I haven’t posted about any travels or journeys lately, but here is my Christmas newsletter (Compass Rose Queen style) from this year. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! Where has the year gone? 2012 was a busy year of learning the ropes at DHS, making new friends at my new church, experiencing life in Southern Oregon, and exploring new skills.

This year I learned how to run the sound board at OBCC, memorized an entire song in ASL for a Christmas play, and attempted to write a second novel for National Novel Writing Month. I also joined the Diversity Committee for our district of DHS, and have put together two newsletters for it so far. I miss teaching and am still applying for teaching positions, but I am enjoying tackling other skills and responsibilities in the meantime!

For traveling, I mostly stuck around Southern Oregon. My friends Jesie and Shawna showed me and their kids around  the quaint historic town of Jacksonville. They also introduced me to local farms for berry picking and pumpkin patches. I attended local festivals like Riddle’s Sawdust Jubilee, Myrtle Creek’s Summerfest, Canyonville’s Pumpkin Festival, and the free Celtic music concert at Winston’s Highland Games. Very fun!

The biggest trip of the year was when my longtime friend Jas and I drove overnight to Bakersfield. We enjoyed driving through the Siskiyous   and the Cascades, especially seeing Mt. Shasta at sunset. My friend Rainie and I enjoyed a day at the Oregon Coast in Florence. For my birthday weekend, Mom and I drove south. We visited the historic Wolf Creek Inn and explored the Elizabethan Theatre in Ashland. My cousin Josh and I took his girls to the Renaissance Faire in Kings Valley, adding to the old-time fun.

I also got to host a “foreign exchange kitty” when my China teaching friend Laura moved from LA to Shanghai. Widget kept me good company this summer and fall. When Laura brought Widget to Oregon, we got together with our friend Elise, and then Laura and I drove to Crater Lake. Later, my friend Misty and her family also went to Crater Lake with me. So beautiful! Merry Christmas from Southern Oregon!

Love, Jessica Johnson

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Traveling the Roads of the West #1: Interstate 5

Last month I accompanied my high school best friend on a spur-of-the-moment trip to Bakersfield, California. It was a beeline trip to help her sister move, not a sightseeing trip or lazy vacation. But we made the most of it. We had a blast chatting the night away with the lovely sights of southern Oregon and northern California (by the time we were out of the Cascades, it was dark).

I realized something on that trip. I’ve lived all my life in cities on the I-5 Corridor (aside from a couple years in Monmouth and Dallas, Oregon, which are both around a 1/2 hour from it). I now live a mere few blocks from it. And I’ve traveled the entire thing in bits and pieces, to Canada and to Mexico. But I often take this massive freeway, built largely right on historic US Route 99,  for granted.

Interstate 5 (called I-5, or sometimes “The Five”) is not a romantic road in the imagination of our society, at least not in the way that Route 66 or Highway 101  are. But it has a lot to offer a traveler. It is, after all, the only interstate highway to touch both the Mexico and the Canada border, even if that means only going through three states.

So I’ve put together a list of sights to see from I-5 (as well as a few eats and treats located within sight from the interstate). Going from south to north, you’ll see:

1. The San Isidro border crossing- just south of the border is shopping galore. Just don’t try to buy more than one pair of fake Oakleys.

2. Six Flags Magic Mountain- okay, I’m sure there are other sights to see between the Mexico border and Los Angeles. But it’s been over a decade and a half since I’ve driven that section, and I just don’t remember it. It is great fun to see the roller coasters at Magic Mountain, though, and dream of zipping along in the sky way faster than you’re driving right then!

3. In-N-Out Burger- various stops along I-5. A California must for when you get hungry. Not so much for the food, but for the experience. Don’t forget to buy a T-shirt (or at least ask for a paper hat. Just pretend you’re getting it for a kid.)

