The Creative Recharge Part of the Writing Life

I've been quiet on social channels this past few months. 

Tualatin River Float

That doesn't mean I've been quiet, creatively. In fact, quite the opposite. I've written new stories, made meaningful revisions to others, read stacks of mentor texts, and started actively experimenting to find my voice in new (to me) genres. 

Although engaging in social channels is an important part of the work (and, indeed, helps me meet fellow creatives and other industry professionals, while opening doors to new ideas and information that aligns with my creative goals), it can also sap my creative energy and take away from my writing time. 

When I'm feeling overwhelmed or depleted, one of the best things I can do for myself is get out into nature. 

And one of my favorite ways to commune with nature is paddling and/or floating on the gentle sections of the Tualatin or Deschutes Rivers. One is near my home in Portland, Oregon. The other is near my home-away-from home in Central Oregon. Both are stunning, and both are replete with sensory details that often find their ways into my stories. 

I also love visiting South Twin Lake, the Cascade Lakes in Central, Oregon, and Paulina Lake in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. 

Here are some pics of "Sweet Sophs," one of my favorite paddling companions, relaxing, exploring, and marveling at the natural world around us:

 

Deschutes River Float

Paulina Lake Paddle

Relaxing on Paulina Lake

Do you have a favorite place or way to creatively recharge? I'd love to hear. 

Find more of my posts about the Writing Life, here. 

The "Walking Away" Part of the Writing Life

Sometimes the very best thing I can do for one of my stories is to walk away from it. I often come back to the stories I've set aside, but setting a story aside and coming back to it with fresh eyes after some time has passed helps me see problems (and solutions) I didn't see before. 

Dawn's beloved purple hiking boots

Stepping out into nature is also extremely helpful to me in terms of generating new story ideas. It's as though the story-generating part of my brain requires motion and beautiful scenery in order to operate properly! 

I live in Portland, Oregon and spend quite a bit of time in Central Oregon. Both areas offer many beautiful opportunities to explore the great outdoors. This past week I had the good fortune of enjoying several snow hikes, and I also spent one (long and exhausting!) afternoon snow shoeing. 

I decided I would create a blog post to help me organize and share some of my favorite places to hike in Central Oregon. I'll populate this initial post with the places I most recently explored, but I'll add new locations/updates over time, so definitely bookmark this page for your own reference. 

And now for the obligatory disclaimers and safety tips: I am not an outdoor guide. This blog post summarizes some of the beautiful places I've enjoyed hiking and snow shoeing, but please do your own research before you head out into the woods. Bring food, water, and emergency supplies with you when you go out exploring; be a good steward of our natural spaces and places; let folks know where you are going before you head out; and travel with a buddy.

For those of you looking for an actual guidebook, one of my favorites is Bend, Overall by Scott Cook. The most recent edition of this book was published in 2010, and the author has since moved to New Zealand, so I don't anticipate it will be updated again. I'm sure there are more current (and thus more accurate) books available, but this is the one I've dog-eared over the years and still turn to as a general starting point for Central Oregon outings. My husband regularly references the AllTrails Website and App before/during our outings, for more up-to-the-moment info about trail conditions and routes.  

Here are some of the routes we have recently enjoyed:

*****

Deschutes River Trail at LaPine State Park (PDF of LaPine State Park Map):

During the winter months we have hiked this trail with snow shoes, slip-on traction cleats, and snow boots. This is trail I prefer in the winter vs. the spring/summer because the "walls" that border the far side of the river are prettier when they are covered with snow versus bare soil. One of the times we walked this trail we were escorted by a very vocal eagle. It was a breathtaking experience and one that has not repeated itself, but we keep hoping we will cross paths with such a majestic living creature again in the future.  We park near the Don McGregor Memorial Viewpoint and hike along the Deschutes River Trail with the river to our left until just past the cabins for rent when the trail makes a sharp turn to the right. When we hiked in snow boots on 2/28/23, the sun came out at our turn around spot where we stop for lunch. It was glorious! (Last visited 2/28/23)

