Meandering Along the McKenzie
Do you ever have those times when you are so physically and mentally exhausted that you just. can't. do. it. anymore? Like you're so done with doing all the things that all you feel capable of is sitting and staring at the wall. By the time mid-June rolled around, that's pretty much where I was. My hope that life would settle down after the wedding had not come to fruition. Brandon and I had spent the first month of our marriage doing anything but relaxing.
We probably should have relaxed.
But we chose to go camping instead. We actually have a relatively organized system in place for camping, so other than planning and shopping for meals, preparing for camping is not overly burdensome. However, I was leaving for Florida the following week and, like I said, we had not yet fully recovered from the wonderful chaos of our wedding.
We probably should have stayed home.
But we had some brand new camping gear as a result of wedding presents and we just had to try it out. Like our new tent - our very first brand new tent, roomy and well-ventilated enough for comfortable afternoon naps, easy to set up and tall enough for Brandon to stand upright, complete with built in battery operated LED lights. It honestly would have been a shame to wait any longer to use it.
We were able to reserve a last minute campsite at Delta Campground near the McKenzie River. Located in the Willamette National Forest, this may be one of my favorite campgrounds yet. Each of the 38 campsites feel private and secluded. The amenities are basic, but the tradeoff is a quiet and scenic campground. Fortunately, Site 38 was also large enough to accommodate a tent approximately the size of my first apartment. Convenient to many hikes and other sights along the McKenzie, the campground even had its own short trail through old growth forest.
We kept the weekend relatively low key. We did one of the iconic Oregon hikes to Tamolitch Falls, better known as the Blue Pool. It could have been a lovely hike - the first portion of the trail gently meanders along the river, with a slow climb through an old lava bed to the the gloriously blue falls. However. There were people. Lots and lots of people, many of whom looked on jealously at our gourmet picnic at the falls. With wine of course. On the way back out, every other person we met hiking in wanted to stop and say hello to Sydney. I cannot really blame them because she is the cutest dog ever, but we were literally stopping every few minutes of the hike. And then we get back to the road, where earlier in the day we had remarked about the handful of cars (perhaps 10) parked at the trail and how busy it was. That was nothing, nothing, compared to the 1/2 mile or more of cars that were parked there when we left. Should you hike to the Blue Pool? Probably, at least once, because it's just one of those "Oregon" things. But go on a weekday or really early in the morning if you do not want to share the trail with half the population of Oregon. Despite the crowds, the waterfall was beautiful.
Following the hike, we decided to check out Belknap Hot Springs. The opportunity to relax in a hot springs without having to worry about various states of undress was too good to pass up, even at $15 per person for a day pass. It could have been great. I think at one point, it probably was. My general impression was that Belknap had once been a nice place with all the benefits of it's gorgeous location, but due to lack of upkeep and lack of interest, had become rather rundown. The exterior was worn with moss overgrowing the roof. The pool had missing tiles. I imagine the inside was similarly aged. Even so, the warm water was nice and made for an enjoyable afternoon post-hike.
And being us, we made sure the weekend included some delicious food. There was the surprisingly delicious Takoda's. Almost in the middle of nowhere, the restaurant was a nice treat for a camping weekend. We shared mozzarella sticks (and really, when are these ever not good), amazing baby back ribs with loaded mashed potatoes, and cheesy, gooey macaroni and cheese.
Personally, I've been working on improving my skills at camp cooking. This time, I premade steak and potato packets. They were easy to make - just grill and add cheese. Also, when in doubt, drink good wine.
A comfortable tent, a cozy campfire, great food, and the great outdoors. My husband. There is not too much more that I need to be perfectly happy.
Our other new addition to our camping gear - a Kelty love seat
We could have relaxed. We could have stayed home. But we were better for a weekend spent camping. Although camping is certainly work, it is also many moments of absolute peace, a chance to recharge and truly rest. I am thankful for my husband, who pushes me to continue to do and explore, even when staying home is the easier choice. Because, almost always, not staying home is the better choice.
