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I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in. ~John Muir

December 26, 2011. The weather is gray and thick with the usual probability of rain. With the passing of another Christmas (accompanied by too many cookies and glasses of rumified eggnog) and singing of Auld Lang Syne coming up, it’s a good day for a walk.

We’re back from Iceland where it was stunningly beautiful but too frigid to do much serious hiking. In our own backyard is the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Friends of the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge also has an excellent Web site. No need for a passport or phrase book. A bird list is helpful, however. Ditto for waterproof boots (in case you accidently hike in the soupy grasslands like we did) and binoculars.

The route to the Refuge passes through the town of Ridgefield, which offers an excellent coffee break, either coming or going, at the Old Liberty Theater. About two miles down the road is the parking lot and the trailhead for the Carty Unit.

The Refuge has more than 5,000 acres under the Pacific Flyway. It’s an interstate highway for migrating waterfowl like trumpeter and tundra swans, sandhill cranes and seven sub-species of geese. Egrets and great blue herons linger year-round. This is the area where, in November 1805, Captain William Clark recorded a sleepless night in his journal due to the all-night cacophony of waterfowl.

Reading about the historic site at the trailhead.

After paying the $3 per party entrance fee at the parking lot, hiking in the Carty Unit begins with displays about the Cathlapotle Plankhouse, which has been re-created in the Refuge. Lewis and Clark documented 14 plankhouses in 1805. The Plankhouse is closed in winter but the exterior is visible.

The Cathlapotle Plankhouse

The Refuge offers straight trails and loops, which wind past stunning white oak trees wrapped in feathery lichen. Young ferns nurse in the air on branches covered in moss. Doug fir trees and spruce complete the woods which are heaped with native plants like Oregon grape and another checklist of understory plants.

A few photos of the Refuge:

The start of the trail.

A good hike for families.

Birdwatching in the grassland.

Ducks and a lone heron.

Ferns in the air.

Teasel.

Massive beaver lodge.

Egret on the hunt.

In flight.

One of the resident songbirds.

Green on green in the understory.

A surreal feathery world of moss and lichen.

It’s time to remember 2011 and celebrate 2012. In the words of John Muir, “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” May you have many encounters with nature in the New Year.

There are so many committed souls and bright lights in our communities. Some make national news. Most do their volunteer service quietly each day, taking small steps, raising one dollar at a time, warming individual hearts and making a cumulative difference.

Annie Timberman. 1950-2011.

One of those good souls passed on in Vancouver earlier this month. Annie Timberman was ONE BRIGHT LIGHT. Annie would zip up to our house in her wheelchair, collecting recyclables to raise funds for a favorite charity, seeking pledges for the Walk for the Animals or just saying “hello.”

There is an inappropriate term often used in the media – “confined to a wheelchair.” Saying that about Annie would be like saying Lance Armstrong was “confined to a bike.” Annie used her chair for mobility and for activism each day.

At her memorial service, Annie’s friends shared the breadth of her involvement in the world. One took Annie to Olympia to discuss disability concerns with legislators. But when they got there, Annie lobbied about landfill issues. Annie set her own agenda and priorities.

Annie philanthropic support reached from the ARC, the Humane Society and Hough Elementary School, where she attended classes as a child, to children in Africa and a girls program in Nicaragua. From Carter Park Neighborhood meetings to downtown Vancouver clean ups, Annie was there. She did all of this while working at First Aid Only, where she received the Employee of the Year award in 2006.

We will all have to work a little harder to make up for her spirited, generous, irreplaceable presence in our community.

Rest in peace, dear Annie.

The Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival provides my favorite weekend at home every summer. Artistic Director Michael Kissinger is brilliant at organizing this huge event, which is a fundraiser for Bravo! Vancouver. Thirteen may be an unlucky number for some but not for the festival, which has given us 13 weekends of jazz, wine and art. Friday night was a most auspicious opening.

Norman Sylvester Blues Band opened the Festival, along with Janice Scroggins. It was a great opening. No one can sing about a “honey do list” like Norman.

Norman Sylvester sings the blues

Robert Moore and the Wildcats followed with a more eclectic mix of jazz.

Robert Moore and the Wildcats

Artists are hard workers at the festival, setting up for three straight days and sharing their art until the end of each evening. Some of the local artists including Paperwings Studio from downtown Vancouver, Fletcher Gober Pottery of Chehalis and Gourd Designs of Vancouver.

Bruce Allison of Vancouver's Paperwings Studio

Fletcher Gober Pottery of Chehalis

Intricately carved gourds by Garry Carr

Intricate artwork of Garry Carr's gourds

Wine, of course, is a big draw. I still remember the year we tried to taste every single Pinot Gris in the park. Not our best idea! This year we focused on a new winery, Mt. St. Helens Cellars of Silver Lake. We loved the Syrah and Riesling and look forward to visiting their tasting room, which has a great location next to camping and kayaking venues.

The owners of Mt St Helens Cellars, with Festival volunteers

The day’s top attraction, Mavis Staples, owned the evening. I can still hear her singing The Staples Singers hit, “I’ll Take You There.” She started singing with her family group in 1950 and, at 71, looks and sounds great.

The venerable Mavis Staples

Back up singers for Mavis Staples

Blues, gospel, soul, freedom songs - Mavis does it all

The Festival continues through Sunday night, August 29. It’s a fine way to celebrate music, wine, art and community. Thank you, Michael Kissinger!

Road trip! Eleven Clark County wineries are joining together for a Memorial Day Weekend Wine Tour this year. Each offers a unique experience to taste local vintages and enjoy scenic locations around Clark County.

Tasting Wine at Rusty Grape Vineyard

Before you go, check out Shawna Burkholder’s excellent ZEST post on local wineries and tips for touring. Two more wineries are now available since the post was written – Benke Cellars, 1804 NW 119th Street, Vancouver and Heisen House Vineyards, 28005 NE 172nd Ave, Battle Ground. Don’t leave them off your list.

Hours are May 28, 29 and 30th – 11 am – 6 pm. Tasting fees may apply.

The winemakers are waiting. The drives are spectacular. Get out there and taste (and buy) our very own wines!

In February, we announced ZEST’s first contest. We were seeking the happiest place in Southwest Washington. It has been great fun reading the entries. Five judges scored each entry and ultimately chose one winner and 10 honorable mentions.

In the words of one judge: “I want to visit all of the places.” So does ZEST. We will be featuring many of the ideas in future posts. Thank you entrants for such fun suggestions!

So, drum rolllllll, here is our winner! Shelley Burch is the winner of a $50 gift certificate to the Southwest Washington restaurant of her choice. And the Happiest Place is:

Kites and Happiness on the Long Beach Peninsula (photo by Spence Photo Design)

Pacific county it’s for me. Can run whee along the beach. While the wind blows free. The ocean rolls in and out. The gulls fly without a doubt. Kite’s fly without hitting a wire. Flying low or even higher. Sand castles are made to show your creative side. Downtown Long Beach bumper cars give a great ride. And Marshes Museum is a great place to see. Give me the ocean it’s Happy for me.

Congrats, Shelley!

And now for our 10 Honorable Mentions, all of which are Happy Places, too.

Beacon Rock is the happiest place in Southwest Washington. It is a beautiful hike that our whole family loves to take many times a year. Every time we climb Beacon Rock it brings us closer together as a family. We love having our out of town friends join us on the hike to see some of the beauties the northwest has to offer. We love Beacon Rock!

Riverside Park in Lexington, for 33 years has been a very happy place for me and my family. Living so close to this wonderful park is enchantment packed into a small space. Spring and summer the big maples provided shade to sit down and enjoy your surroundings. In the fall, great piles of leaves to kick around, watching the antics of the squirrels. In winter with snow, a wonderland of peace and quiet to explore.

