several without any luck, Kelly and I decided to call it a day and headed for Sisters.

On our way we read about Kent Couch, a man from Bend who has made an impressive number of flights using lawn chairs and helium-filled latex balloons. Tons of research and ingenuity! But Kelly and I agreed we would stick to airplanes for our flying adventures.

As the sun began to set, the sky radiated orange, pink, purple, and gold against the central Oregon sky. Although Kelly stopped so I could take pictures, there was no way to capture the breathtaking beauty of the evening. A perfect ending to a perfect day.

As we snuggled into our home that night we thanked God for the day. It was delightful from beginning to end; filled with the astounding works of God. From the fog and wild creatures, to the rocks and crevices we explored. Our hearts were full of praise for God-given creativity to invent incredible flying contraptions, and God’s own handiwork in the sky. “Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them” (Psalm 111:2, NIV).

We went to bed that night so filled up that we only glanced at the next day’s schedule, choosing instead to savor the wonders of the day. We slowed down to enjoy the evening together and let our spirits catch up with our bodies.

The next day would prove to be another highlight of the trip. Come and join us tomorrow for our trip to Balancing Rocks.

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Weird Oregon Day Three: Our Worst Day Ever

Sunday, October 18 promised to be our best day yet. After all, it’s not every day you get to see gravity work backward and hike to a Bigfoot Trap intended to solve the Sasquatch mystery (built by the now disbanded North American Wildlife Research team)! When he realized I had listed eight (yes eight) places on our itinerary for the day, Kelly suggested we scale it back so we would have more time to see the ones we were most excited about.

We decided to cut the Susan Creek Indian Mounds near Roseburg, so we could save driving time and hike longer around the Bigfoot Trap. This meant we would begin by to visiting a couple fiberglass statues in Grants Pass.

Stop #1, Paul Bunyan in front of the Cedarwood Saloon. He is one of many statues around Oregon honoring the mythical lumberjack and the timber industry. International Fiberglass built the first Bunyan for a cafe in Flagstaff, Arizona, and he became the inspiration and original mold for this guy, plus the many Muffler Men who showed up at car dealerships and businesses in the 60’s. Paul played the strong silent type as we leaped from our car and took a couple selfies, then waved goodbye and traveled on.

The Caveman Statue wasn’t far from there. We posed for a few more pics next to the 18 foot tall colossus. Originally built to draw attention to the Oregon Caves, Caveman has become somewhat of a mascot for the city. Kelly did his best to take the proper posture to impress me.

After a delicious Dutch Bros. break, we drove thirty minutes to the Oregon Vortex in Gold Hill, destination #3. What a gorgeous, sunny day, with an expected high of 75 degrees, in mid-October, no less! Perfect for our next weird attraction opened by John Lister in 1930. The book said objects roll uphill there, things lean at odd angles, and people walking on a flat surface appear to grow and shrink as they go. 

But when we arrived the sign said you could only get in by appointment. I had checked the website to make sure they were open, but hadn’t noticed that detail. And the next available slot was two hours away! Too long to wait. Disappointed, we paused in Jacksonville for a picnic lunch on our way to the Bigfoot Trap. That was sure to be fun! And since we hadn’t been able to see the Vortex, we would have more time to hike and enjoy the forest trails.

Jacksonville was a lovely town. Starving, we unpacked food from our cooler and found a couple benches—one in the sun for me and one for Kelly in the shade. It felt so good we both leaned back for a little nap. But then Kelly’s tummy rebelled from too much spicy food and he took a break while I walked around town.

An hour later he was feeling better, so we set our GPS for the Collings Mountain Trail. Twenty-three point six miles of beautiful scenery, but increasingly windy roads. Finally, we arrived at our destination. They were closed for the season. Really? I didn’t notice that on their website. I was beginning to feel like a travel guide failure. After logging many miles and most of the day in fruitless travel, our spirits begin to sag. What was next on the agenda? Oh yes, Ralph.

Butte Falls claimed to be the only town completely enclosed by a fence. Plus it had a statue of Ralph Bunyan—the mythical brother of the mythical Paul Bunyon. Kelly and I liked the idea of a statue dedicated to the average man. We all know how hard it is to live in someone else’s shadow. But the trip proved anticlimactic. We never found any fence surrounding the town, and the 6 foot statue stood unceremoniously in the corner of City Park. Thankfully the bathroom was open. Now, the biggest problem was our GPS wouldn’t connect there so we didn’t know which way to go out of town.

We finally picked a direction and were thankful when it proved to be the right choice, but we didn’t find that out for dozens of nail-biting miles of unmarked roads. Our only clue we were going the right direction was the compass in our car. Could this day get any worse?

Yes it could.

By the time we got our bearings it was too late to include Gearhart Mountain, which as it turned out was nearly three hours away. There a Japanese weapon of war called the Fu-Go (balloon bomb), left over from World War II, went off, accidentally killing six people. Five month pregnant Elsie and the five children with her were just walking toward her pastor husband saying, “Look what we found” when it exploded in her hands. The story seemed rather fitting with the way our day was going.

It was getting late, and we had to give up on our final intended destination as well. It would have been too dark to do any sightseeing at Crater Lake by the time we got there. Tired and disappointed, we drove toward our hotel in silence. We passed through miles of burnt trees, homes, and abandoned vehicles. Occasionally one or two would stand untouched surrounded by devastated ruins. Sobering, sad; a fitting epitaph for the day.

We reached the hotel at 4:30. In a last effort to salvage the last rays of sunshine, we decided to take a little hike before dinner. The lady at check in told us about a lovely park 8 miles down the road. We took our luggage to our room and hopped back in the car. But not far from the hotel we saw more evidence of the forest fire. The park was closed.