4. Shasta Lake- you get to drive right over it. Cool!

5. Castle Crags State Park- awesome rock formations high in the hills. I seriously want to go hiking here.

6. Mt. Shasta (and the cute little cinder cone by the freeway, for you fellow geology geeks). You can’t miss seeing this huge conical volcano.

7. Dragon sculpture in the Siskiyous- eye candy for the weary traveler, at least one who likes fantasy stuff, not long before the Oregon border.

8. Table Rocks- huge mesa buttes near Medford. Another place I want to hike.

9. Seven Feathers Casino- a large eagle statue dominates the entrance to this casino in tiny Canyonville (the town I currently work in). There is a Burger King within a block of I-5 here, but a much better little eatery is Ken’s Sidewalk Cafe, with lobster wraps and great burgers (and no, they didn’t pay me to say this).

10. Castle-like house on a cliff over historic bridge, Myrtle Creek- sadly, it’s for sale, but out of my price range.

11. Rice Hill- where every family in Oregon stops on road trips to eat ice cream (Umpqua brand, made in nearby Roseburg) at the old-fashioned drive-in (order at the window) burger joint.

12. Spencer’s Butte- a large hill overlooking the green (in more ways than one) city of Eugene, my hometown, where the locals go hiking on lazy weekend afternoons. I’ve gone there with nearly every important person in my life at some time or another.

13. The white dinosaur statues at the south end of Eugene. Funky!

14. The Enchanted Forest! This place was my Disneyland growing up. I still love catching glimpses of the Ice Mountain Bobsleds coaster as I drive by.

15. The 45th Parallel sign in Salem- letting you know that you’re halfway between the equator and the North Pole (in case you were wondering where in the world you were).

16. Portland- so many things to see as you drive through Oregon’s largest city. The OHSU aerial tram, Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, driving over the Marquam Bridge (which is an experience for us small-town drivers), the Rose Garden arena, the twin towers of the Convention Center, and of course, the bridge over the Columbia River, taking you into Washington state.

17. Krispy Kreme- just off 1-5 in Tacoma. I know it’s not a unique sight or stop, but I just have to include it. I’ve driven I-5 with youth group kids too many times. You can’t not stop here with 13-year-olds in the back of the car who just saw the sign.

18. Mt. Rainier- this hulking volcano dominates the landscape in Washington. Yet another place I really want to go hiking.

19. The Seattle Space Needle- I’m pretty sure you can see this from I-5, if not from a distance. Much cooler up close, though.

20. The grande finale…. the Peace Arch at the border of Canada. Reminding you how lucky you are to live on such a peaceful continent.

Please comment below to tell me what are some of your favorite sights to see (and places to eat, of course!) on I-5.

Mt. Shasta at dusk

Castle-themed house overlooking old Route 99 bridge into Myrtle Creek

In-N-Out Burger, a California road trip tradition

I had one recently. One of those rare magical moments with some kind of wildlife, in a place you wouldn’t expect it.

I’m not just talking about seeing a raccoon in the backyard. It’s when you see experience it, making you feel more alive somehow.

The first experience I remember having like this was in the Los Angeles area. I was visiting my sister-in-law and my friend who was her roommate. They lived between Diamond Bar and Pamona. Not a place you’d expect a mystical experience with nature. But there was a big, steep hill by their apartment complex. Early one morning I climbed up it, getting views of the San Gabriel mountains to the north and the LA metropolitan area below. Then it happened. A large hawk began circling above me. I didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. Just watched it as it watched me. It went away, and I finished climbing the hill. But I never forgot that moment.

The next one came when I was in China. I lived in Shenzhen, the 30-year-old city of 15 million people. But across the street from my apartment was a park. It had formal paths and perfectly pruned tropical plants, as well as a pavilion and lily pond. One evening as I walked through it, every square foot (decimeter?) of the air had dragonflies! I’d never seen so many in one place. They swarmed around high and low as I walked on the wooden footbridge over the lily pond. Another magical moment.

