Blueberry Heaven

One of reasons I love to travel is for the opportunity to get out of the daily routines of maya, which too often include schedules and times. Being able to let the day unfold, in it's own natural accord, is something I relish. And while there has to be some planning while traveling, I often leave many days open for "we'll see what happens." Because those moments often bring the highlights of the journey.

This proved true once more while frolicking around the Columbia Gorge area. We had decided in the morning to go for a drive. We thought Vista Point would be our destination but we were open to the road held in front of us. On that day, it held blueberries. Wonderful, juicy, fresh off the bush blueberries.

Blueberries are something the entire family loves but none of us had ever seen where or how they are grow. So when we caught sight of the "U Pick Blueberries" we pulled over immediately. The girls couldn't wait to get out of the car and get going, especially Havana, whom I often call my "Juicy blueberry girl!"

There was a self-serve farm stand at the small farm and we grabbed a metal tin that would allow us to fill it up for only $5.00. Even Monteray Market couldn't beat that! Of course, we ate our way through  and our family all agreed that we had never had tastier blueberries. They were small in size but packed with freshness and sweetness. They were simply the best blueberries. We later learned from the owner (who came out only to collect his money!), that he had been born on that land and his family had been there for several generations. 

When all was said and done we had a lot of fresh, juicy blueberries.We packed those delicious fruits in a gallon size ziplock bag and put them on ice in the cooler. We used them for pancakes the very next morning. Yum Yum! We were about two days home at that point so when we got home, I put the remaining in the freezer but not before I added some to smoothies. I am now hoarding them and doling them out sparingly. They are like gold to me. But more importantly, we have another great family memory in our hearts.

Blueberries as far as we could see!