Chartered by Congress, the National Forest Foundation was created with a simple mission: bring people together to restore and enhance our National Forests and Grasslands. Forests provide us with summer recreation opportunities, beautiful places, but also essential resources like clean air and water. As we enter the summer, large scale wildfire is an urgent and ongoing threat that is growing as a result of the climate crisis we're in. Donations to NFF help with large-scale wildfire prevention, watershed protection, habitat restoration, and recreation improvements. You can help (and learn more) at https://ift.tt/X8nJzvY Images from Coyote Wall near White Salmon, Washington

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Have you been to Oregon's ghost forest? Low tide at Neskowin Beach is the best time to catch a glimpse of the petrified stumps of what was once an oceanside forest. Then, as you walk north up the beach, passing Proposal Rock and heading toward Porter Point, every step brings you closer to Pacific City's Haystack Rock, the Nestucca River, and views of Cape Kiwanda. I've done this nearly ten-mile out-and-back hike several times over the years, but back in October 2019, I was visiting this beach for the very first time. People from out of state frequently tell me how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful and varied place. But they don't know how few Oregonians, even those who love the outdoors, make it to more than a handful of their favorite places. There's nothing wrong with having a favorite place or two to visit over and over and over again. I have my favorites - Short Sand Beach, the tunnel at Oceanside, Twin Rocks. But I've also been trying to get to new places, to expand my experience of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. What are your favorites? Where do you go when you head over to the Coast?

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The sun was coming up so beautifully this morning, so I took a little extra time in the garden to see about what work I'll need to focus on before the heat this weekend. 1) Blueberries are flowering everywhere, and the tulips we didn't get in the ground until March are blooming late but strong. I think we'll have them for at least another week! 2) Bleeding heart are proliferating in blossoms, especially the two giants near the entrance walkway. 3) Peonies are just about ready to finally show themselves. 4) Light coming through the side yard highlights astilbe, heuchera, and the trunks of dogwood, maple, and magnolia. 5) Our 70-year-old dogwood is nearing peak bloom, and the younger dogwood is just starting to flower. 6) The first columbine!

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Back in the fall of 2019, I visited the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument for the first time in my life. This morning, I was reminiscing, thinking about another visit, and I found these never-before posted images. Over our 3-day stay, we carried two water bottles each, put on lots of sunscreen, and tried to get in most of our hiking in the morning. In this part of the state, even in late September, it gets awfully warm in the middle of the day. We celebrated our last night there with steaks at the Snaffle Bit Dinner House. More images on unsplash.com/@ericmuhr

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It was one of the slowest seasons on record for the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Woodburn this year, so when we drove out there last week, many of the fields were just barely beginning to bloom. Still, we took our time, enjoying the rare sunny day, walking to the far edge of every field, looking for every single spot of color we could find. Now, a week later, the tulips in our yard are just starting to bloom - Apeldoorn and Kelly Triumph mostly. And I'm thinking about what we'll plant in the fall and when we'll make another drive to Woodburn.

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There are more than a thousand documented waterfalls in Oregon and even more across the border in Washington. Over the last eight years, I've walked thousands of miles to experience the sense of solitude and quiet you can only find in the heart of an Oregon forest, surrounded by the roar of falling water. The shifting shape of the water, ever in flux, compels you to find a place to sit or stand and slow your breathing. Step out of time and set aside your thoughts as the light moves and the air, heavy with moisture, rolls away from the base of the falls. Forest Waters by Eric Muhr sloika.xyz/ericmuhr.eth/forest-waters

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When we have guests who want to see the best of Oregon, but they're only here for a day, we drive to exit 31 on I-84 and walk under the tunnel and across the road to the Multnomah Falls Lodge. I always walk them to the viewing platform and suggest they should climb at least as far as the bridge. We get back on I-84 eastbound and take the exit for Ainsworth State Park, heading west on the Columbia River Gorge Historic Highway. Our second stop is Horsetail Falls. Back in the car, we continue east. We slow down as we pass Multnomah Falls again, so they can get another glimpse. We don't stop here or at Wahkeena because the parking in both spots is always terrible. But you'd be surprised how frequently we find the parking area at Bridal Veil Falls practically empty. And the restrooms here are almost always clean. It's a longer walk than at Multnomah, but the first section is paved, and the rest of the way is gravel. So our friends (who mostly don't pack boots for vacations in Oregon) can still make the walk without getting muddy. If they're hungry at this point, we drive toward Portland (and Korean barbecue or bún bò huế). But if there's time, we'll make one more stop at Latourell and maybe one more after that at Vista House. From May 26 to September 4, there's a parking fee, time limits, and very large crowds. So this trip is one we save for the wet season 😁

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