Month: August 2018

Rowena Crest Viewpoint

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For years, I’ve been wanting to drive out to the Rowena Crest Viewpoint and take in the famous view of the horseshoe curve. The Rowena Crest Viewpoint is located about 15-20 minutes east of Hood River, Oregon. During the summer months we try to make it out to Hood River at least a few times, as it truly is the most magical little town filled with breweries, wineries and great spots to eat (hello, Solstice Wood Fired Pizza!). I should do a post about Hood River soon… part of me feels like I could never do it justice though, as Hood River really is that magical of a place. Another time.
Chek out a few recent Rowena Crest photos here, here and here that might add inspiration for you to make it out here! It really is a lovely viewpoint and if you find yourself near Hood River, I highly recommend the quick drive out here to take in the views. I’m continuously in awe of Oregon’s beauty – we truly live in a beautiful state. On this particular visit it was hot, hot, hot outside so we didn’t attempt any nearby hikes – that, too, is for another time.
– Photos © Holly Copeland –

 

A weekend off-the-grid at Lost Lake

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Luke and I recently spent a glorious weekend at Lost Lake with our friends (my sister even joined!). We didn’t have cell service or WIFI the entire weekend and I couldn’t have been happier about it. Taking a few days to go off-the-grid is always good for the soul. My phone stayed place in my overnight bag and I took photos with my camera. It was just the refreshing weekend that I didn’t even know I needed.

Our days were filled with a hike around the lake, plenty of snacks and naps (okay, my sister and I were the only ones to actually nap…). We cooked (or rather assembled) all of our meals and even made a fire to roast marshmallows.

One morning we woke up early and took our camping chairs down to the lake to scout out the best spot to eat lunch and swim in the water. Our friends ran into some people they knew from their kids’ school as we drank beers while wading in the water. Their friend brought up a very interesting conversation about chance encounters with people you know. He referenced an article he read and summarized that when you run into someone familiar in a place that isn’t familiar (i.e. running into someone you know in a completely different state, or miles and miles away without the prior knowledge of each other being there) it triggers happiness in your brain. It instills a sense of belonging and gives you the feeling that you have a place in the world. It really got me thinking, how many more of these encounters could we make over time if we open ourselves up more and step out of comfort zones? Deep thoughts at the lake. 🙂

It was my first trip out to Lost Lake, which I actually find surprising, considering that I grew up in a family that explored most of the northwest. I grew up camping all along the Oregon and California coast. We even took “Sunday Drives” to explore new areas of Oregon we hadn’t been to before. There’s still so much more of this beautiful state that I haven’t seen yet – it’s all on my list!

We stayed in one of 7 cabins at the lake (we were in cabin #7).
– Photos © Holly Copeland –

 

Five Year Anniversary Photos

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Luke and I celebrated our five year wedding anniversary this past June. We thought (okay, I thought!) it would be fun to have professional photos taken because the last time we had nice photos taken of us was for our wedding.

We used the same photographer from our wedding, which I thought was extra special. Linnea is just the sweetest person I’ve ever met and she takes all the awkwardness out of smiling in front of the camera. We seriously had so much fun taking these photos with her. The wind was blowing and it seemed like my hair flew in front of my face before every shot and we couldn’t help but laugh each time it happened.

We didn’t purchase any new outfits for our session; we both wore outfits thats we already own. We wanted it to feel like “us”. Seriously, I told Luke “wear whatever you want, wear whatever makes you feel like your best self” and I did the same.

We received the online photo gallery last night and we seriously love every single photo that Linnea sent us! I’m sharing some of our absolute favorites below. They are just so fun, colorful and so “us”. Now we just need to narrow down which photos to frame, and figure out where in the heck in our small house these will go!

 

We chose the location (the Taylor Street Electric Building) because of the beautiful graffiti walls. In recent travels we’ve come across many cities that are covered in graffiti and we love the grittiness it portrays. Some of our favorite travel memories are in cities with colorful wall art and graffiti (think NYC, Paris, Athens). Since traveling has been a huge part of our relationship, it just felt like the perfect location for us.

I used to drive by the Taylor Street Electric Building years ago when it was surrounded by a chain length fence, full of debris and standing water. Even then, I thought it was a cool and edgy backdrop for a photoshoot. To my surprise, I drove by the location about a month before our shoot and found the area entirely cleaned up. The inside of the building was converted into a parking lot for local businesses, but the graffiti on the walls remained intact.

All photos by Linnea