‘Go West, young man!’ was always the advice given to those looking for adventure in the US. My youngest son heard the call and headed first to Arizona and then north to Oregon.
Despite life throwing every obstacle in our path, we finally got to join him there last month. The Pacific Northwest is very far away, but the joy of modern travel meant it took us only twenty-four hours rather than the gruelling and dangerous four to five months of the early pioneers.
The perfect hosts
It was our first visit to the state and my son, Scott, and daughter-in-law, Kelsee, gave us a fabulous introduction to its offerings. They live in central Oregon, which is a region of high desert grounded on volcanic rock. It is certainly magnificent – an area of extensive public land filled with lakes, rivers, waterfalls and forest.
Image: Karen Costello-McFeat
For two outdoor enthusiasts with environmental interests, they couldn’t have found a better location to raise their daughter. The city where they live has every facility one could need, while just down the highway, wilderness begins.
But first a rest
Slightly addled with jetlag, Kelsee arranged for us to have a quiet first few days. We visited a micro-brewery and fabulous food hall, but the highlight was an excursion to a soaking pool in a nearby hotel complex. Old St Francis School Hotel was itself a treasure – transformed from an old school into an Americana style resort with its own quirky art cinema. But I digress. We were headed to the salt water soaking pool. I had no clue what to expect – a sort of Turkish bath? A swimming pool? I certainly didn’t foresee this:
Ah, the bliss of a hot bath (I usually can neither get in or out of one). My fears of it being too hot and stuffy, since MS and heat are not good companions, were swiftly dissolved. The water was delightfully hot and the air chill. How this was managed, I could not fathom until a raindrop hit my face. A square opening had been made in the roof, so one could bathe in absolute comfort. Genius.
The star attraction
But the star attraction was my granddaughter, Sofia, who was soon to have her spring break holiday and seventh birthday. We have seen too little of this little treasure, and I was determined to make up for lost time. Like her Nana, she enjoys the wilderness, animals, cooking and crafts – so we filled our days with each. We made felt chickens, cookies and cupcakes; we entertained each other with songs on hikes and we played together with the guinea pigs they were fostering.
Every day was an activity day and an opportunity to bond and create memories.
Her mother is keen to encourage a love of wildlife (she works in conservation), so we visited some excellent indoor/outdoor museums. We even found a beaver lodge and evidence of their tree felling techniques.
And if all this excitement were not enough, my older son Greg and his wife had travelled to Oregon too and my joy was complete.
All together now!
Greg adores his niece (as does his wife Genevieve) and they provided her with all the physical excitement that neither my husband nor I could. They took her skiing in the nearby mountains with her dad and swimming in the very cold lake. I did get to join in when we went boating on Clearwater lake, though getting in and out of the craft had its moments.
This pristine wilderness was stunning in the spring sunshine and, though snow lay on the ground, it was an unusually warm day at around 20 degrees C.
Oregon is not famous for its good weather and further north it rains regularly – but here, in the centre, it is sunny for most of the year, with cold, brisk winters and hot summers.
Good-byes
Greg and Genevieve were with us for just a week and the time passed all too quickly. We relished our additional days (and extra snuggles) but in moments, it seemed, it was time to go home. This was pretty heart-breaking. It will be at least a year before we see everyone again, but I am consoling myself that we are filled with the most amazing memories and I plan to keep up with my granddaughter on video calls. (I need an update on those guinea pigs!)
We need to visit the east coast next year, so if Scott is unable to join us, we’ll head out west in the autumn. Kelsee assures us that the aspen forests in the fall are magnificent. I can’t wait.