An Unexpected Adventure

Nothing is more enticing than a sunny, winter day in Oregon. That brief lapse in the rain is a stolen moment of bliss. Wednesday I took advantage of the weather to take off on another adventure.

My goal was to go to Baskett Slough near Salem for a hike at the wildlife refuge. Of course, after driving all the way there, I learned that the trails were closed. Still it was warm and beautiful, so I didn’t want to waste the day.

Driving home, I decided to turn off on a side road just to see where it led.  I ended up in Perrydale, a tiny, forgotten, little town.  There was basically one intersection with a garage housing this antique contraption.

And this old, Italianate home.

And finally, this beautiful Victorian home.

Again, I turned off on an unknown road. It led the itty-bitty town of Ballston. I call it a town, but it really is a huddle of broken down buildings. For instance, the general store with it’s broken sign.

And the strange little boat with creepy dolls as occupants.

Leaving Ballston, I headed west, ending up on some little dirt road. I had to take a picture of this Espalier fence with hubcap lining the posts.

It reminded me of something I'd see in the areas north of Spokane, where I grew up.

Speaking of which, this also reminded me of that area.

Bwahaha, I would love to know why they did this. Is it even street legal?

Luckily, I eventually drove west long enough to hit highway 18, from there I found my way home.