Monday, September 04, 2006

Pennsylvania, Michigan, Oregon

Soaking in the beauty of nature is a pastime of ours. We have lived in three states (New Jersey doesn't count, even though we lived there for five years; ok, Illinois for a year too and South Carolina for three months) in our lives. Each has its beauty. Michigan, since we lived there 34 years, is the easiest to write about, but the bookends, Pennsylvania and Oregon with their vista views and hills make for chilling sights. As we have traveled the past two years and when we would see certain sights we would comment about how it reminded us of PA.

When we settled in Oregon, one of the attractions was its similarity in views with Pennsylvania. We visited one of those places today, Labor Day 2006.

It is a 12 mile drive to Wilsonville from here, over a very windy, beautiful road that runs along the Willamette River. Halfway there is a road that goes over a ridge and winds past a Tree Preserve. Brendon and I visited the spot in March with some small boys. That day we trudged for miles and finally found the old fire tower on the top of one of the ridges…but I am getting ahead of myself.

The Wilsonville Road is a trip through Oregon beauty: horse farms, vineyards, filbert orchards. Just as you get near the tree farm you break into a clearing and you can see for miles. If it is clear you can see Mt. Hood, and to the south, perhaps as far as Salem.

So Aleene and I packed our lunch and made the beautiful drive and did the uphill climb to the fire tower. At the top of the trail are two picnic tables and some benches. The tower is closed off most likely for liability purposes. We had to stop several times on the way up to catch our breath…but each stop allowed us to drink in the beauty of the forest.

We at lunch at the top and proceeded down (it is a circular trail) stopping not to catch our breath but pick some black berries…and to drink in the beauty.

On the drive home we went past the view point and it hit me. This is a sight out of our Pennsylvania memory banks. We cannot believe that we have moved here. It seems more like a vacation, so far. But the sights, sounds and smells make us think of our native state (PA) and that feels good.

No comments: