Chief Miwaleta Campground! What a fantastic place to spend a few days. The weather cooperated and we had a great time! We rented a couple of cabins and absolutely loved the scenery, amenities and location.
HWV Leaves the Valley! – Part 1 Azalea Mountain Store
Our first stop on a trip to southern Oregon. The Azalea Mountain Store is a fantastic stop along I-5 on the way to the Galesville Reservoir and the Chief Miwaleta Campground where we spent the next 5 days.
Something a little different
Here are some fictional short stories I wrote for the HP Lovecraft micro fiction contest for 2020 and 2021. This post is a bit different, but I hope you enjoy it. Thanks!!
Yuki Japanese Restaurant – Hillsboro
Yuki Japanese Restaurant is my favorite sushi restaurant and I was surprised I never got around to writing anything about this amazing place before. Definitely need to keep that in mind. My first and most favorite sushi spot.
Hidden Willamette Valley Part III
Normally this is the place where I would tell you how to get to this location or give you some hints but I’m not going to that at this point. Instead I’m simply going to summarize and let you know that because of the paths both concrete and bark dust covered this is a great location to spend some time.
Bert’s Chuckwagon Barbecue – Newburg
I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that there is not one but at least two amazing barbecue restaurants in Newberg, Oregon. The latest ones that I have discovered is Bert’s Chuckwagon Barbecue, and I can definitely say that it qualifies as an amazing barbecue establishment. The inside is quite nice and there is ample seating. There are times when it may be busy and you might have to wait for a spot to sit, however I can assure you it is definitely worth the wait. Bert’s food is just amazing and I definitely recommend folks stop there and try their barbecue.
Gem Creole Saloon – McMinnville
Someone mentioned Gem when I was dining at Barrel 47 in Carlton – “Unforgettable Cajun food” and “Amazing” were what I remember during the conversation, so I’ve been looking for a good reason to visit since then. Now, as some of you may already know McMinnville isn’t my favorite place, and it is more or less the last place I want to ever be, however, I figure the sacrifice may one worth it if the cuisine is as good as I’d been led to believe. It was during a house-hunting expedition to a nearby town that I girded myself to driving to McMinnville and give Gem a try.
Radio Redux – Hult Center – Eugene
A Chicago playwright uses self-hypnosis to travel back in time and meet the actress whose vintage portrait hangs in a grand hotel… If you saw the
Telvet Coffee – Forest Grove
I drove by Telvet Coffee a couple of weeks ago while I was out and about. I always like to try new spots and when
Manaia – Hillsboro
I’m always looking for new spots to try breakfast – or really any meal, yeah, bit of a goodie maybe. I worked in another lifetime
Maridon’s Cafe – Forest Grove
First of all let me sincerely apologize for being away for so long, you know how it is – life, work, etc. gets in the
HWV Visits Iceland – March 31 – April 1
So yeah, I hate flying. Not the kind where I freak out and have to be restrained but more like the kind where I always
Wild Cat Bridge – Lane County
Bridge Over Troubled Waters Tuesday – Week Nineteen! Wild Cat Bridge happened to be located on a route I was driving west of Eugene –
McMenamins Grand Lodge, Part One – Forest Grove
McMenamins Manic Mondays – Episode Three Ok, just so we’re on the same page let me be perfectly clear on this one. The Grand Lodge
Rock Creek Tavern – Hillsboro
McMenamins Manic Mondays – Episode Two. I know, I know I’v e been teasing the Grand Lodge for a couple of weeks now, but do
Portland to Eugene on the Train!! – Amtrak
So I’ve traveled a few times on the train, not nearly as much or as often as I’d like (it’s an amazing means to travel)
Nelson Mountain Bridge – Lane County
Bridge Over Troubled Waters Tuesday Returns – Week Eighteen! Nelson Mountain Bridge also known as Lake Creek Bridge is located on a route I was
Addi’s Diner – Springfield
Addi’s Diner is a place I found Saturday morning while looking for a new interesting spot. It wasn’t too bad of a drive and the
HP Lovecraft Film Festival – Portland
I don’t plan to write overly about events and locations in Portland – there are plenty of other folks who have far more opportunities to
Ridgewalker Brewing – Forest Grove
Ridgewalker Brewing is located in an old post office building. The building itself looks nigh indestructible and is a monument to fantastic engineering of yesteryear.
