Medford, other than the wedding, that is

I thought I'd save the wedding activities for last and otherwise wrap up Medford in a post today.

Last Saturday morning, the day of the wedding, we woke up to a town looking damp and socked in.  The forecast was favourable for later in the day, happily, and hey, I like cool autumn temperatures.  I got myself dolled up in walking gear, and with Conrad in tow, we set out on a pathway that eventually led us close enough to (big shock here!) Starbucks. 

We picked up drinks then came back to the hotel to have breakfast with Ann.  Van got himself out of bed eventually, and declared that he wanted breakfast in town at Over Easy, a little diner that we had seen the day before.  A great idea, I just wish I hadn't already eaten breakfast!

So we went into town and got a table, saying hello to a pair of wedding guests we'd met the night before and who were finishing their own breakfast.  Van ordered a full meal, but Conrad and I kept it light.  A savoury muffin for me, with an egg in the center, and a shared marionberry pastry,

plus a megamosa (elderflower and grapefruit) to sip slowly (and not finish - that was a big mimosa!).

Verdict?  So good (and great service) that we tried to go back the next day.  Tried.  Ah well.  Van and I then sent Conrad off to get a trim to clean up his head for later that day,

and then it was back to the hotel.

Sunday started the same way as Saturday.  Conrad and I set out on a walk, intending to go longer and make it to a Starbucks downtown.  Part way there, while we were checking the map, I had the smart idea to make sure that that Starbucks was, in fact, open.  It was, in fact, not.  So we course corrected and ended up at the Starbucks from the previous morning,

coming back along the route we'd gone out the day before. 

We packed, checked out, and headed to Over Easy, which - we weren't surprised, just dismayed - had a waitlist of about forty minutes.  The next place we tried was pretty much the same.  We might have waited, but we had a plane to catch, so we tried a third place.  The Winter Berry cocktail was a nice brunch treat,

but man, did we have to wait a looooooooong time for our food in a not-too-busy place.  We might have been better off waiting for Over Easy.

And then it was to the airport where we found Ann sitting with Deb and Renee at our gate. 

Deb and Renee (and Peter's niece, Eve) were on our flight, and Ann was awaiting a delayed flight yet to be boarded at a nearby gate.  So it was that we had a last little bit of time with some of the folks we had enjoyed the wedding with.  We boarded soon after, and our time in Medford was done.

steak

Date night at home with Van tonight.  Good wine, good music, and some steak for us.  Not my best effort, but very far from my worst.  Yum!!

Friday in Oregon

Wait, how did I get to be six days behind?  At least it's a mild week here, easy for catching up bit by bit.

But let's do this a little different.  Here, then, is a list of things from last Friday in Oregon, the day before the wedding...

1. A lazy start, but when I got started, I think I looked cute.
   
   
   
2. A drive into Medford with a first stop at Starbucks.
   
   
   
3. A walk around the city downtown. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Some cool old buildings,
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   but not much life, alas.  Big library, though!
   
   
   
4. A drive out to Jacksonville, where we'd had dinner the night before, to poke in a shop or two.
5. Wine tasting after too short a time in Jacksonville's downtown. 
   
   
   
   
   
   Very good food
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   and wine to pair at Parkhurst Winery. 
   
   
   The white asparagus dish was a particular highlight,
   
   
   as were the sablefish bites. 
   
   
   The fava and mint puree with the shrimp was the best of all, though.
   
   
   
6. A party in the hotel lobby for all the wedding guests featuring burgers and brats grilled outside and catering by Peter's aunts.  Meeting everyone was a treat, but Peter in a tiara (with Deb) was the highlight.
   

There.  Not too much editorializing, and really, none needed.  Just look what a gorgeous day it was.  Clearly we enjoyed ourselves the day before Peter's wedding!

so darn cute

I interrupt this series of travel blog posts to remind you all that this sweet girl, fresh from the salon yesterday, is so darn cute.

I am smitten.

so we got to Oregon, and...

...to no one's surprise, a nice dinner was in the offing.

We'd actually planned a meal in Medford at a place called Decant.  Alas, they were unable to accommodate us because of staffing issues.  At least they let us know.  Not only that, but they offered to book us a table at their sister property, The Restaurant at Jacksonville Inn in the nearby village of Jacksonville.  Funnily enough, we were booked there for the Friday, but then Peter messaged to say that his aunts were going to cater a grilled dinner the next night at the hotel we were staying at, so we canceled Friday and headed to the Inn that Thursday night.

We got to the restaurant, and it was a lovely dining room.  Even better, they had a bistro/bar area tucked in the back, and while the dining room was handsome and busy, the bistro had almost no one there. 

Much better for quiet conversation, so we opted for it.  A cozy corner for me and Conrad and Van.

For my drink, I opted for their negroni, made smoky with mezcal. 

Yum!  For my dinner, a starter of the burrata with winter pesto and prosciutto. 

My main was rabbit with gnocchi - ah, I love rabbit! 

The dessert escapes me - a tart or pie, a little fritter, some ice cream.  We shared that one, and it was tasty, too.

The owner came by a couple of times, deeply apologetic about the reservation situation.  We were far from upset, I promise.  We'd had some really terrific food and drinks and a very good, knowledgeable server.  It was a fantastic start to the weekend culinarily.

And then it was time to go.  We exited through the back patio which was littered, beautifully, with all these amazing leaves in wonderful fall colours. 

Back in the car, we slowly drove through town.  And there, in the corner of a yard, a deer feeding.  Lovely to see, and not the last deer we would see in Jacksonville that weekend.

it's the most...

It's past Remembrance Day, and even after all these years in the US, US Thanksgiving means less to me than it should (but I have enjoyed cooking the meal the past couple of years and look forward to it again this year).  And hey, anyone who knows me shouldn't be surprised by this sight in my office (and to be honest, I plugged it in last week).

Yep, and playing my Christmas music when I can!

meh sort of sums it up

First swim of the month, and yep, still not getting to the pool enough.  Beautiful day for it, but I got all of a quarter hour in.  No, not because I was sucking that badly (though I sucked pretty badly), but because, you know, having to go to work.

Here's hoping for more swims in weeks ahead!

and then we were off again

So, we got home from Colorado last Monday, and we left for Oregon on Thursday.  Yep, a lot of travel.

Thursday, late morning, we headed to LAX once again. 

I am actually surprised they don't recognize us there, but I know there are people who travel even more than we do.  Ah well.  A little time in the lounge, and then it was aboard the first flight of the day:  LAX -->  SFO.

We had a little time again in a lounge in San Francisco, and then it was the next flight, this time to Medford, OR.   Mind you, it was a lovely evening to climb out of SFO.  A fine sunset over the Bay area.

Dozing ensued.

And then there it was:  Medford. 

My fifth trip to the state, my third city visited (Eugene was first, then three trips to Portland).  And with that, our long, wedding weekend was beginning!