Two evenings ago, I walked around a couple blocks from my apartment in Myrtle Creek toward the big hill behind me. Two deer were grazing. They didn’t seem to mind me as I got close. As I walked, they began walking in front of me, keeping a distance of about 2o feet, but not running away. They seemed to enjoy playing follow-the-leader with me. I followed them until they crossed someone’s property and bounded off into the hills. Lovely.

What is a magical moment you have had, in a place you didn’t expect it?

Here it is, the moment you’ve all been waiting for… the conclusion to my Seven Wonders series. You may not have known you were waiting for it, but it’s here all the same! And I apologize for the delay. Last weekend I was happily driving a California friend to see one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the USA, Crater Lake. It was cold up there on the rim of the volcano, but beautiful!

I made this list from some of the most intriguing structures that have been built in this great country. Most of these are places that I haven’t been to yet, but capture my imagination. Some are ancient, and some are modern, but they all exist because of the intelligence and hard work of people in America. So without further adieu, here it is (in no particular order):

1. Cahokia Mounds National Historic Site- giant earthen structures from the Mississippian Culture, built centuries before Europeans came to the continent. I wrote a paper about this site for an archaeology class in college. I was fascinated that there were pyramid-like structures in the USA.

2. Mesa Verde National Park  and other cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloan people- intricate dwellings carved out of cliffs. I want to see these so badly!

3. Mt. Rushmore National Memorial– part of me is sad that a mountain was blasted in order to make it (not to mention the controversy with Native Americans from the seizure of land in 1876), but I’m sure seeing the gargantuan sculptures in person is an intense experience.

4. The Hoover Dam- at the time it was built (during the Great Depression), it was an engineering marvel and considered the largest dam in the world. Unfortunately, unlike Mt. Rushmore (which had no deaths in it’s formation), over 100 people died building the dam. I have been here (while the current bypass bridge was being built), and it is amazing sight to see.

5. The Empire State Building– skyscrapers usually don’t top my lists of interesting places, this one was the world’s tallest building for 40 years. It is a romantic place in the hearts of Americans, demonstrated by its appearance in movies such as King Kong and An Affair to Remember.

6. The buildings of the National Mall– The Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, the United States Capitol, the White House, the Smithsonian Castle, and more. Even with my love of history, I’d never had a huge desire to go here. Then I went. And was blown away. The sights here are great architectural feats as well as historical landmarks.

7. The Golden Gate Bridge– yet another engineering marvel. A massive suspension bridge built to withstand intense conditions. I’ve been here several times and love it, with the views from or of San Francisco.

8. Yeah, I know. There’s only supposed to be seven. But it was just too hard to narrow down. And I have to have at least one thing from the Pacific Northwest! Plus, it’s my list, so I can make eight if I want to. So my final landmark is the Space Needle. The Seattle one, not the wannabe one in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It was built for the 1962 World’s Fair, and continues to capture the imagination.

Sorry Greg, Burger King still does not make the cut as a Wonder of the USA. Maybe if I had a 9th one…

Well folks, there you have it. My lists of the Wonders of Oregon and the USA. I could expand again to North America, but we’ll save those places for other posts. To see photos of all the places on this list, see my Pinterest board at http://pinterest.com/writerjessicaj/man-made-wonders-of-the-usa/

Seattle Space Needle, spring break 2011

Crater Lake, summer 2012

For the third installment of my Seven Wonders series, I got help from my friends and readers. The USA has too many natural wonders for me alone to create a list! In just a couple weeks, we’ll be celebrating this great country’s independence. So I’d like to celebrate some of the amazing reasons I love this country.

With so many fantastic places to choose from, it’s hard to narrow it down to seven. But I’ll try. To create this list, I’m automatically naming the most-voted on places, and then adding my own ideas to ensure variety. Otherwise they would almost all be either national parks or places in the American Southwest! The suggestions I had coming in certainly validates America’s national parks program as protecting many of America’s greatest wonders!

