Entries about brewery

Catherine has always called small car washes "buggy washes." In Jacksonville, there is a true buggy wash. Catherine was using the right name after all.

Jacksonville, Oregon. A beautiful "old west" town in the midst of the forest. We came through here on our way to I-5 after a wonderful weekend at Sturm Ranch/ 5 Aces Farms. We even got to take home a jar of honey from the bee hives mentioned earlier. We had a great time, and are now moving on to the next leg of our trip.

An old Levi add in Jacksonville.

On our way to Portland we stopped for a picnic lunch at the little town of Myrtle Creek. Myrtle Creek is one area known for covered bridges. The first bridge pictured is a driving bridge, but the second is for pedestrians only. We had a nice lunch, but while we were eating two police cars arrived, and the officers spoke to a man who was in the park. No arrest was made, and we both wonder what happened, though we will probably never know. It did make lunch a bit more interesting. Unfortunately, we have no pictures of the incident.

Stopped at Dutch Brothers' Coffee, which is ubiquitous in Southern Oregon. Catherine got a "children's" size smoothie, only wanting a small treat. She didn't realize that it would come in a giant crayon cup.

Before arriving in Portland, we stopped at Mt. Angel Abbey/ Seminary. This is where Catherine's brother Michael went to college, and which we hadn't visited since Michael's graduation. The picture above is a view of the seminary on the mountain from afar.

Some views of Mt. Angel Abbey and Seminary. It is a beautiful place; very peaceful and beautiful.

St. Mary's church in Mt. Angel. Unfortunately it was closed, but it is beautiful from the outside.

A song comes to mind...

Appetizers and samples at Hopworks Urban Brewery, an organic brewery/ restaurant that was recommended to us. Everything was excellent.

We've heard a lot about this place. It has been featured on Food Network, etc. we bought doughnuts to try tomorrow morning.

A cozy room at the end of a fun day.

After Daniel's Grandma and Aunt Jackie left for San Jose, we went to the river where the backhoe had been left. Daniel's Uncle Peter wanted to show us how to operate the machine. Catherine took pictures while Daniel learned to drive the tractor and operate the bucket and backhoe. He drove it back to the house, and Peter placed some rocks on the ground as targets to reach with the backhoe. It was a very interesting experience.

A beautiful mountain, black against the bright blue sky.

Catherine's brother Michael had recommended a brewery/ restaurant in Ashland. She didn't remember the name, but Peter said that there are only a few. One that he mentioned was Standing Stone, which uses his hops grown at the ranch in their "I ❤️ Oregon" ale. When Catherine checked with Michael, Standing Stone was the one he recommended. We ate there before going to the play, and we both tried the beer with hops from the ranch. It was very good. We also enjoyed our meal, a homemade veggie burger, garlic fries, and a delicious rhubarb crisp for dessert.

The Elizabethan Theater at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. We saw The Two Gentlemen of Verona, which was unique because it had an all-female cast. This was odd, especially because the roles were unchanged, and it simply seemed like women playing male characters. It was perhaps less innovative and transgressive than the director had intended. However, it was fun to go to the play and to experience the Shakespeare festival that we've heard so much about. The theater had an interesting backdrop, and apparently was made to at least partially reflect the design of real Elizabethan theaters.

Our stay at the ranch has been wonderful. Tomorrow we will go to Portland. We are hoping to stop by Mt. Angel along the way.