A down home, family fun kind of place When the notice appeared in my e-mail inbox that I had won two tickets to the Osmond Brothers concert at the Bearcreek Farms Country Resort in Bryant, Indiana, it was a no brainer. “Heck, yes, I’m going.” Never mind that Donny wasn’t going to be there, or that my musical tastes have changed since the day when a frenzied friend pushed past me to get close to the stage in Columbia, South Carolina where Donny crooned “Puppy Love” to a packed arena of swarming girls. Seeing only Jay and his brothers, including Jimmy, this time around would do. Besides, heading to the concert from Columbus, Ohio was road trip material. I corralled my husband, my then teen-aged daughter and 7 year-old son for the up and back excursion. To her credit, my daughter didn’t roll her eyes when I told her she was to be my concert date. Bearcreek Farms Country Resort became one of those surprise finds to tell folks about. B...[more »]

Running Bear Cabin from Outside Portland is cut in half by the Willamette River, and shadowed by Mount Hood, a snow-capped volcano to the east. Mount Hood provides an awesome background for Portlanders as well as skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer. What’s more, it’s just a little over an hour by car to get there from downtown. Many people opt to camp or backpack around Mount Hood, and certainly there are many fabulous sites to explore. Another option if you’re not up for roughing it is booking a cabin at the foot of the mountain and doing day-hikes. I’ve mostly camped around Hood (as is the Oregonian way), but a couple weekends ago a group of girlfriends and I decided to rent a cabin in Welches and have ourselves a little ‘girls getaway’. Welches is one of the many tiny towns you go through on Hwy 26 heading eastwards up the mountain. It’s easy to get to and has a store, a video/DVD shop, a cafe and a liquor store…what else d...[more »]

Silver Falls Silver Falls is one pretty park! About two hours south of Portland through wine county, Silver Falls State Park shows up unexpectedly while driving over hilly farmland. Hidden in deep forest are over ten falls, the most dramatic of which is the popular South Falls, which is easy to get to by car. Falls Silver Falls is a huge draw for visitors and Oregonians, and makes for an effortless day-trip or a very choice camping weekend away. The park offers a lot of facilities for overnight guests. They’ve got a traditional campground with tent sites and RV hook-ups plus small cabins at low rates. The campground sits under large Douglas firs and is well maintained. The inexpensive cabins are popular and usually booked up on the weekends in the summer, though you might find something mid-week. If you have more cash on hand then book at the super secluded conference center (that is, if there’s not a retreat going on). The conference center has some deluxe cabins with bat...[more »]