After being "out of touch" (very limited internet when we could use our hotspot and no TV) for 2 weeks, it was nice to wake up and watch "Sunday Morning" on CBS. We don't watch much TV but that is one we enjoy. Where we are staying now has great WIFI which gave me a little time to catch up on some of our blog. We only buy 6 gigs of data and downloading photos would take that in no time. When we would get to a high spot on a hike, I would find a G or two and be able to make sure everyone at home was ok. That's the only concern I have when we are out of touch.
Oregon has plenty of waterfalls to be found. The Sweetwater Trail was a 25 mile drive along the Siuslaw River through some winding roads with plenty of hairpin curves. The hike along the creek was only 3/4 mile until it went straight up the mountain but gave us some beautiful sights with so many bird sounds that were unfamiliar. Hiking in the lush trees reminded us of our time in Costa Rica, only cooler. There were plenty of options for longer hikes. Can't beat lunch with a view.
Oregon has really taken the Monarch Butterflies plight personal and is investing in their habitat by planting milkweed and other flowers for them. We saw plenty of caterpillars on the path along with a few snails. That was the extent of our wildlife sightings.
Darlingtonia State Natural Site is the only Oregon state park property dedicated to the protection of a single plant species. The plants it protects are the only carnivorous flora in the system.
This 18-acre botanical park provides parking and a boardwalk trail out into a fen that is home to Darlingtonia californica. Also called a cobra lily, the rare, strangely-shaped plant is the only member of the pitcher plant family in Oregon. We had to stop and check it out.
The resort we are staying at has a nice unlevel pickleball court that we got a chance to play a couple of games on. It had been a while since we had our paddles out and felt pretty good. We weren't even that bad but that also depends on who we are comparing ourselves to.