All right, enough blabbing by me. Without further adieu, here’s the list:

1. Yosemite National Park. There was a vote for El Capitan specifically, a giant monolith that brave adventurers dare to rock climb. I’d also add Yosemite Falls, being the highest in America and the third highest in the world. Bridal Veil Falls is what first sold me on going to Yosemite, after learning about hanging valleys in college geology class.

2. Arches National Park. One voter specified watching the sun set over it, and then watching the moon rise. I’m sure it was magical! This, along with Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, and Zion,  is on my list of places  in the Southwest that I really want to go. They should just call the Southwest “National Park Land.”

3. Mammoth Caves National Park. Yes, another national park, but it happens to be the largest cave system in the world. I’d hate to get lost here! Except on a summer day. Above ground is brutal in Kentucky that time of year, so a cave tour is a refreshing treat! I’ve been on the Frozen Niagara tour.

4. Slot canyons and “wave” formations of the Southwest. I think these look amazing in pictures, and I’m sure they’re even more impressive in real life! Other amazing rock formations of the Southwest that got votes were Red Rocks in Sedona, and my own vote for Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas.

5. Geysers of Yellowstone National Park. Yeah, I know. Another national park. But there’s a reason that this one was America’s first. Water shooting out of the earth at regular intervals, all because the whole area is sitting on top of a supervolcano. Epic!

6. Redwood and Sequoia trees. This one’s not really a place (although most of them are found in California) but is a natural wonder for sure. The tallest and largest trees in the world deserve some respect! I was lucky enough to grow up with a sequoia tree in my front yard. I climbed it nearly every day in the summer, and sat way up high to view the entire neighborhood.

7. This one was tough. It has to go to a mountain. America has amazing mountains. There’s Mt. McKinley in Alaska, the highest mountain in North America. Then there’s Kilauea in Hawaii, one of the most active volcanoes on the planet. But the blog posts leading up to this one allude to my loyalty to my home state. So here it is: Crater Lake National Park. It’s the deepest lake in America, and one of the world’s clearest. Outside the rim are lacy waterfalls and otherworldly hoodoos. And hey, it’s in Oregon!

Well, that’s my list. There are so many wonders I’d have liked to (and possibly should have) placed on this list, so please comment below to add your favorites!  Feel free also to share your experiences of any of these places or the ones you add.

Here are some that were nominated that didn’t make the list (or weren’t at least mentioned in the list): Olympic National Park (complete with breathtaking mountain vistas, waterfalls, glacier-formed lakes, hot springs, and rainforests), Devil’s Churn on the Oregon coast, and dinosaur footprints in Texas. Dinosaur National Monument is another that could have made the list, containing fossils of Allosaurus and others. As my cousin put it (regarding the footprints in Texas), it’s an experience  “To reach across unfathomable millions of years and step in their footprints.”

Now go out there an experience the natural wonders of America!

Oregon Capitol building, Salem, OR

My last post was my own top seven Natural Wonders of Oregon (my home state, if you can’t tell). I left off a couple biggies- Abert Rim and Old Perpetual Geyser, both near Lakeview. Abert Rim is the largest fault block in North America. Oregon has such awesome geology! Well, now it’s time for the not-so-natural Wonders of Oregon. Here’s my ideas (in no particular order), and I’m open to others!

1. The Vista House at Crown Point, at the Columbia Gorge. A geometric castle of sorts, giving amazing views of the gorge as well as treats and souvenirs.

2. The Oregon Caves Chateau at Oregon Caves National Monument- On the list of National Historic Lodges. A cascade flows into a peaceful pool next to it, which then feeds into a creek that runs through the restaurant in the bottom of the Chateau. One of the most romantic places I’ve ever stayed.

3. The Astoria Column (in Astoria, obviously)- Artwork on the outside, windy staircase on the inside, fantastic views at the top! I went here with 7th grade students, and watching them jump in the wind and launch lightweight wooden airplanes was a blast.

