Goodby Columbus, or Madison, or Mesa, or Scottsdale?

Thursday August 19th, 2010

With due respect to Philip Roth, who was born in the same city that I

was, the garden spot of the Garden State, Newark N.J., this blog has nothing to do with his book. But, I do like the title for my latest blog.

We took a two-day trip from Ashland to explore the Oregon Coast and the beautiful beaches. At breakfast we had the opportunity to chat with a young couple who had recently moved to Bend Oregon from Madison Wisconsin. (Hence the title of this blog). As I travel through this state and take time to talk to anyone who looks interesting, I find so many people of all ages who have decided to make Oregon their home. The common thread among all is an appreciation for nature and the outdoors. Oregon has the lowest “couch potato” quotient in the USA.

The state has long been one of the major producers of lumber in the USA and the evidence of clear-cutting is everywhere. Check the pic attached and you can see what “clear cutting” looks like. Not a pretty site. However, in the last twenty years or so the state has finally figured out how to balance the needs of the lumber industry and holding on to local jobs and those who want to see pristine forests everywhere. And fortunately the “old growth” forests are being harvested in way that keeps them healthy and vibrant.

Then there are the beaches and the miles and miles of endless huge dunes. Most of the immediate shoreline in the state is protected and accessible to all through the state parks and U.S. Forest Service. You can hike till you drop along the two hundred mile coastline. On this trip we stayed at the Sunset Motel which sits on the cliffs above “Face Rock” in Bandon. The gull in the pic was an early morning visitor to our deck who expected me to feed him breakfast.

Bandon is now world renowned among golfers for Bandon Dunes Golf Resort which has three of the top ten public courses in America. Before it was “discovered”, I played the original Bandon Dunes Course for $40. Now daily green fees run $270, but if you really love golf it is worth every nickel to play here. We did play some golf, but at a new course, Bandon Crossings, which was quite beautiful in its own right and a fraction of cost of its famous neighbor. BTW i have to note here that P managed to score three threes on the back nine today including a 'sandy' from a deep trap.

I have only played a few times this month but my golf game seems to have come back. Perhaps it is the stretching I am doing, perhaps it is not having my goofy friends John and Dennis tormenting me, or perhaps just playing on courses easier than my home course, Desert Highlands, but in any event, my worst score this month has been 78. Hope I can bring this game back with me when I return.