View of Deschutes River from Don McGregor Memorial Viewpoint

The sun shining down on us and on the snowy trail alongside the Deschutes River

Dutchman Sno-Park Trail Head to Todd Lake (PDF of Nordic Map):

We've done this route previously when the snow shoe trails were more groomed/packed down, but our visit on 3/1/23 was timed directly after some significant area snowfall, so the trail was very soft, deep, and not very wide. We even made the mistake of going along the nordic trail for a bit of time, (which also wasn't groomed, but was a bit wider,  and which (rightfully) irritated a pair of nordic skiers we briefly crossed paths with). The route to Todd Lake is about 3 miles in (and apparently down hill, which we didn't fully grasp until the 3-mile hike back out)! We hiked to the lake, patted down a section of snow alongside the frozen lake to sit on while we ate lunch, and took in the glorious views of Broken Top until our fingers froze and we needed to get moving again. The soft, deep snow combined with the climb out (and it being our forth straight day of snow hikes, but our first hike of the season with snow shoes) left us more exhausted than exhilarated, but the views on this trail and at our lunch break spot are absolutely spectacular and well worth the trek. (Last visited 3/1/2023)

Heading out on Dutchman Flat Trail with Broken Top Mountain in View

Heading deeper into the forest on Dutchman Trail

View of Broken Top Mountain from our lunch spot along the snow covered shores of frozen Todd Lake

Fall River from Day Use Parking Area Near Fall River Campground to Fall River Guard Station:

This is one of our very favorite go-to outings. It's easy to get to from our place in Sunriver, it's a simple walk alongside one of the clearest and most beautiful rivers I've ever seen, and it's as gorgeous and satisfying in the summer months as it is in the winter months. We park at the day use area of the Fall River Campground, which is near a beautiful wooden bridge. We don't cross the bridge, but we nearly always hang out on it for a few minutes to spy on the fish and/or watch the fly fisherman. We walk along the fisherman paths with the river on our left until we reach the end of the river (or more accurately, the beginning of the river). This river literally springs out from ground. Coming from the other direction, one minute there is nothing but forest, and the next minute there is a majestic long and winding river that  springs from the ground. This area is our turnaround spot. It's also the place we typically break for lunch or a snack before turning around. There is a parking area and a primitive rental cabin in this location, so the hike we typically do could easily be done in reverse, starting where the river begins, and ending at the wooden bridge. I never grow tired of looking at Fall River and can't wait to return. (Last visited 2/27/23)

Winter view of Fall River from the bridge

McKay Crossing up to Island Falls alongside Paulina Creek: 

The official name for this trail is the Peter Skene Ogden Trail. We park in the (very small) day use parking area near the McKay Crossing Campground and follow the creekside trail up for about three miles until a trail sign points to a turnoff to a small wooden bridge that crosses Paulina Creek just above Island Falls. This trail passes several waterfalls (several of which are frozen or nearly frozen during the winter months). In the springtime, as the ice begins to melt, dozens of mini "waterfalls" appear, and the large waterfalls take on new shape. We take the trail to the bridge, then back track along the creek to a natural view point at the top of Island Falls where we stop for lunch. After we have eaten and rested, we head back down the trail with the river on our left. I particularly like that this trail starts uphill and ends going downhill. The hike back to our parking spot is always easier than the hike up, and there are a few sneak-peaks of mountains on the way back down to add to the waterfall views! When we did this hike on 2/26/23, we walked the path in our snow boots. During other winter visits we have used snow shoes or slip-on traction cleats. During the summer months we've hiked in sneakers or even water sandals. (Last visited 2/26/23)

View from the bridge over frozen and snow-covered Paulina Creek looking the direction of Island Falls

I look forward to returning to each of these beautiful places again and agin. 

Stay tuned for additional favorites in future updates to this post!

(And for more of Dawn's thoughts on The Writing Life, click here.)