Diversity Cafe – Forest Grove
Diversity Cafe is a newer cafe located in Forest Grove right on Main Street. It’s right down the street from Miget’s Island Grill. I was
Gilkey Bridge – Linn County
Bridge Over Troubled Waters Tuesday – Week Seventeen! Wow, I can hardly believe how many bridges I’ve seen over this journey, and there are lots
Helvetia Tavern – Hillsboro
I’ve been to Helvetia Tavern before, and wanted to visit again to give you all a review of it. It’s located a mile or two
Larwood Bridge – Linn County
Bridge Over Troubled Waters Tuesday – Week Sixteen! Larwood bridge is similar to many of the others I’ve seen lately – it was constructed in
Boon’s Treasury – Salem
McMenamins Manic Mondays – Episode One. I wanted to start a new series and thought a good idea might be to write about some of
Hoffman Bridge – Linn County
Bridge Over Troubled Waters Tuesday – Week Fifteen! Hoffman Bridge was another bridge I visited while I was in the area around Scio and just
AirPlane Home – Hillsboro
Ok, what the heck is an Airplane Home?? I’d first heard about this home several years ago from a major news outlet. Like many things
Hannah Bridge – Linn County
Bridge Over Troubled Waters Tuesday – Week Fourteen! Hannah bridge was one of the bridges I visited while exploring during a very busy weekend not
Wildlife Safari – Winston
Visiting Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon
Stayton-Jordan Bridge – Marion County
Visiting the Stayton-Jordan Bridge. Five Heywillamettes!
The Glenwood Restaurant – Eugene
I’ve been visiting the Glenwood in Eugene for years and years, though the one I most often visited is the one near the University of
Shimanek Bridge – Marion County
Hey Willamette Valley visits Shimanek Bridge – it’s busy and has some unique features!
Tolly’s Grill & Soda Fountain – Oakland
I found Tolly’s when Nic and I were driving back from the redwoods were were visiting in Northern California. It was an awesome trip and
Gallon House Bridge – Marion County
Bridge Over Troubled Waters Tuesday – Week Eleven! Gallon House Bridge was the first bridge I’d decided to visit on a Saturday in early September.
Toxic Wings & Fries – Eugene
Eugene is one of those places where there is simply a plethora of interesting and fascinating places to eat. I’m starting to realize that many
Rochester Bridge – Douglas County
Bridge Over Troubled Waters Tuesday – Week Ten! Apologies again for not posting anything for a week or two, I have been super busy studying
Cornbread Cafe – Eugene
First of all let me apologize for being absent for so long – I really needed to focus on a particularly difficult professional certification I
Cavitt Creek Bridge – Douglas County
Bridge Over Troubled Waters Tuesday – Week nine! Well, I’ll be honest, this one probably should be in the out and about section for our
Brails – Eugene
Brails is one of those restaurants I didn’t even know was there when my father suggested it as a place to enjoy breakfast – “It’s
Chambers Railroad Bridge – Lane County
Bridge Over Troubled Waters Tuesday – Week eight! The Chambers Bridge was the last one I ended up visiting on my tour of Cottage Grove.
Ingrid’s Scandinavian Food – Oregon City
I visited Ingrid’s while in Oregon City checking out the Municipal Elevator. It’s a very short distance away and in fact while researching interesting places
Public Elevator / Vertical Road – Oregon City
I’ve been to Oregon City several times, mostly to visit a favorite watering hole, but there are several things to be seen there and some
Currin Bridge – Lane County
Bridge Over Troubled Waters Tuesday – Week seven! Currin Bridge is the fourth bridge on our trip through Cottage Grove. It is located a little
Sunset Speedway, Open Wheel Frenzy – Banks
Well, I’ll be honest this is another one of those “I always thought I’d do it before now” stories. I’ve lived in the greater Portland
Reedville Cafe – Reedville
Reedville Cafe is located just before Aloha begins to the east of Hillsboro along the Tualatin Valley highway. It’s been around for quite some time
Dorena Covered Bridge – Lane County
Bridge Over Troubled Waters Tuesday – Week six! Dorena Bridge was the third bridge on our trip through Cottage Grove. I like this one because
Orenco Station Farmer’s Market – Hillsboro
The farmer’s market at Orenco Station is on Sunday, which I think it a pretty good time, most of the other farmers markets seem to
Turtles Bar and Grill – Eugene
I visited the southern Willamette Valley – Eugene to be precise, try to get a look at some new bridges – it turns out there
Centennial Bridge – Lane County
Bridge Over Troubled Waters Tuesday – week five. I visited Centennial Bridge while touring through Cottage Grove visiting covered bridges. It was the first one
Ye Olde Pancake House – Eugene
This is an iconic Eugene pancake restaurant! I decided to visit since I was in Eugene over the weekend, and hey, I just needed to try
Hey Willamette Valley 