Hilltop House GB

Hello Again - Storm Watchers

Hilltop House Website It has been a while since I posted to the blog and I plan to be doing so much more often. First, I want to thank all of my  loyal readers and all the people who have supported Hilltop House and enjoy staying there too. We appreciate you patronage and your kind comments and praise.

We are currently offering the house as a month to month rental which makes it a great headquarters for Storm Watching. Hilltop House has extensive decking where you can storm watch in the comfort of it's luxurious rooms. While viewing the storms you can sip wine and enjoy the wonderful smoked Salmon that Gold Beach has to offer in the spacious Gourmet kitchen, throw a Storm watching party in the fabulous Great Room or snuggle up in the master bedroom and watch nature's wonder unfold before your eyes. To take a virtual tour of Hilltop House and see what I am talking about please go to Hilltop House website and click on take a virtual tour.

For the more adventuresome souls, you can hop in your four wheeler and drive along the rugged coast for an up close and personal view of the spectacular Pacific ocean. Here's a preview of what you will see:

MOre Storm Watching videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZZ6cW9xvic

From Storm Solstice to Inner Stillness

Many of you know that I am a big fan of the writings of Eckhert Tolle. I have awakened to so much about myself by reading his books and studying his teachings of Inner Stillness and The Power of Now. I originally wanted to post about the storm watching opportunities on the Oregon coast this time of year. But after finding and watching this breathtakingly beautiful video of an Oregon coastal storm, I realized that this post is really meant to be about the stillness that comes out of the storm when we allow ourselves to be fully conscious of it.

So I felt that it was appropriate to follow with a wonderful flower meditation video as well. I hope you will pause a moment and enjoy them both and I hope you have a chance to visit the Southern Oregon Coast this winter or sometime soon.

Winter Storm Oregon Coast

Take a Moment to Breathe - Flower Meditation

Be Well - Peace, Harmony, and Abundance to all

The Horse, Eckhart Tolle and the Southern Oregon Coast

The Horse

I wanted to share a video that is a bit off the topic that I usually write about, in that it is not specifically about traveling to Southern Oregon coast. (however I did include a wonderful video clip about the Oregon coast at the end of the post). But this post is really about a feeling that has grown in me since I have been spending time on the coast and through the research and experiences I have had while authoring this blog. In light of that idea I have found a wonderful clip on You Tube that I want to share. It may seem a bit random because it is about horses and the fact that we share higher consciousness with them and all living and non-living things on the planet. And, it is about what we can learn from them.

Eckhart Tolle

I am not sure how I came to find the writings of Eckhart Tolle. Tolle speaks of a spiritual awakening that leads to the realization that we are all connected. By this he means the big WE -- everything on this planet and beyond. I think my visits to Southern Oregon have confirmed that feeling of knowing in me. The wilderness and wildlife that one can experience in southern Oregon confirms for me what Tolle and other spiritual teachers through the ages have been saying. I recommend reading the “Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle. Here is a clip of him speaking.

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The Oregon Coast

Since this blog is about southern Oregon here is a stunning photo montage of the Oregon Coast – can you also feel the connection?

A Southern Oregon Coast Tribute to a Hero - watch the video

Since this site is about Hilltop House and traveling the southern coast of Oregon, most times my posts cover sightseeing and all the wonderful things that are available to do on the coast. But this week ends on a sad note for me, because my uncle Dan Tauriello died this week at 89 years of age.

Born in Newark, Dan is a US Marine Corps Veteran of WW II who saw action on Tulagi in the Pacific. He joined the Newark Fire Department in 1948 and was promoted to Captain in 1954 and Battalion Chief in 1963 before retiring in 1984. In 1967 he was recognized for heroic behavior during the Newark riots that resulted in many rescues of people trapped in the burning buildings. Dan was a former weight lifter, Golden Glove boxer, fight trainer and started the Fresh Air Fund in Newark to help get inner city kids off the streets.

Uncle Dan never visited Hilltop House, because by the time we bought it he was older and it was harder for him to travel, but I know he would have loved it. So this coastal moment is dedicated to you Uncle Dan, I hope you enjoy it.

