Salmon River Camping

Last weekend, I had the absolute pleasure of helping a friend take his son camping, and I just so happened to find my new favorite campsite in the Mt. Hood National Forest! With directions like "go down this road until you see a rock wall, turn around and go back 1/4 mile, then park and go on the trail until you see a hollowed out tree stump, etc., etc.", I managed to find a very secluded camping area on an "island" in the Salmon River. The site was beautiful and my time there was awesome and chill and quite different from camping with my usual yahoos. The hours were passed with my friend reading to his son by the fire, stargazing though my rain-flyless tent before drifting off to sleep and sitting in the sun in the middle of the river the next morning. Perfect!

---

The trail with the hollowed out tree stump leading to camp

---

A dry riverbed bordered one side of the "island"

---

While a river rushed by on the other side

---

Camp

---

Sasquatch?

---

Having morning coffee
(photo courtesy of RBP)

---

It doesn't get any better than this
(photo courtesy of RBP)

Rivers

Portland, the city of roses, is also the city of rivers and bridges. The Willamette (it's pronounced "willamette, damnit") separates the city into the east and west sides while the Columbia separates North Portland from the southern border of Washington. This weekend, I spent a little time on both rivers. On Saturday, while biking the Springwater Trail, my friend and I pulled over, climbed down to the Willamette and spent some time sipping a summer drink while watching its waters flow by. And on Sunday, I made it out for my first sailing trip of the season on the Columbia. It was a great weekend in my favorite city!

---

Sitting beside the Willamette

---

The Ross Island Bridge (1 of 10 in this awesome city)

---

Sailing on the Columbia with Mt. Hood in sight the whole time

---

Looking up

A 4th of July Weekend Wedding

This year, for the weekend of our nation's birth, I found myself back in California. The purpose of my journey south was to spend time with family and to celebrate a commitment to love at my cousin Jackie's wedding. It was a beautiful event and a great 4 days in the sunshine of Carlsbad.

---

The very picturesque train station in San Diego

---

Nicely simple

---

My cousin, Genevieve, singing a beautiful rendition of "Love Song" by Elton John

---

Humans weren't the only guests

---

The bride taking a turn on the dance floor with her dad

---

A typical (post-wedding) day at the beach with my niece trying to bury herself in the sand and my nephew helping out

---

Driving my Uncle Stan's vanagon getting lost in the memories of places I've been. I can't believe I rode across the nation in this same vehicle when I was a kid in the 80's. Miss you so much it hurts, Uncle Stan!