COLUMBIA RIVER’S MUSUEM, FALLS, STERNWHEELER & A BIT OF HISTORY
I have always been fascinated by the steep canyons & largess in which Columbia River resides; the barge boats that pass through occasionally and the wheel house boat , where as a kid I was intrigued by the fact that the large wheel on the back of a boat propelled this boat forward; the myriad waterfalls and extravagant views that I see in the 14 miles that I normally travel.Columbia River itself is a 1200 mile river spanning 7 states (not including Canada) from Canada to Oregon and is the largest in the Pacific Northwest and flows into our Pacific Ocean. The majority of the Oregon part of the river is nestled within a deep canyon providing extravagant & exceptional panoramic views. Read the rest of COLUMBIA RIVER’S MUSUEM, FALLS, STERNWHEELER & A BIT OF HISTORY »
This past weekend I went to another of my pirate gatherings as I do each year and it was at a place I didn’t know that existed, a place called Horning’s Hideout. What a cool place. Over 100 acres, some treed, some grassed with a 2 streams, a 5 acre stocked fishing pond and a separate breeding ground to keep the fish continually stocked. Three separate playgrounds for all the kids, an island in the middle of the lake, all kinds of wildlife and about 100 colored & albino peacocks & peahens. This area is absolutely stunning and no one knows where you are and would ever even know this place existed if the owners didn’t allow public use. 
As soon as I moved to Bend a few weeks ago, I started hearing rumblings about Bend’s annual Pole, Pedal, Paddle, a six-part race in which participants ski (Alpine and Nordic), bike, run, kayak, and sprint their way from Mount Bachelor to the Les Schwab Amphitheater. Tongue twisting title aside, the Pole, Pedal, Paddle celebrates the essence of Bend: serious outdoor sport that takes full advantage of Bend‘s mountains, rivers, and trails. Plus, the entire population of Bend seems to show up, either to compete or cheer on the thousand or so participants. 
Thump Coffee is one of those tragically hip coffee shops where I suddenly feel the need to don thick-rimmed glasses and have intellectual discussions about mung beans or the Icelandic Post-Rock movement. Everything, from the brick walls, the tattooed, bandana-wearing baristas, the strictly fair trade coffee, and the semi-permanent art installation on which customers can decorate a small wooden plank with their wishes for the world, whispers hipster haven. Happily, even a non or pseudo-hipster like myself can enjoy the artistically alluring atmosphere, quality coffee and free wi-fi connection. 
I’ve lived in Bend for approximately six days now, most of which I have spent indoors unpacking boxes and figuring out exactly where the potato masher should live. Since Bend is known for outdoor activities, come Friday afternoon I deemed it time to ditch the boxes and kitchen tools, heading outside to explore. I hopped on my bike, stuffed its basket with a blanket and a book, and intended to ride to a nearby park I had seen while driving into town. Unfortunately, my sense of direction often fails me, so I never actually found said park. 
Never having been to a waxworks museum but always wanting to go I decided it was time to wander amongst the dead, regaled in the historical form and see how they spoke to me. Recreated in waxy life forms and reminiscent of the past were several very lifelike characters, some I knew and some I was being introduced to. Of course the ever famous Dracula was the first one to see. There were displays that reminded me of the prohibition, back alley bar fights amongst gangsters. Maybe these folks should have paid their dues in the business. 
Florence seems to be my own central point of my coastal trips as it is always the 1st coastal town I come to. Maybe because Florence is the central location for Hwy 101 on the Oregon coast. I go to Florence mainly for 3 reasons, to travel to other destinations on 101, to visit the casino once a year and to hit the sand as often as possible as Florence has probably the biggest area of dunes in which to play on as well as long beaches in which to walk or ride horses. 
The OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center gives a different meaning to dealing with science. The center has a different approach to help visitors better understand the why’s of the actions that are taken when it comes to marine science. The way the different sciences are explained and shown are easy to understand, even for the younger children. While most children would not understand the complexity of sciences the Marine center has interactive displays with easy to understand interpretive signs 
Down on the bay front of Old Newport are the docks which house mainly commercial fishing vessels. These vessels are what bring the fresh seafood to Newport. During the day, wandering among these ships, which seem bigger than life due to its size is one thing but at night it is a totally different world and atmosphere. 