The casino next to our hotel was the only restaurant around. With hopeful good cheer, we “hiked” the parking lot on our way to dinner and called it good. Though the building and menu were unimpressive, and my expectations low, I devoured the best chicken quesadilla I’ve ever had.

This day, with the best weather of the whole trip, we spent stuck in the car, with Kelly not feeling well, driving to places we couldn’t experience, lost until it was too late to do anything but stop for the night. All we saw were three statues and forest fire debris! We took hot showers, read a few chapters of our book, and looked at the schedule for the next day, hoping it would go better.

Life is like that sometimes. The things we think will bring us the most joy or satisfaction can turn out to be the most disappointing. We look forward to—marriage, jobs, parenting, retirement, special events—but they don’t always live up to our expectations. Sometimes we’re not fully prepared, or we make assumptions. Sometimes things happen beyond our control; our choice is what we do with what we’re given.

We chose to be grateful, despite the setbacks, and be glad we were with each other on this sunny day. We savored the memory of our picnic, thanked God for a comfortable bed, and snuggled into each other’s arms for the night.

As believers, we hold onto hope, not only that Jesus will come back and take us to heaven to live with Him forever, but also for days like this when nothing goes the way we want it to. I often remember Tom Hank’s line in Castaway about the flotsam that became his life raft, “You never know what’s going to come in on the next wave.” “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

Our hope was more than rewarded the next day of our Weird Oregon trip, which proved to be our BEST day ever. Come back tomorrow to hear about Fort Rock, Crack in the Ground and more.

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Weird Oregon Day Two: Connections

We enjoyed a lazy breakfast Saturday, October 17, savoring the luxury.  It was a beautiful day for a leisurely drive along the coast through quaint coastal cities, encountering serendipity weirdness along the way.

We loved this “Leaven A Trace” sign someone built out of driftwood along the road
Sea animals artistically crafted from garbage found on the beach to encourage us to better care for our environment
Anyone want to stop and play in this fountain?

We read about the Cape Arago Lighthouse past Coos Bay, our first official destination. The lighthouse, first lit in 1934, is no longer in operation. The island where it sits is inaccessible; the footbridge washed away by pounding waves.

The history in our book was intriguing, but even more interesting when my mom, vicariously keeping up on our travels, mentioned my grandpa had years ago helped build the footbridge to the lighthouse. In fact, he worked on most of the bridges along the Oregon coast. Some of my mother’s earliest memories are from a house they stayed in on the bluff. At night she listened to the blowing wind, fog horn, crashing waves, and animals scurrying in the attic. Before my grandparents passed, they took my mom and her sister on a tour of all the bridges Grandpa Johnston built. They even got special permission to cross the old footbridge to Cape Arago before it was gone. 

Kelly and I had to settle for seeing the lighthouse from a distance. We found a lookout from one of the many hiking trails at Sunset Bay State Park. There we met a sweet young couple and fell into conversation about our trip. They were so excited I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re not on their own trip now, or at least planning one for later. As we left there we encountered Tony the Tuna along our route, so we stopped for pictures.

The Prehistoric Gardens, our second destination, near Port Orford, opened in 1953 by Ernie Nelson with two life-sized dinosaurs. Now there are twenty-three. We enjoyed the beautiful forest trail winding through the figures. Even though it was a warm day it was quite cool under the trees so we kept up a brisk pace. We bypassed the evolutionary details and appreciated God’s design in creatures that once walked the earth. I guess we’ll have to wait until heaven to see whether they were as brightly colored as Ernie imagined them to be.

It would have been after 5:00 by the time we reached our third destination in Cottage Grove. So Kelly and I decided to skip the Opal Whiteley walking tour until another trip. Opal’s child-intellect drew people to her initially, but as she became increasingly consumed by her own fantasies, pushed them away. I’d like to read her book for myself, The Story of Opal: The Journal of an Understanding Heart. The narrative we read of her life is part wonder, part tragedy.

On route to our hotel in Roseburg, we indulged in Sasquatch stories from Weird Oregon, watching for any who might be prowling the forest near the road. We noticed numerous statues in every town, but never saw any live ones along the way. Maybe on our next trip.

The theme of Day 2 appeared to be connections. The footbridge at Cape Arago once connected the mainland to an island of Native American import, across the raging sea. This reminds me of relationships. If we want to connect with others, we must risk crossing over, even when emotions threaten to carry us away. And the bridges between us must be maintained or they erode over time.

The Prehistoric Gardens brought life-sized representations of the past to our present world, just as the stories our parents tell link us to times gone by. We may not agree with some of their interpretations, but their memories help us imagine what it might have been like before we were born.

Opal Whiteley’s connection to reality seemed to come and go throughout her lifetime. Though loved and supported by many, her insistent leaps into fantasy eventually wore them out. Opal’s advancing mental illness pushed them further. She ended up alone, an oddity, cared for by strangers. 

Throughout the Bible, God urges us to value relationships. Some of my favorite verses on how much we need each other are from the rather weird book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, NIV). The third stand strengthening each relationship, is of course, God.

At the end of Day 2 Kelly and I drove into Roseburg thankful for the relationships God has given us throughout our lives—the deep love and satisfying companionship of our marriage, the sweet fellowship and laughter with family and friends, hugs and conversations with our children and grandchildren, and most of all, the connection we have with our Savior.

After dinner, our walk at the local shopping strip turned into a fun Dollar Store spree, followed by a soak in the hotel hot tub, and reading in our room. We wanted to get an especially good night’s sleep for Day 3—the Oregon Vortex (with a weird gravitational pull) and the Bigfoot Trap in the Rogue River National Forest. Come along tomorrow to find out what happened.