After driving past more times than I can count, I finally decided it was time to explore the local state park. I recently was reading about the history of the area and found out this park is named after one of the original pioneers of the southern Willamette Valley. That peaked my interest, so Ridley and I went out to explore it.
We got there mid-morning and it being a Monday, we nearly had the place to ourselves. Ridley's hiking legs are still pretty small, so we stuck to a one-mile loop through the forest by the river. The weather was cold, but the light was coming through the trees was incredibly beautiful. Portions of the trail are mixed use for hikers, mountains bikes, and even horses.
We passed by a few swamping ponds with some of the stillest water I've seen. I would love to come back and photograph it in some thick fog. We made our way down to the river and spent a good time throwing rocks into the water making up fun names our silly throws. I don't know why it's taken me so long to get there, but I'll be back.
