Silver Falls State Park, OR

We had a Sunday with nothing to do, so we decided to drive down for some hiking in Silver Falls State Park. It's a little over an hour drive south of Portland, but well worth it. Along the way, we saw a strawberry farm so we stopped to pick a few (too many).
Let me start out by saying that, growing up in the Midwest, strawberries were OK. That's it, just OK. You had to cut them up and put sugar on them to make them good. The problem with most strawberries is that they are bred for shelf life and size (farmers are often paid by weight), not flavor. What you get is a large, watered down strawberry that is too firm, lacks flavor, and is actually white in the center.
However, if you come to Oregon, and try some of the local strawberries, you will be pleasantly surprised. Yes, they are smaller, but your first bite will tell you that these are extraordinarily great. They are sweet, deep red in color throughout, and full of delicious flavor. We first tried some at a local farmers market, and vowed to buy more when given the chance. Well, my friends, here was our chance. (My strawberry rant is over now). So we pulled over at a local strawberry farm where you can pick your own for only 75 cents a pound!!

Our bountiful harvest filled the trunk of the car....for only $16!!

"Strawberry Fields Forever"
Here we are, down on the farm, picking the best strawberries you will ever taste. The farmer even encouraged us to "sample" while picking the different varieties....sure!

OK, now that we were all fueled up on natural sugars, we headed to the main attraction....Silver Falls. We did the "Trail of Ten Falls" which is a 7 mile loop hike through lush forests. Along are the usual suspects: Matt, Kristina, Zoe, Em, and I. Here are some of our favorite falls on the hike:

South Falls - 177 ft. There is a trail that wraps behind the falls, you can see people walking behind the falls in this pic.

Lower South Falls - 93 ft, also with a trail behind the falls.

Em strikes a pose behind Lower South Falls

Lower North Falls - 30 ft.

Double Falls - 178 ft.

North Falls - 136 ft.
(see person at top for size comparison)

When the trails are this lush and the waterfalls are this plentiful, you tend to appreciate all the rain we get out here.

The view of North Falls from a clearing about a mile away.

After snacking on strawberries every day and every meal, we still had enough left to make 5 jars of homemade strawberry jam. If you are real nice, we might let you try some..... :)