Last updated March 7, 2023

The "Listening to Live Music" Part of the Writing Life

As I've mentioned before, listening to live music is one way I feed my creative soul. 

Waiting for Blind Pilot to Enter the Stage at Pioneer Courthouse Square, July 2022

I've decided to make this pastime a bit easier on myself by creating a blog post with links to some of the bands and music venues I most enjoy.  If you are local to Portland and/or Sunriver/Bend, Oregon (or just passing through), maybe this resource will be helpful and inspiring to you, too. If so, I hope you will bookmark it and/or share it with a friend. 

Some of My Favorite Musical Artists: 

Blind Pilot (They do an annual show at the Liberty Theater in Astoria. We've also heard the lead singer, Isreal Nebeker, solo and The Hackles duo.)

Craig Caruthers (We've been following his work for decades)

Eel Sallad (If you love strong pipes & big emotions, you will adore Dallas Lee, who fronts this band) 

Dadweed (They are FANTASTIC--two guitars, a stand-up bass and mind-blowing vocals )

Fox and Bones (The artists who wrote and recorded this moving song, a tribute to the tremendous life of my late father-in-law, Henry Prochovnic)

Glen Phillips (I also enjoy the full band, Toad the Wet Sprocket)

The Head and the Heart (We've seen them several times -- next up is Red Rocks, summer, 2026!)

Jacob Westfall (An AMAZING songwriter and storyteller--love him solo and w/ his band)

Jonatha Brooke (Some day I hope to see her 4 Noses Show. Support her "Kitchen Covid Concerts," here .)

The Junebugs (The lead singer composed and recorded the anniversary song I wrote for my husband)

Maiah Wynne (The musical artist behind the beautiful companion song to Lucy's Blooms. Join her Patreon here) 

Mumford & Sons (We caught the tail end of their show in Verona, Italy many years ago -- one of my favorite lifetime music memories. Hope to see them there again in the future, more planfully) 

Paula Cole (I have admired and supported her work since the early 1990's. Listen to an interview here.)

Ronnie Carrier (Ronnie is a fabulous song writer and story teller. She is also a true supporter of the music community in the Portland area.)

Shawn Mullins (His songs are like stories. I especially love Twin Rocks, Oregon.)

William Topley (We've seen him countless times in Portland. I hope to see him play live at a pub in London some day). 

Other Live Performers Whose Work We've Especially Enjoyed and Would Love to See Again:

Alice Wallace (We attended a house concert when she was passing through Portland. Beautiful songs and storytelling--and she yodels! She is currently based in Nashville; would love to see her there some time!)

Covenhoven (Deep, delicious voice. captivating storyteller)

Dan Rodriguez (He put on a wonderful show at the White Eagle, Spring 2025. He has a huge following.)

Goldpine (They opened for a Fox & Bones concert we attended. Powerful songs and storytelling.)

Grace Cooper (We've seen he in Central Oregon several times; she's currently overseas pursuing an advanced science degree. My recollection is she's also a Zag!)

John Craigie (He opened for Blind Pilot at Topaz Farm, Summer 2025. Fantastic show! His music is amazing, and he is absolutely hilarious without even trying to be!)

Kathryn Claire (We attended a house concert in her home; beautiful voice, amazing fiddle player.)

Phillip Scales (We saw him at the Al's Den in 2024. Really enjoyed the show.)

Danielle Wertz (We saw her at a Joni Mitchell tribute. Her voice is beyond beautiful.)

Mitch Whitaker (We've seen him a couple of times now, and really enjoyed his thoughtful, poetic songwriting)

A Growing List of Central Oregon Performers We Love to See and Support When We're in Town:

The Color Study Music

Kara Grace Wilson

Lilli Worona

Linda Quon and Hello Trouble 

Pete Kartsounes 

Favorite Outdoor Venues (Bend/Sunriver Area):

Bend Brewing (great nachos!)

