Summer time, and the Living is Easy

My sister, Laila, and I felt the need for some quality “Sister’s Time” and so we loaded up the old men and the old dog in the van and headed up the McKenzie Highway.  The weather could not have been more perfect….well, maybe a little cooler.  The sky was cerulean with nary a cloud in sight.  Our high temp for the day was 89F.

One of our favorite drives is up the McKenzie Highway. We traveled this route not too long ago but this time all our stops were different from last time.  We could do this drive many times and still find different places to stop each time.

Today Laila was in search of a present for a parking attendant at the U of O basketball arena.  This lady is always so nice to them and Laila found out she collects Christmas trees. So today our first stop was a quaint and curious shop on the McKenzie Highway in Blue River, OR, called Christmas Treasures.  This store is open year round and has every type of Christmas decoration imaginable.  Laila found what she wanted and Russ put on a happy face!



Not too much farther along, we stopped at Harbick’s Country Store.  This store is next door to and owned by the folks who run Takoda’s Restaurant.  After our last visit to the restaurant, Russ decided we would dine elsewhere today!  More on that a little later.
Harbick’s Country Store is not just a “store”, it’s an experience.  They have a little bit of everything from corn dogs to RV sewer connections.  Knick Knacks and do-dads share space with cereal and lawn rakes.  Of course there are the usual ice cream bars and sodas, but so much more.  It’s great fun just to stop there and look around.



Brian found a way cool hat…but I guess standing under a hanging basket of flowers would make anyone cool!

Our next stop was Belknap Springs but I am going to hold that over for tomorrow along with our lunch stop and skip on over to Clear Lake, our turn-around point for the day.

Clear Lake is an exceptionally clean and clear lake fed by snow melt from nearby Mt. Washington as well as two seasonal streams.  This lake is the headwaters for the McKenzie River and is the only source of drinking water for the 200,000+ people in the Eugene area.  Our drinking water is some of the best in the nation and I can attest to its clean and cold quality.

Linn County runs the old fashioned resort and marina at the lake.  No motor boats are allowed as that might damage the purity of the lake.  The exceptional clarity of the water makes this lake a popular destination for scuba divers (Brr). 

Here ya go Sue and Mo!  Looks like your kind of place.

When I went down to the lake to snap the picture above, I surprised a little water snake and I watched as he skittered quickly over the water.  I wasn’t quick enough with the camera but that little fella could MOVE!

The “Elders” took a rest on the restaurant /office porch.

When Russ has a camera in hand, nothing else draws his attention.

 

I think this boat will not be going in the water again.

Coldwater Cove, a forest service campground is at the south end of the lake.  It has lake access but limited views of the lake from the camping sites.  I didn’t see too many sites that would accommodate an RV over about 24’ but the host site wasn’t too bad.



That’s enough for today, but tomorrow I’ll tell you about Trailbridge Campground, Belknap Springs, and Finn Rock Grill (oh YUM!).  See ya down the road.