4. Powell’s City of Books, Portland- this one’s not for the architecture. A store the size of a city block, filled with books? Pure heaven! I’d say it’s the world’s largest bookstore, but Shenzhen’s five story Book City a block from my apartment when I was in China was pretty impressive, too. I still think Powell’s had more books, though!

5. The Elsinore theatre, Salem- an authentic gothic movie palace. The outside is impressive, with a gothic architecture rising from the roof. But inside the theater, you feel a bit like you’re in a castle in Germany (and I’ve been there!)

6. The Eco-Earth, Salem- Everything gets recycled in Oregon! They took a giant old acid ball from a papermill, and decorated it to be an amazing work of art.

7. The state capitol building, Salem- a Greek-styled government building, complete with the Oregon Pioneer standing golden in the sunshine (at least a few days of the year!)

Other top picks of mine: Timberline Lodge, Fort Clatsop, and the Geiser Grand Hotel in Baker City (I haven’t been there but I’ve read about it, and it sounds awesome).

I’ll only post pics that I have digital photos of, so to see what the rest of these places look like, see the pinterest board I’ll be making at pinterest.com/writerjessicaj/

Please tell me your favorites, and the places I’ve missed!

Eco-Earth, Salem, OR

Astoria Column, Astoria, OR

Vista House, Crown Point, Columbia Gorge

I love the Seven Wonders of the World. All the versions. The Ancient Wonders, the Modern Wonders, all of them. It’s probably a combination of the attraction of a “Best Of” list and amazing sights our planet has.

Well, my beautiful home state of Oregon needs one. I’ve looked online, and several people have shared their own lists. But there isn’t yet an official one. That means I can make my own version, too!

So here are my votes for Oregon’s Seven Natural Wonders. Man-made wonders will be my next post. All of the picture’s I’m including here were taken by me, and I don’t have pictures of all the places on my list. To see pictures of all seven wonders, check out my Pinterest board http://pinterest.com/writerjessicaj/7-natural-wonders-of-oregon-according-to-me/

Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Crater Lake National Park- One of the deepest and clearest lakes in the world, formed by an extinct volcano. Breathtaking enough to be a National Park. Surrounded by pinnacles, waterfalls, and forests.

2. Smith Rock State Park- World class rock climbing and hiking. Stunning cliffs and rock formations. And huge huckleberry ice cream cones nearby. Need I say more?

3. Oregon Caves National Monument- rare marble caves with beautiful flowstones and dripstones. Lovely views, waterfalls, and hiking trails outside the caves.

4. Sea Lion Caves- presumable the largest sea cave in the world, filled with sea lions playing “king of the mountain” on a large rock in the middle of the seawater inside the cave.

5. Hells Canyon- America’s deepest gorge. World class whitewater rafting. I want to go! Wallowa Mountains nearby as well.

6. The Columbia River Gorge- Big and beautiful, with oh-so-many gorgeous waterfalls spilling down the cliffs. Multnomah Falls is Oregon’s highest, but Latourelle Falls flows down columnar basalt columns and tiny Fairy Falls cascades down shiny basalt.

7. Proxy Falls- both Upper and Lower are graceful and almost magical, but Upper falls ends in a pool with no outlet.

Honorable mention: Waldo Lake, one of the other (besides Crater Lake) purest lakes in the world. Ramona Falls- the kind you picture seeing on a postcard from Hawaii. The Obsidian hike on Paulina Mountains/Newberry Crater- I never thought I’d see so much obsidian in one place. Silver Falls State Park- 10 substantial waterfalls on one 7-8 mile hike, nestled in a canyon surrounded by rainforest.

I’m sure I missed some amazing ones. What places in Oregon do you think belong in this list? Please comment below. Maybe someday a list will be official!

Columbia River Gorge, from Oregon side

Lower Proxy Falls, Oregon

Sea Lion Caves, Oregon Coast

Smith Rock State Park, Oregon