Driving Up the Coast - HWY 101 - part 2 - Sea Lion Caves

When I began this story I planned to take you up the coast with some general information, hoping to tempt you to want to come to see more. But as I began to research pictures and information, I became mesmerized by all the wonderful things I encountered and decided to slow it down quite a bit and write short posts about things that can be seen and things that can be experienced while driving and visiting the Southern Oregon Coast.

Sea Lions

Sea lions pups are about four feet long at birth and weigh from 40 to 50 pounds. They are slate gray in color for about six months, turn dark brown until approximately two years of age, and they begin to assume the lighter tan color of the adult. They remain with their mothers well over a year and grow rapidly, averaging about six feet long at the end of their first year. The pups continue to grow, perhaps all of their lives, but the growth rate decreases each year.

When you see those innocent eyes you wonder how anyone could possible want to harm them. But there is a war that is raging between the fisherman and the sea lions. Recent scientific studies indicate that fish such as salmon constitute a very minute part of the sea lion diet. Although sea lions are good swimmers, they find it much easier to capture more sluggish victims than game fish. but they have learned to adapt to some very clever ways of stealing fish from game fisherman and this is the cause of all the upheaval.

Driving Up the Coast - HWY 101 - part 1

America’s Wild Rivers Coast is home to Gold Beach and several other coastal towns that I will talk about in this post. Highway 101 offers 101 miles along the historic Southern Oregon coast. If you venture to Gold Beach you will discover beautiful coastlines, breathtaking natural forests and most importantly some of the last remaining wild rivers in America. I agree with so many others, who have inhabited that area both historically and who live there today that this precious areas must be preserved. The activities that you can enjoy include world-class salmon fishing, numerous hiking trails and historical landmarks at every port. But I hope that if you decide to visit, you will appreciate this natural treasure and treat it with the utmost care and respect. Here is a list of the cities you can visit if you travel up the coast from California.

BROOKINGS

Brookings is the home of the spectacular Salmon Run Golf Course, making the area very popular with golfers, although it is still best known for fishing. With superior weather conditions and many recreational activities available it is easy to see why it is so popular. The rugged Siskiyou Mountains create a series of dramatic rocky headlands and offshore sea stacks. Many of the 80 miles of undeveloped coastline are dedicated as State Parks and all of our offshore islands are part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.

GOLD BEACH

Gold Beach (home of Hilltop House) Hilltop House Vacations is an oceanfront community where the famous Rogue River meets the spectacular Pacific. Gold beach is unbeatable for it's lodging with ocean vista views. Hilltop House offers 1000 feet of decking to view the Rogue River and the Pacific Ocean. If you enjoy hiking, the trails are magnificent and provide the best beach access along the Wild Rivers Coast. From May through October, the famous jetboats make their run up into the “wild and scenic” sections of the Rogue and passengers get to enjoy unsurpassed up close and personal views of creatures in teir natural environment, without disturbing the wildlife.

The salmon and steelhead fishing in the area is second to none, and an excellent group of licensed guides are available. Ocean charters for fishing and sightseeing are available on a daily basis with stop-overs at a variety of restaurants with menus to please every appetite.  Gold beach visitor's center can provide you with more information and suggest an itinerary. Gold Beach Visitors (See next Friday's post for more information on itineraries).

John's Fish Tale - Assault of the Killer Sea Lions

My husband John loves to fish and that's why he purchased Hilltop House as a semi-retirement oasis where he could commune with nature and catch a load of Salmon.  I don't share his enthusiasm for it -- I'm always rooting for the fish. But in this story I'm sure who to root for. 

The Rogue River is world famous for Salmon fishing. The spring Salmon run draws anglers from around the globe to Gold Beach for Chinook Salmon, packed with energy from months at sea and ready to put up a big fight. But the fisherman have another fight on their hands. The seals and sea lions that populate the Rogue River bay each summer are well schooled in how simple it is to score an easy salmon meal here.

The Legend of the Sinking of the Mary D. Hume in Gold Beach Harbor

This wonderful but sadly sunken steam boat is a landmark treasure in the Gold Beach harbor. Rumors have it that she is haunted by a fishermen named Jack C. Tide who drowned on a fishing excursion in 1892 and and his beloved Sarah. Gold Beach visitors that have strolled by the harbor in the evening after dark have reported to have seen a couple dressed strangely in the shadows embracing on the deck.