Category Archives: Nature

Oregon Photo Sampler: Highlights Of A Great Outdoors Tour, June 2012

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Oregon always seems to amaze me and my recent visit fit the pattern. The Oregon Photo Sampler, linked below, presents a quick view of some of the wonders of this great state. There are extremes of nature from the cold Pacific to rugged volcanoes and then on to the high desert. Summer conditions in Oregon can confound expectations: deep snow in June on the mountains, heat and clear blue skies in the valleys, and rainy days in the high desert (when you might have expected the sun). When you set out on an adventure, you need to be prepared for contingencies. Still, the sights, sounds and smells are conducive to an active lifestyle. It is glorious!

The slides in this Oregon Photo Sampler are from a great circle tour of Oregon. We set out in mid-June, starting out at Crater Lake, then over to Bend in the center, and John Day in the East, before returning through the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific coast via Portland. We always eat and drink well in Oregon. This aspect of life in Oregon pairs well with the outdoor activity. So, along with the photos of nature, I’ve thrown in a few photos of food and drink at the end of the slideshow.

If you are thinking of visiting, the Travel Oregon site provides a nice overview and offers some tips. As you skim the site it will soon be evident that, as they say, Oregon isn’t a place just “to see”. It is also a place “to do” and experience. More than once I’ve found myself drawn outdoors on days that would have kept me indoors back home in Paris.

Enjoy!

Oregon Photo Sampler

(If you are using a desktop computer, click on the little green square below the lower right-hand corner of the photo for a full screen view.)

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Oregon’s Wild Coast

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Oregon’s Wild Coast

Oregon’s wild coast is a wondrous place. The rugged rocky border at the interface between land and sea offers some great hiking and beautiful vistas, as well as sandy sections suitable for strolling. The water is cold and clean, often also quite forceful. The wind can be stiff, though once on a trail under the protection of the canopy of the dense coastal forest, a hiker may be well protected.

Recommended visit: Rogue Brewery

After a strenuous hike, I would highly recommend a visit to the Rogue Brewery in Newport. They keep a wide variety of their brews on tap. I especially like their Good Chit pilsner (chit is a brewing term). Plus, the menu includes fine pub grub and seafood. The brewery is situated on the harbor and the parking lot affords a great view of the ocean inlet and bridge.

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View of the Oregon coast through the front windows of an A-frame house

Amazing Crater Lake, Oregon

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Flying over Crater Lake a couple of years ago, I found the sight so amazing from the air — spectacular, even — that I knew this was a place that I had to visit.  It took a while to find an opportunity. Crater Lake National Park is remote. But, a trip to Oregon for a family event provided just the occasion.

Crater Lake West Rim and Wizard Island

Crater Lake is formed from an ancient volcano, which erupted long ago with a massive blast, losing roughly 1300 meters (4000 ft) off of its top. The loss of material from the magma chamber below caused the remaining material in the center to collapse.  The resulting crater eventually filled with water, making the deepest lake in the United States. Up close, its tremendous size is hard to take in.

The rim is still quite high and even in June we encountered a lot of snow. During our visit, the drive around the rim was partly closed as were many hiking trails. We were still able to find a couple of nice hikes, such as at pull off no. 8 on the park map, along Munson Creek by Duwee Falls (easy hike, through wonderful conifer forest, but don’t expect to see much of the falls, which are hidden in a narrow valley) and at pull off no. 1, a trail that climbs the ridge behind the bountiful spring that forms Alice Creek (moderate difficulty, through some nice old timber).

For food, we enjoyed dining at the old Crater Lake Lodge, which has a good kitchen and a nice selection of regional wine. It is a little pricey. The view from the patio behind the lodge is wonderful! And, the lobby is a fine place for a drink or coffee and cake. Down in the valley below, we were surprised to find a great little organic grocery store at Jo’s Motel on route 62 in Fort Kalmath. They had a nice variety of organic food in the tiny establishment, as well as a carry out snack bar with fine sandwiches and burgers (though service was a little slow when we came by for lunch). While there, you will want to pick up a bottle of their All Terrain brand DEET-free herbal mosquito repellant, which we found to be effective. Some trails can be buggy. Lots of other wildlife can be seen, as well, such as deer that like to browse on the grass along the roadside.

All-in-all, it was well worth the effort to visit this national park!

A satellite view of the crater. (Problems viewing the map? Then click here)

Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, Burgundy, France

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Flavigny-sur-Ozerain is a real gem of a medieval town in Burgundy. Lush countryside and agriculture, historic structures, great hikes, wonderful food, local wine. The town served as the set for the movie Chocolate.  What’s not to like?

Here is a sketch from our recent visit to see friends in Flavigny last weekend. Below that, you’ll find some suggestions, and below that you’ll find a map:

A chapel and (former) pigsties - Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, France(Doug, ©2012)

Some of my favourite things from our short visit:

  • Lunch at La Grange: just in front of the village parish, St. Genès. Local farmers offer a reasonably priced lunch based on their local produce, served up in an old hall with a great atmosphere.
  • A visit to the Carolingian crypt under the former Abbey of St. Pierre (ca. AD 800s). Dating from the time of Charlemagne and his sons, this structure provides a fragmentary glimpse of an early church structure. I’m partial to Carolingian history, as it was a time of cultural reawakening after centuries of turbulence in the aftermath of the collapse of the Roman empire.
  • Maison des Arts Textiles et du Design is a wonderful small museum, training centre and shop, where the history of textiles in the region is presented alongside art in modern fabric design by a real master. Gorgeous stuff and interesting content.        (a visual presentation)
  • Hiking on any of the trails around the valley of the Ozerain river.
  • The choir stalls of the St. Genès church date from hundreds of years ago and include some beautiful carvings including a few that bring some unexpected humour to an otherwise spiritual atmosphere.
  • Cut stone and stone carvings throughout the town. Paying attention to the old stones is well worth it, as some are quite elegant and artful, reflecting a spiritual quality. Just being there, pondering the stones, provides a cosmic connection to the sculptors of previous centuries.

Here is a map:

(If map doesn’t display properly, then click here)

 

Hike along the Bievre River

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The Bievre River flows right under the sluice gate house.Hike along the Bievre River

I love to hike along the Bievre River on the Chemin des Prés de Vauboyen (Vauboyen meadow path), which has a great rural feel. By rail, it is perhaps 45 minutes from Paris on the RER C line. A nice hike is to get off at the Vauboyen station and walk along the meadow and river to the town of Bievre. In the centre of the little town (up the hill to your left, when hiking from Vauboyen), you’ll find the Café de Paris, which serves up a nice traditional lunch, reasonably priced. Makes for an excellent weekend outing and a chance to reconnect with nature!

View from above

Here is a satellite image that gives an idea of the bucolic nature of the area…

(If map does not display correctly, then click here)

A walk in the woods…

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Trail - Vallée de la BièvreAlthough we live in a built up area just 12km (7.2 miles) from the Eiffel Tower, we have access to some wonderful bits of nature. Thanks to land use planning and community forests, nearly everyone in our area has easy access to green space, including some real woods. Saturday, I had a great hike in the Vallée de la Bièvre, not too far from our home.