Outdoor Wednesday ~ August 12, 2009

It's time for Outdoor Wednesday hosted by gracious Susan on her lovely blog
"A Southern Daydreamer".

(Please click the logo to see all of the participants this week.)

I've shared lots of photos of my own gardens in the past so today I'll share some scenes from areas not far from my house, I hope you enjoy them!

I've packed a picnic lunch for us, and thought you might like to take a little tour of the area where I live.

How about this table? It is shaded and has a nice view of the river.



It's perfect! Why don't you take a little walk to the river while I set up the table for lunch?

You'll see some people swimming, fishing, some ducks, and probably rafters or jet skiers coming down the river in just a bit.

After lunch we'll take a drive several miles down river, crossing it here and there, to see more of the Rogue as it makes it way through the valley, eventually to the Pacific Ocean.

Well, thank you! I'm glad you liked our simple picnic ~ shall we head off to see a little more of the area?




A quick check to make sure we didn't leave anything behind and to see that we leave the area as neat or neater than we found it. :)

Next we'll cross back over the river and head into an area that a bit more wild, about 30 miles away ~ then back again towards home.

I'm not good at taking pictures when the car is moving so we'll skip right to our destination on our way to the resort area of Galice.

There are plenty of camp grounds, picnic areas, hiking trails and launch ramps along the way. Here are a couple of vistas that you might like...

Here's a small powerboat; looks like he has just made a turn-around... let's watch.

Parts of several movies have been filmed in this particular area ~ most notably John Wayne's "Rooster Cogburn", "A River Wild", starring Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon, it was also filmed in a scene from the old TV series "Gunsmoke"~ James Arness, as Marshal Matt Dillon took a dive into icy waters at the canyon while escaping from outlaws.

Hellgate Canyon was named by early settlers who watched violent floodwaters tear through the rugged terrain during spring.

Highly maneuverable the inflatable "Tahiti" kayaks are immensely popular on the rivers. The river here is suitable for beginners or intermediate rafters, up ahead much more challenging waters challenge the more experienced.

I never tire of these views of the Rogue as it winds it's way to the Pacific (just beyond those mountains in the distance.)



We'll be crossing the ravine up ahead by going over that little yellow bridge you see there.There is no stopping on the two-lane bridge so I can't share photos ~ but it's beautiful to see the river from that vantage point.


In a little while we'll come to this pretty park and campground, voted as one of the favorites in Oregon. It's Indian Mary Park, the smallest Native American reservation ever created. For the more information and history of the park you can find it at the
Rogue Web site.

Here we are ~ plenty of easy river access and welcome shade!

A little further downstream we come to the actual resort of Galice, you can have a meal on their large deck overlooking the river, pick up a souvenir, supplies, rent rafts and so forth.
I think our big furry passenger way in the back has been a very good girl today, don't you? She deserves a treat...



And now we'll head back towards the house; going over one more bridge where we see the magnificent site of an Osprey family nest.

They are incredible birds, breeding pairs generally mate for life. These birds are found on every continent with the exception of Antarctica, with wingspans averaging 4 1/2 to SIX feet!

They dine on live fish exclusively, so you'll always find them nested near bodies of fresh water.The same Osprey couple will return year after year to their nest; they build their nests up very high ~ at the top of telephone poles, the tip-top of dead trees, or in this case the top of the old bridge (which is right next to the new bridge.)

It may be difficult to discern from these photos but the birds are about 24 inches long, and their nests are enormous ~ about 3 feet deep and 5 feet across.
(Those are actually small tree limbs you see, not twigs.) These birds can carry their weight in fish catch (and nesting material.)
Next we'll stop at the county park very near my home...


This is a very pretty rural, county park ~ lots of grassy areas, a playground, volleyball nets, camping/RVing, swimming, fishing and boating ~ it's where our four pups learned how to swim some years ago. They LOVE this park. :)


From spring through the end of summer you'll often see one of the boats from Hellgate Jet boat Excursion fleet heading down river from their dock downtown to the private restaurant "The O.K. Corral".

The company has been in business since 1961, the tours are safe and so much fun; a must-do for any of our visitors.

Maybe next time?



The jet boats always slow down around launching ramps, docks, and near popular fishing banks along the river out of courtesy and safety for others.

We'll just head on down the road towards home, it's a really pretty forested drive.


Don't mind me while I keep my eyes on the road. *grin*


Well, here we are...





Oh, the day seems to have gone so quickly, I hope you enjoyed our afternoon outing today, I had fun showing you a little bit of my world.

Come back again soon. You're certainly welcome anytime!

Please leave a comment so I can come visit your blog, too. :)