mom sees oregon's touch of gray

A few weeks ago, I was paid a visit by a very special lady--Mom. The last time she visited (July 2009), it was sunny and warm everyday...even at the coast!  This year, she saw a different side of Oregon. Moving into a La Nina winter, the Pacific Northwest is expected to experience cooler, wetter weather than normal. If you haven't guessed it yet, it rained nearly the entire week she was here! Boo!

We did get one sunny day though when we hiked to the top of Triangulation Peak:
   

along the trail to triangulation peak

mt jefferson from triangulation peak

mt jefferson again

mom and me on triangulation peak

furry trees we saw along the trail

Later in the week, we headed south to the city of Bandon, OR. Located along the coast, it is home to some of the most spectacular sea stacks in the state. One good thing about cloudy, rainy days is that they make for great black and white photos!

mom at the beach near bandon, or

dramatic ocean scenery in bandon, or

mom with a giant rock resembling a crashed meteor

bandon, oregon

mom at bandon, or

more sea stacks

mom with sea stacks at low tide

Tired of dodging raindrops, we decided to head indoors to check out the carousel museum in Albany, OR. Volunteers in the city hand-carve and paint all the (very detailed) animals that are going to be a part of the massive ride soon to be built in the area. VERY impressive.
 

me at the carousel museum in albany, or

And what good would a trip to Oregon be without checking out some of our amazing wines and vineyards?! We took a trip up to the northern part of the valley and did some wine tasting at a few of the many wineries that I've never been to before.