Our first stop was the very beautiful Silver Falls State Park, located east of Salem. This park has a number of spectacular waterfalls and nice trails. We hiked to a couple of the many falls, and were all spellbound at their splendor and setting. After our hike, we had a delightful picnic lunch in the shade of fir trees right near the park's lodge.
Our next stop was the little town of Albany, where we visited the efforts of the community to create a carousel, (if you can believe that), in the historic style for their town. Beginning in 2003, community members, led by artists and craftsmen, began carving and painting the 52 animals and 2 chariots needed for the carousel. In addition, they are working to restore a 1909 Dentzel carousel mechanism that will hold the newly carved figures. It is a labor of love for the many volunteers working on the effort. Each animal can take as much as 2,000 hours to carve, with another 400 hours to paint. You have to see the pictures below to get an idea of what is going on there. The whole scene was amazing. What a great project. :-) They hope to have it up and running in another 5 years.
On the way back to our friend's home, we drove through the town of Corvallis, and some beautiful farmland. After a short rest, we had a nice dinner out at a restaurant in Eugene, housed in a grouping of old train cars. The day was lots of fun. Here are some pictures.
Tomorrow we are on the road again, heading toward Sisters, Oregon, but we will long remember our visit with our friends in Eugene. It could not have been nicer stay. We look forward to their winter return to our community in Tucson.
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