• Garden,  Oregon,  Washington

    A Local’s Guide to Gorgeous Flowers in the Pacific Northwest

    In this post I am sharing some of the best places to find flowers throughout the Pacific Northwest. Since I live in Oregon, most of the locations featured here are local to me, but I have also included a few amazing spots not to be missed in Washington. Rather than write extensive details on each place, I’ve added photos to help you discover what you can expect. Each month features the flowers in peak bloom during that month. MARCH Cherry Blossoms at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland, Oregon APRIL Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Woodburn, Oregon Holland America Tulip Farm in Woodland, Washington Hulda Klager Lilac Garden in Woodland,…

  • The trailhead for Dry Creek Falls is located in Cascade Locks, OR. Just 2.5 miles up to see this beautiful Columbia Gorge waterfall!
    Hiking Adventures,  Oregon

    Dry Creek Falls Hiking Guide

    Our family set out to find a new hiking trail that is both family friendly and not too crowded like many of the better known trails. While this trail did have a gradual slope, I would classify it as an easy hike with the biggest incline at the last 1/4 mile before the falls. Located in the town of Cascade Locks, Dry Creek Falls is a family friendly hike through forest trails in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge. This short hike follows along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and takes you through a beautiful forested area to Herman Creek. It’s the perfect spring hike when the weather is…

  • Herb crusted salmon with lemons
    Dinner,  Recipes

    Herb Crusted Salmon

    Herb Crusted Salmon When you live in the Pacific Northwest as we do, salmon is part of our regional heritage. For generations, salmon have played an important role in the local Native American tribal religion, culture, and diet. Early explorers Lewis and Clark feasted on roasted and dried salmon and made detailed descriptions and drawings of the salmon they saw in the Columbia River, noting how abundant the fish were in the area. Today, we learn about the salmon life cycle in our schools. Students raise fingerlings and release them into local rivers. We visit fish hatcheries and count the salmon in the fall when they migrate up river. We name rivers and streets after…