Bend Cider Co. (in Tumalo)

(the) Bite (in Tumalo)

Hayden Homes Amphitheatere (for bigger shows)

On Tap (They have an especially great beer and cider selection.  We LOVE their fire pits. Also have an indoor area and a tented area. Location of the music depends on the season.)

Ponch's Place (in the parking area of a veterinary clinic! Nice fire pits, and a tented indoor area)

River's Place (They typically have live music on Thursday and Sunday evenings. Music is indoors in the colder months.)

Silver Moon Brewing (They have the most excellent fire pits! They also have an indoor venue)

Worthy (A gorgeous outdoor stage. Also has a "hopservatory" star gazing spot.)

Favorite Indoor Venues (Bend/Sunriver Area):

Elixer Wine Bar (They have a fantastic open mic night, every Monday evening. A great way to listen to a wide variety of Central Oregon talent!)

The Lot (Food Carts and Tap House - fun vibe, great food carts, and live music every Thursday night)

Midtown Yacht Club (no boats, but fun food carts and live music)

Old St. Francis School (Additional schedule info on the main McMenamins site)

Portello Lounge (Great happy hour. We love the vibe here!)

Tower Theatre 

Other spots we visit from time to time:  

The Ale Apothecary (an artsy and rustic vibe)

Bunk and Brew (Funky, youthful vibe. Event schedule on FB)

Century Commons Taps and Trucks (in the Sunriver Business Park. Live music on Friday nights)

Commonwealth Pub (in Bend)

Cross Cut Warming Hut (a very rustic, mountain cabin feel -- also have nice fire pits!)

M & J Tavern (very friendly dive bar -- good prices and the chicken dinner is HUGE)

The Village (in Sunriver) -- hosts summer music events

Wetlands Tap House (in LaPine)

Some places on our list to try: 

Blacksmith Public House (in Redmond)

Boneyard Beer (in Bend)

Cascade Lakes (Two locations in Bend)

Legend NW Cider Company (in LaPine)

Bands in Town - Bend

Bend's Source Weekly Calendar

Favorite Outdoor Venues (Portland Area):

Topaz Farm on Sauvie Island (Family friendly, very welcoming, and beautiful setting.)

Listening to The Portland Cello Project Playing Prince Music at Topaz Farm

Favorite Indoor Venues (Portland Area):

Al's Den (a McMenamins)

Aladdin Theatre

Alberta Abbey

Alberta Rose Theatre

Alberta Street Pub

Artichoke Music 

Atlantis Lounge (at Mississippi Pizza)

Floyd's Coffeehouse & Winebar (a comfortable little spot in Ladd's Addition)

Haymaker Bar & Eatery (on N. Killingsworth)

McMenamins (other locations)

Mississippi Studios

The Muddy Rudder Public House (a great neighborhood place, with excellent food and service, too!)

The Old Church (you will be hard pressed to find a more beautiful venue)

Revolution Hall

Ringlers Pub (a McMenamins)

SingAcoustic (a beautiful new listening room for music makers and music listeners to gather together--we will be making regular visits here to support this lovely gathering space!)

Strum (guitar store and listening room combined)

White Eagle (a McMenamins)

Other Indoor Venues We Enjoy (Portland Area):

48 North Pizzeria (live music several nights a week) 

Arbor Beer Lodge

Hops on Tap

The Moon and Sixpence Pub

Polaris Hall

Portland City Grill (live piano music on T and W evenings)

Rose City Book Pub

Ross Island Grocery

The Showdown

T.C. O'Leary's (live music several nights a week)

Turn! Turn! Turn! 

Walters Cultural Arts Center

Some Places We'd Like to Try (Portland Area):

Ponderosa Lounge & Grill (at Jubitz) 

Secret Grove (coffee by day, music venue by night--currently appears to be D.J. vs. live music)

Bands in Town - Portland 

Portland Mercury's Live Music Calendar

Bookmark this page and check back often; I'll keep this page updated as my list of favorites changes and grows! 

Last revised: April 13, 2026