December 29, 2016

Discover the Pinnacles at Crater Lake!

What are the Pinnacles? They are a group of volcanic pumice spires that were formed in the time preceding Mount Mazama’s collapse that formed Crater Lake 7,700 years ago.

Some are long and skinny, others are big and thick. They are all very tall and fascinating geological formations to view! We took our time enjoying the splendor of this unique natural wonder.

December 22, 2016

We put our 'elf on the shelf' in our tree for our holiday greetings!

Just wanted to send out a Christmas wish for patience, kindness, understanding and compassion toward each other. We also want to thank everyone out there watching our videos! Hope you enjoyed them and we plan on making more for 2017!

December 15, 2016

The Deepest Lake in the United States

Prince Albert II of Monaco once visited Crater Lake and said “I’ve been to over 150 countries in the world and I’ve never seen anything like this.” Well, my wife and I haven’t been to that many or even half that many places, but we certainly agree with him.

December 8, 2016

The Rolls Royce of Jerky - I couldn't eat enough of it!

While Gary West may not be from the Old West, serving the city of Jacksonville, Oregon for 50 years is still quite an accomplishment! This is a place that The Today Show called the “Rolls-Royce of jerky” and it is the place to go for the best smoked meats in Oregon.

We pulled into their parking lot and saw there were a couple of signs celebrating their 50th anniversary.

When we opened the door, we could see the place was packed with all different varieties of meats! The store clerk was very friendly and asked what we were doing in town. When I told her we were in Jacksonville for my sister’s wedding, she told us that some of our relatives had been in the store earlier that day! They may have a national reputation, but they still have small town friendliness.


They also have lots of tasty samples! There were meat samples, cheese samples, even popcorn samples. The meat samples were all very tasty; one sample case even had mustard to dip it in. They even have wine tasting there, but we didn’t try that this time. Neek, her sister, and I all found a good piece of jerky to buy.

December 1, 2016

One of the oldest (1859) cemeteries in Oregon

The first official burial there was Margaret Love in 1859. The cemetery is divided into different plots, often by religion or fraternal order, like the Masons and Odd Fellows. The atmosphere there is subdued and tranquil, and every headstone feels like a historical marker.

I think what we really appreciated about the place was how it imparts a sense of history on a quieter more personal level. Reading about these people, when they lived, how they died, you do get a more intimate sense of the struggles they went through in the Old West, but also the feeling that their lives mattered; their struggles built a great town that’s still great today. Visiting a cemetery can be a somber occasion, but for us it was a wonderfully inspiring complement to our journey through Jacksonville.