I Love Eugene!

We have been living in Eugene for a year and a half now. We came to Eugene in July, 2010 for Doug to start his career. The plan was a 2-year contract to see how he fits with the practice and how the practice fits with him. Now it's time to get serious about the long-term plan. And it looks like we'll be staying put. Official Eugenians. We are in the process of buying a house (hopefully the LAST time we have to go through this process in our lives) and making plans for permanency with Doug's work. I have to admit, I wasn't sure how things would work out when we first moved here. We had a bit of a rough start. But today as I was on my run I started thinking about things I love about Eugene. And really, there's quite a list! So today I'm sharing my "What I love About Eugene" thoughts...in no particular order.

Alton Baker Park and the riverbank trail--
recently underwater due to spring flooding

1. Ruth Bascom Riverbank Trail. This is where I do the majority of my running. http://www.ltd.org/pdf/RiverbankTrail.pdf  This trail system ROCKS! I can easily map out 20+ miles on this trail system...perfect for training for long races. It's just over 1.5 miles to the trail from our house so I pick up at least a small portion of the trail system on most of my runs. With 5 foot bridges spanning the Willamette River, we can create a whole variety to our runs as well. And there's just something about running along a river that brings a whole new element to the run.

2. Alton Baker Park. The riverbank trail runs through Alton Baker Park. But the park itself is huge and beautiful. I love people watching as I run through there. And believe me, there is also a whole new element to people watching in Eugene!

3. Wild turkeys. I love the wild turkeys that parade around the neighborhood, typically early in the morning. It's funny to watch the males with their giant feathers begging for attention. And I have to wonder WHAT is on some people's lawns that will make 20 turkeys hang out there for hours vs. the next house on the street. But they are ALWAYS at the same houses.

4. Deer. Not that I haven't seen deer before, though Doug often questions my ability to spot wildlife (a Leonard family skill I have not yet developed). Nevertheless, Eugene has so well preserved the natural state of the area that deer are often hanging around, too. I know they can make a nuisance of themselves, but it's sometimes amazing the places we spot deer.

5. Prince Puckler's Ice Cream. Yummmmm. The kids would love to stop every time we pass Prince Puckler's, the local ice cream parlor. http://princepucklers.com/ My favorite? Chocolate dipped bittersweet chocolate in a waffle cone. Who knew hard-packed scoops of ice cream were so delicious dipped! Dairy Queen has nothin' on Prince Puckler's!

6. Euphoria Chocolate. While we're on the subject of chocolate, I love dark chocolate caramels from Euphoria Chocolate. Doug's a fan of their hot chocolate, too. http://www.euphoriachocolate.com/

7. Cafe Yumm. And while we are on the subject of Euphoria, that brings me to Cafe Yumm...a unique Eugene-based restaurant with delicious yumm bowls (think layers of rice, beans, olives, tomatoes, avocado, and super yummy sauce). http://www.cafeyumm.com/ But truth be told, my FAVORITE menu item at Cafe Yumm is the chocolate chip cookie dipped in Euphoria chocolate. Oh so good. Last year on March 1st, Doug showed up with TWO chocolate dipped chocolate chip cookies for me from Cafe Yumm to kick off birthday month. He could have done nothing else the rest of the month--that was a home run gift! (it helped I had just finished a really long run and could justify TWO cookies in one day).

Saturday afternoon Duck game, Fall '11

8. The Ducks. I am listing "the Ducks" as an entry all on their own because well, they deserve it. It has been SO FUN to get Duck-Fever and cheer on the football team. You can't help but be a "Duck" in Eugene.

9. Autzen Stadium. Yes, Autzen gets its own entry because it is just cool. As the announcer says at EVERY football game,  "it NEVER rains in Autzen Stadium" (it pours touchdowns!). So much fun to be at Autzen for games. People say the Autzen crowd helps win football games. They are the LOUDEST fans around. But not just for football, I love how many of my runs take me right past Autzen. It's a beautiful stadium.

The Oregon logo at Autzen Stadium

10. The University of Oregon. Okay, now the university gets its own entry as well. Because Eugene is more than just the Ducks and Autzen. I love living in a college town. It brings a lot of resources to the community and cool opportunities for our family. Last summer Zach attended basketball camp at the amazing Matthew Knight Arena with the U of O basketball team and coaches. Trevian's elementary school is within walking distance of the U of O. So they regularly have student teachers helping out at the school. And she has a few "walking field trips" each year to university museums and events. We've really enjoyed all the opportunities that come with having a university in our back yard.

