Day 3, Two Transplanted Couples Show Us Why They're Happy They Are Here

We started out the day doing what we each love most. I got to hike with a friend. Denis got to ride his bike.

One thing I liked about the Cathedral Hills trails were the signs which included trail ratings, easier, harder, hardest. After the hike, Christy and I went to her new home to put the finishing touches on brunch.

Denis met us at the Mills' estate. True to their California roots, Christy and Dave's breakfast burritos were yummy. It's easy to see how the beautiful home, large lot, and spectacular views lured them out of the Bay area.

Denis's sister, Ardith, had planned a jam-packed day. Since we are on our way tomorrow, we weren't about to let the temperatures that were pushing 100 deter us.

First stop was The English Lavender Farm. There are a number of lavender farms in Southern Oregon. They celebrate with a festival about this time each year. Hot weather and lack of rain have affected this year's crop. Luckily, this farm grows ten varieties of lavender. Two of them are strictly culinary grade; the others are dried and sold in bundles or used to extract essential oil which is used in various products.

The lavender farms sit side by side with hemp farms. This time of year there is a skunky smell that permeates the air. I decided that I prefer living near the smell of garlic that we get in the Bay area as it's being harvested about now. Now that's Italian🙂

Next stop was Red Lily Winery. Picnic benches in the shade overlooking the Applegate River, along with a nice breeze, made this a great place to share a bottle of rosè. 

Jacksonville is the home of the BRITT Music Festival. This weekend one of the events was the Ellen Reid Soundwalk. The music, composed by Ellen Reid to harmonize with the landscape, was recorded by the BRITT Festival orchestra. Different soundscapes were triggered by the area you were in. After downloading app, the music played through your headphones. Not sure if it was the 97° temperature or the new age jazz that made this our least favorite activity of the day. On the other hand, we did get to walk around Jacksonville a bit with plans to return on another visit.

Ardith's final agenda item was dinner at Hearsay, a restaurant in  downtown Ashland. One of their favorite local jazz trios was playing during dinner. Like a lot of other restaurants post-pandemic, the Hearsay is short staffed. Delays in the food being served affected its quality. Fortunately, it meant we got to sit and enjoy the band's long set. 

Location: Valley of the Rogue State Park, Valley of the Rogue State Park, Gold Hill, OR 97525, USA

Comments

  1. UnknownJuly 26, 2021 at 9:52 AM

    looks beautiful

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownJuly 26, 2021 at 9:52 AM

      I see it registers me as "unknown" - it's your sister!

      Delete
  2. UnknownAugust 3, 2021 at 2:49 PM

    Wow, what a fun-filled stop! I'm so glad you got to see Christy and hope you had a wonderful time catching up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mary Fran LynchAugust 8, 2021 at 8:20 PM

      It was great to see her and so happy in her new home. Though we will all miss having her in the Bay area.

      Delete

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