Traveling into Oregon, the thing that struck us first was the smoke. 

It hung low in the air, obscuring the views of mountains in the distance & leaving a lingering smell of ash. 

Our first stop was Crater Lake. The hike was short but strenuous, straight up a rocky trail with a sharp drop to both sides. A wrong step could mean a nasty fall. Though my breaths were heavy & exhausted, I could not help continuing to exclaim how beautiful the view was. Blue mountains overlapped in the distance while pine trees stood tall below. Between the rocks, yellow & red flowers dotted the side of the mountain & swayed in the breeze.

When we finally reached the top of our hike, we teetered towards the edge, taking in the view of the still, blue lake surrounded on all sides by tall, forested mountains. Interrupting the glassy appearance of the water was one, small mountain that grew out of the center of the lake. 

Crater Lake was a place we had been looking forward to visiting for the promised majestic views. And it was beautiful, but I cannot even imagine how stunning it would have been without the tint of gray that hung over the entire landscape, sometimes so thick that we couldn’t see the blue lake below. 

When our thirst for the lake view had finally been quenched, we started slowly back down the side of the mountain, still stopping every once in a while to gaze out at the arresting views. When we arrived back at the truck, we ate a quick lunch & then began the long drive to Hood River.

Until today, I was not aware that Mount Hood is not just any mountain – it’s a potentially active stratovolcano, meaning it is an elevation of the earth’s crust built by layers of lava & ash. According to ScienceDaily, stratovolcanoes have occasional, explosive eruptions, but the lava is so viscous (meaning it is a thick & sticky consistency) that it does not travel far before hardening completely. Mount Hood has not had a major eruption since the 1790s (U.S. Geological Survey [USGS]). 

Mount Hood is our destination for tomorrow, but it still dominated our landscape today with its commanding presence. Mount Hood stretches nearly 8,000 feet into the sky, but its total height is actually over 11,000 feet (USGS, Peakbagger). It is the 28th most prominent peek & the 13th highest point in the United States (USGS). 

It was difficult to capture the view in our cameras. The gray of the mountain blended with the gray of the sky, so we accepted this view as just for us & simply appreciated its beauty during our drive. 

Our Airbnb was incredible! We had gotten a master suite with a private bathroom, walk-in closet (that we didn’t use), a large bedroom, & a separate room with couches, TV & a fireplace. Downstairs was a home theatre, a gym, &, our favorite addition, a heated pool! Joseph & I didn’t have the chance to do much swimming this past summer, so before we headed to dinner, we both couldn’t resist a dip in the water. We splashed around for a bit, & then changed into nicer clothes for a dinner at Hood River.

A lot of the restaurants were closed because of COVID-19 or Labor Day weekend. We had initially wanted to go to pFriem Family Brewers, but they were full. Luckily, the hostess had a wonderful recommendation for another local restaurant not far away – Riverside. There was a bit of a wait, so Joseph & I took the opportunity to walk around Hood River & watch the setting sun over the water.

I have never seen such a beautiful & yet devastating view. The sun had turned burnt orange & barely managed to light the sky. Instead of its normal glowing rays, it was a perfect sphere, so much so that I could have mistaken it for the moon. During our walk, it hung low just above the mountain tops, where it reflected into the rippling water below. It was a picturesque view, yet we both knew it was caused by the raging wildfires not far away. 

We had been seeing this type of sun now for months off & on, all the way across the country in Maryland, but this was the first time I had seen it so clearly & truly taken in what this view meant. Now realizing this, I wondered just how far away this type of sun could be seen. Was it visible in other countries? Could you see it across the globe? It was as if the earth knew one part of it was in pain, & it wanted to let the rest of the world know. Ironically, it seemed like it was earth’s way of sending smoke signals. 

We ended our evening at Riverside for a delicious dinner all made with fresh, local ingredients. It started with the best bread I have ever tasted (which they make in house every day), served with olive oil & balsamic vinegar. I have to say, I am part Italian, so I have had this appetizer many times before, but never has it tasted so amazing. For an appetizer, we ordered bacon wrapped dates, which were served stuffed with marcona almonds & soaking in honey. It was the perfect blend of sweet & salty, with a lovely nutty finish. 

For dinner, I ordered the stuffed piquillo peppers, which were soft, roasted peppers stuffed with creamy quinoa & roasted vegetables & drizzled with a creamy, spicy, orange sauce. The dish was entirely plant-based, which is a diet I try to mostly stick to when I am home but have been breaking for this occasion because it isn’t the easiest to keep while traveling. I was wary of ordering the dish because I often find restaurants struggle to enhance the flavors of plain vegetables & grains without meat or dairy, but this dish was delicious & one I would definitely order again.

The restaurant was directly beside Hood River, which provided a gentle breeze & a lovely ambience for our evening. Just beside us was the bridge that led from Oregon to Washington, & throughout the evening, we watched the cars’ lights reflect in the still water below & listened to the sounds of a distant train in Washington chugging by. We were also supposed to be able to see Mount Hood from where we were sitting, but once again, the smoke had obscured this view. 

Often on my blog, I talk about the importance of self-love & loving others. Today, what struck me most is how important it is to love our planet. The earth is literally on fire right now, & many of us, myself included, are just continuing on with our daily lives. 

I think for me, one of the hardest things is that I don’t know what to do to help, & when I think of ideas, I’m not sure what kind of difference they will make. I am not a firefighter – I can’t help fight the wildfires. I am not a politician, so I can’t help write legislation that will change carbon emissions or make us more eco-friendly as a country. I am not an engineer, so I can’t help make cars that run on electricity or homes that run on solar power. 

But I think the most important thing to remember is that we all do play a role. Every little bit makes a difference, & some of the changes can be simple to make. Maybe it isn’t realistic for you to carpool to work, but maybe you can be more mindful of unplugging electronics you aren’t currently using in your home. Maybe you don’t want to eat plant based, but you could switch your household cleaners to eco-friendly ones. There are so many ways to help save this planet, & it’s good for you, too! I forgot how much better my body feels after eating a plant-based meal, but today, I was reminded of how often what’s best for us & the planet overlap. 

Even when we are on the road traveling, we have two homes: Our body & the earth. Make sure you are loving them both the way they deserve.