11. Recycling. Yep. I have to admit this is one of the things that first made me nervous about Eugene. Everyone knows Eugene is liberal and granola-ish. And Eugenians are REALLY in to their recycling. Right after moving here, we attended a neighborhood picnic that was entirely green--a no-waste picnic. The neighborhood association provided actual tableware for EVERYONE and had a dishwashing station set up to wash your dishes when you were done. And there was plenty of composting bins available. What made me nervous was the compost nazi who was analyzing everything people put in the compost or recycling containers and was freaking out that some people were doing it wrong. Yet, I've come around. No, I don't compost...yet. But I'm good with recycling (our recycling can is 3 times the size of our trash can). And I carry 5 reusable shopping bags in my purse (stylish and cute ones of course). In fact, on a recent trip to Idaho, I whipped them out to bag my groceries while at Fred Meyer with my sister. She just shook her head and said "oh my...you ARE from Eugene." Yep.

12. The Ridgeline Trail. If running along the river gets old, there's always the Ridgeline Trail. 12 miles of true trail running (or walking or hiking). This trail system is so well maintained. http://www.eugene-or.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_187742_0_0_18/RIDGE_map.PDF And the good news is that while we will be moving a little further away from the Riverbank Trail, we'll have the Ridgeline Trail nearby.

The kiddos take a break on a swing at Hendricks Park

13. Hendricks Park. This nature park is also just around the corner from our house. I run through it at least once a week. The rhododendron gardens are gorgeous and there are so many perfect photo ops in this park. I've often seen people hanging out on blankets just reading a book there. And I tell myself that someday that will be me. But I'm usually the one running.

14. Eugene Farmer's Market. I have to admit, I LOVED the Beaverton Farmer's Market. It was awesome. However, the Eugene market typifies Eugene. It's not quite as big as the Beaverton market, but you will see much more diverse offerings...some that just make you shake your head. Of course there is always a tie-dye booth available. And I learned from a friend that if someone offers to let you sample the "special" brownies he has in the back, you should probably decline...and definitely NOT offer them to your children.  ;-) But you can find some pretty cool purchases there, too.

15. Eugene Library. I really like the library system here. It's very similar to the Washington County library system we enjoyed in Beaverton. But my newfound appreciation for the library includes their Freegal access which allows you to download 3 songs per week for free. So cool! Totally current music as well as lots of older stuff to choose from.

Mt. Pisgah summit, above the fog. The stone podium is
a map of the area and surrounding mountain peaks.

16. Mt. Pisgah. I have to admit, it's only been this past winter that I developed a love for Mt. Pisgah. And it all stems from my ultramarathon in December. You'd maybe expect it to be a love-hate relationship, but truly it is just a love. I feel like I accomplished one of the most physically demanding things I've ever done there. Not only was it my first ultra, it was a kick butt HARD ultra! And I survived. I keep telling Doug I'm making him go run it with me...soon.

17. Hirons. Hirons is an independent local pharmacy/gift shop/post office. Actually, it is Eastgate Drug on steroids. I worked at Eastgate as a pharmacy tech throughout high school. Eastgate also had a post office and quite the assortment of random supplies, gifts, art supplies, etc. Going into Hirons reminds me of my days at Eastgate (if only they would play 1970's music to set the mood, much like the pharmacists did when I worked there...in the late 1980s and early 90s I note). Doug refuses to go in there--once was enough for him. It's definitely an experience, and a must-see visit when my mom comes to town (she worked at Eastgate too!)

18. Spencer Butte. Spencer Butte is, well, a butte located at the south end of Eugene. It's a prominent landmark in Lane County and can be spotted from quite a distance away. I always know we are close to home after a road trip up to Portland when I can see Spencer Butte in the distance. There are a couple of ways to hike up Spencer Butte. Our kids of course prefer the steepest route, which is about 2,000 feet up in about a half mile or so. The trails have warnings to be on the lookout for rattlesnakes, which led to Doug having to carry one of our children (who shall remain unnamed) up about half the hike the first time there due to a rather strong reaction to seeing those signs. We still have yet to spy a rattlesnake (thank goodness) but we have met a VERY FRIENDLY squirrel at the top who was happy to eat fruit snacks right out of our hands (almost--but we were definitely more scared of him than he was of us).