The Year In Place: 2017

by | Dec 27, 2017

When you live in or near a big city, it’s crucial to get out of the city and reconnect with the outside world. I’m pleased to report that we found several adventurous ways to do just this in 2017.

Coast-to-Coast in 2017:

  • Cannon Beach
  • Roseburg
  • Ashland
  • Omaha
  • Gleneden Beach
  • Boise
  • McCall
  • Walla Walla
  • Seattle
  • Eugene
  • Sundance
  • Marco Island
  • Seattle

I do have a well developed obsession with place, particularly with how geography and climate impact people and culture. To me, it’s endlessly fascinating to explore the differences and likenesses in people and places. Inside the state of Oregon, we go from Portland urban to something else entirely in Eugene and Ashland—two of the finest university towns on the West Coast. We enjoyed seeing the Ducks play Nebraska in Eugene this September. We also visited wineries and played disc golf along the Umpqua River in April, and saw “Julius Caesar” in Ashland. Travel Or-Eee-Gun!

One of the highlights of the travel year was our visit to Idaho in July. My mom flew into Boise and we proceeded from there to McCall, and then over to Walla Walla, Washington. McCall was the star of the show. The charming mountain town on the shores of Payette Lake is a great destination. I’m a fan and I’d love to return in any season.

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We also made it to Sundance this Fall for the changing of the leaves and incredible new memory making with old friends.

An interesting side note here, almost everyone we mentioned “Sundance” to this year thought it was in Park City. The film festival is in Park City. The mail order catalog is in Salt Lake City and the resort is a few miles up Provo Canyon from Orem. The resort is another destination where time slows down and nature takes over. My hat is forever off to Robert Redford for using his Hollywood money to save Sundance from unchecked development.

“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” –Seneca

Seeing close friends in Seattle, and family in Omaha and Marco Island were also joyful and important trips in 2017.

Place is endlessly fascinating. The people in the places are the reasons we live.

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