Time for Fall!

Ready for fall? How about falls?

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I've always loved the gorgeous forests and natural wonders of the region. So this last week, when my wife, Erin Rhew, suggested we go hiking, I got to introduce her to one of my favs, Silver Falls State Park.

If you aren't familiar with the area, the park consists of trails that wind through a canyon in Silverton. There are two, the first of which is three miles long and passes behind and around two waterfalls. The longer, seven-mile, trail passes by a total of ten falls. Erin and I decided to tackle the shorter of the trails this weekend with plans to come back and do the second one later in the spring or summer.

Fortunately for us, the weather is unusually warm this year, so we headed out into the 70 degrees and sunshine for a tour through the forest.

Join us as we explore Silver Falls State Park.

The place was beautiful, but let's start with the true, natural beauty in the park! Erin Rhew is just gorgeous!

Erin next to the river. Sunshine radiating from both!

The first waterfall we came to. You can go behind it in the cave that has been etched out over the millennia

We ate Paleo at the South Falls Cafe. Chili! Yumm!

The rock for the walls and fireplace hearth had been quarried from the area back in the 1920's,

and it contains shell fish fossils from when the area was under water 26,000,000 years ago.

Happy trails to you!

Dude! Check out the falls!

Something to see no matter where you are!

We loved this fall. You could walk behind it, and it is a fall within a fall. The water cascades

onto a lower set of rocks, which are its own falls.

Lucky fella with his date!

Bridge over troubled waters...

Guardian of da riva!

My guardian partner of da riva!

South Falls Lodge

Sunshine on my shoulders....

Falls within falls

To get a perspective on just how big this is, you can see the people in the cave behind the fall

...and splashdown! But don't go swimming in this pond, the water is fed from glaciers

Happy afternoon with my lady!

What an an amazing day with Erin! #Love

Dates don't have to be complicated or expensive. Simple is almost always better. I loved getting to share a place that I grew up in, with the woman that means the world to me. We shared memories and we learned more about each other, plus, it's another adventure I got to take with Erin. Talk about awesome!

Until next time!