16, 10

Recently Michael and I got to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary! (16 years together, holy cow!) On our actual anniversary we took the day off from work and we got pedicures and lunch and saw the new Beetlejuice movie (definitely recommend it).

Then we took a few days off just for us. We booked a cabin in McKenzie, about an hour outside of Eugene. I’d been a few times as a kid and remembered it being a beautiful place.

We took Bella with us, which was nice. And left the kids home with the grandparents. LOL We stopped in Eugene on the way down and had lunch went for a short walk on the Prefontaine Trail.

As we drove to McKenzie, I realized I had forgotten that it had been ravaged by a horrific wildfire in 2020 — the Holiday Farm Fire. I’d been so consumed by the Beachie Creek Fire at the same time (which directly affected friends and family) and the one that was close to our own house and had us evacuate to Seattle. It honestly hadn’t crossed my mind and then I’d forgotten about it until we drove through the area and I saw the damage. It was heartbreaking, even 4 years later.

The cabin we rented was right on the river, surrounded by trees. Thankfully the fire hadn’t reached that area. Everything was still lush. (But while we were there, there was a fire camp set up a few miles up the road for one of the many wildfires they were working on this summer.)

We had a little bit of paradise all to ourselves. You could hear the river from the cabin and it was heavenly sleeping with the windows open and listening to the river all night.

There was a “cowboy” hot tub, which was perfect and so relaxing. Michael and I did a whole lot of NOTHING for three days. Our vacations used to look like: BOOKED every minute of every day with activities. Wine tasting, hiking, restaurants, sight seeing. But we were both so tired and burned out from our lives the last few years it was nice to do absolutely nothing. Lounging next to the river reading. Sitting in the hot tub. Drinking wine on the deck.

One thing we did do, was go to Belknap Hot Springs. You can stay there (and I want to some day) but you can also use the hot springs pool for $10. It’s worth it! It’s so beautiful and relaxing and it’s right next to the river and a gorgeous garden.

We did go for a hike on our trip. I don’t remember the name of it now. We tried to go for several and a bunch of them were closed because of the wildfires.

This hike was an old logging road and had sadly been burned down in the fires. But as a native gardener I was SO fascinated to see the regrowth. There was so much! It gave me hope. We saw a falcon, a snake, tons of crickets, lush green undergrowth and I even saw a Great Horned Owl feather.

There were fields of ferns and native wildflowers growing everywhere. That made me happy. It was a nice, moderate hike, just the three of us, like old times. And then we went back to the cabin to order some local take out, open a bottle of wine and watch the first episode of the Baking Show next to the river!

The next morning I had my coffee in the hot tub and just listened to the river and the birds. Heaven. Then we packed up and started the long drive home.

Got to see a covered bridge (I believe from 1938)–I love covered bridges. We stopped in Eugene at Hey Neighbor Pizza — EXCELLENT. Then home to the kiddos. I definitely want to go back to that cabin!