Along the shores of Silver Lake lies a tranquil, happy place, where for a flat mile, one can walk away any worries. Bird watching is abounding, the frogs sing, and fish jump. Around Milepost 5 up the Spirit Lake Highway, the path around the lake at the Mt. St. Helen’s information center is a happy retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Come here to enjoy the silence of nature.

Downtown Camas, WA is my choice for happiest place because it’s a throwback to simpler times with charming stores, great coffee & restaurants and even the Camas Paper Mill. I’ve gotten over the fact that the mill isn’t real pretty and love it because it’s the reason the town was born. My work dream has come true as a store owner in this lovely downtown.

The happiest place around is the Discovery Trail. Beautiful native plants, wildlife, Burnt Bridge Creek and the riparian environment make for a pleasurable walk or bike ride. The path is smooth enough for strollers and wheelchairs. Plus the friendly people and cheerful dogs can brighten a gray day!

If happiness equals sublime contentment, then Lacamas Park at Round Lake near Camas is the happiest place in southwest Washington. The pristine, glassy calm of the lake ringed with towering evergreens will do your soul a world of good. Watch baby ducks or a distant kayaker create ripples in the reflection of trees and sky. Playground and picnic tables provide the perfect family picnic spot with well-groomed trails for walking off the calories after lunch.

Stevenson is the happiest place. I drove there on my birthday to visit the quaint, but active town. Antique stores and small streets compliment the luxurious Bonneville Spa. Stevenson is the gateway to the Bridge of the Gods where you can watch colorful windsurfers. The best salmon dinner is at the Crab Shack where you can sip wine and overlook the river and native trees. The view from the patio of Mt. Hood is exquisite!

East Fork Cellars (aka E.F.C.) IS THE HAPPIEST place! You will never experience wine and fun like this! East Fork Cellars is a local wine tasting room with a Blue Grass/ Rock n’ Roll/ Celtic feel. Where else can you go on a Tuesday night, tasting a “Rat Cellar Red” wine while jamming to a Blue Grass session or toast with a Granny Smith apple Riesling while rocking to the “Cellar Rats” on Friday night?

My happiest place is on the lake at Speilyai Bay at Merwin Lake on the border of Clark and Cowlitz Counties. It’s pure joy spending a warm summer day boating in this most beautiful place where there are waterfalls, beautiful water so clear that you can see the fishes swimming, bald eagles flying overhead, an occasional deer drinking alongside the water and butterflies on the beach. These are my happiest times on the boat with family and friends.

Canoes frame the park and the big river beyond. Happy sounds of squeals and laughter fill the air as I meander through the
Cottonwood Beach trail on the Columbia River in Washougal, Washington. The place has a pulse and moves. Children scurry with little pails and shovels, bare chested drummers nod and beat out powerful sounds. Kayakers in yellow and blue canoes pick up the rhythm as they paddle past. A couple frolics and water sprays.

Thank you, all who entered the contest. We look forward to writing about these happy places in ZEST in the future!

And if your happiest place in Southwest Washington is on the list, feel free to comment on it. If it isn’t there, add a comment, too!

March 31, 2010 is the deadline for ZEST’s first contest “Where is the Happiest Place in SW Washington?” YOU could win a $50 gift certificate to the restaurant of your choice in SW Washington!

Where is the happiest place in Southwest Washington?

The rules are simple. Tell us in 75 words or less why your suggestion is the happiest place in Clark, Cowlitz, Skamania, Wahkiakum, Pacific, Klickitat or Lewis counties. One entry per person. It should be a location that is open to others, not, for instance, your backyard, happy as it may be. There will be one grand prize winner. In the case of duplicate suggestions, the first person to comment will be eligible for the prize.

The prize? A $50 gift certificate to the restaurant of your choice in Southwest Washington.

Deadline: To be eligible for the contest, you must submit your comment on the blog by Wednesday, March 31 at 12 noon. Entries will be judged by a panel of happy, local people. The winner (and honorable mentions) will be announced on Tax Day, April 15 – a day when we can all use a little extra happiness.

So tell us, where is the happiest place in Southwest Washington? CLICK HERE, read the entries and then add your own comment. Best of luck!