Summer Land | Australia | Samantha Heather

G'day everyone, its Sam here from Samantha Heather and it's my wonderful pleasure to be here on Abbey's blog to talk about my home. It may not be Summer here right now, but its still beautiful and it's become a part of who I am. So I'm super excited to be introducing you to my home.

Sydney.

It’s the city where I was born, where I grew up and now where I live.

I have left it many times to travel the corners of the globe but the thing about Sydney is, you always come back.

From where I live I am a 20-minute drive north of the beach, a 20-minute drive south of the city and an hour and a half east of the vast Australian mountains. 

Sydney has it all and I’m very lucky and very proud to call it home.

The Coast.

Whether you’re a beach bum or a coastal trekker, Sydney has got you covered. When I feel like having a lazy day, I can get in the car and drive to the beach. It may be to watch the sunrise and read my book, or perhaps in the summer I can enjoy the 35+ degree heat (Celcius) in my swimming costume and my large brimmed hat. Lazy days by the Australian shore are simply heavenly.

 

Then there will be other days where I feel like an adventure. I can drive to the national park and go for a bush walk along the cliff faces of New South Wales. There are no railings or guided paths, there's just the bush, the cliffs and the long drop to the ocean below. It’s exhilarating and it's beautiful. I feel like you haven't lived in Sydney until you've explored the national parks. Its a beauty like no other.

 

The City.

I've said in posts on my blog before, that the Sydney landscape and natural environment has always been my favourite part of where I live, but then I wander back into the city and I start to doubt myself. There is something so special about walking around the Harbour Bridge or under the sails of the Opera House. I become a tourist in my own city, and after living here for over two decades, I think that is saying something.

 

The windy streets and the narrow alleyways hold an array of treasures to be discovered. The Contemporary Art Museum is one of my favourite places to visit because a) it's free and b) inside its doors hold art that cannot be described with words, it must be felt, and I find it truly fascinating.

 

I also love the hustle and bustle of the city. The constant movement. I love standing still in the middle of a crowded pathway and watching the hundreds of people travel past me. Some talking loudly on the phones about a meeting that was supposed to be organised 3 weeks ago and some dancing along to the music playing in their ears. It reminds me how small we are and how big this world is. It's a humbling experience.

The Mountains.

While the city and the coast provide that crisp sea-salt air across your face, the Blue Mountains provide an environment and an experience like nothing else. Half way between the city and the mountains, you can start to feel the air around you changing. It grows colder but it also grows fresher.

 

Then you get there, and the soft mountain air touches your face, and you feel this sensation travel through your body, and you begin to feel at one with the nature around you. You stand at the edge of the cliff and you overlook the hazy blue horizon ahead of you, you close your eyes and take a deep breath in. That moment is truly something out of this world.

 

If you're tired of all the walking around you've been doing so far though, there are other things to do in the mountains other than hike. The local towns are small and friendly and you can always be sure you will find yourself a great feed. And if shopping is more your thing then maybe stay in the city you can always venture through the various antique shops that seem to be on every corner. There is always something to find, a hidden treasure worth millions perhaps?

 

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I could rant about Sydney for hours. As I've grown older, my heart has grown fonder and I'm starting to realise why tourists flock by the thousands to visit this country. I hope I have painted you a clearer picture of my home and why I am proud to live here. If you ever find yourself travelling to the great down under, I would love to show you around. We, Aussies, would be ecstatic to have you!

Thanks for having me Abbey! It's been an absolute blast :)

***(abbey now!) Sam, your country/home is so beyond beautiful and the word pictures you paint us are perfect! oh how i wish this wasn’t so far away! if i ever go to Australia again, i am having coffee with this lady for sure. thank you so much for being a part of this project! i loved every minute of it! also happiest birthday from all your american's over here! i think its safe to say we love you and wish you the best year! 

Summer Land | Mid West | Natalia Rosa

Hi guys! I'm Natalia from Natalia Rosa. I was excited when Abbey asked me to be a part of this project, because I love Abbey and she's awesome. Then later I was thinking "Why would I say yes to this project? I don't even like living here."

I told my brother and mom about it and they started laughing "You? Write a post about where you live?" Buuut, it's not Winter, and Summer is in this town is one of my favorite things ever. Even though I don't want to stay here for longer then I have to, it's honestly a great place to be from. (I say 'from' loosely, because I've lived in 7 different places in my life already.)

So here's my chance to focus and rediscover the best parts about my town.

Even with a population of 31,730, it still feels like a small town. It's one of the things I have a love/hate relationship with. The people are friendly, there are a ton of families here, and it just makes sense to play country music with the windows down during the summer. When you go to town, it's practically guaranteed you'll see someone you know, but sometimes it feels like there is nothing to do here.

But that's me thinking negatively. I don't have a ton of pictures of the different places, but I'll tell you about them. First off there are the Dunes. We live about fifteen minutes from Lake Michigan. I haven't gone there too much, but as soon as I can drive myself and my friends I want to explore the Dunes more. It's the place to go when school is out according to instagram. It's a nice change of pace to the scenery, and I can't wait to visit it more often.

Downtown, is undoubtedly my favorite part about the town. It's full of character with the distinctive turn-of-the-19th-century architecture, but it has stayed active and alive with little coffee shops, cafe's and restaurants with outdoor eating. During the summer there are concerts at the amphitheater, and once a week they have outdoor movies there.

While we don't have a lot of attractions or places people come to see, we still manage to have fun. There are places you can hang out at that aren't wow, or amazing, but with the right people with you, you can make amazing memories.

There's a putt-putt place that has an arcade, go carts, batting cages and laser tagging (my favorite!). We have a drive in theatre that I've never been to, but plan on going in two weeks. We have a regular movie theater, local ice cream shoppes, biking trails, parks, gardens, and little hole-in-the-wall restaurants.

I may be bias, but I think we have the best county fair around. I wouldn't consider myself a 'country girl', but there's something about that week that makes me listen to only country music. I like the animals, the rides, the greasy food and the atmosphere. It's happy, and bright and feels like home.

This summer, I have a list of all the things I want to do, and all the places I want to go see here. We have more stuff to do then I think, and I won't die of boredom. While we aren't a town that makes it on the Top Ten Places To Visit list, it's my home and someday I'll take my kids to visit and all the memories will come back, and I'm glad I get to make my memories here.

***(abbey now!) thank you so much natalia for being a part of this project! i think you captured the beauty of the mid west so perfectly and believe it or not, i want to visit it now! i can almost feel the breeze and the laziness of a drive. it sounds perfect for summer. what do you guys think!?

Summer Land | Bend Oregon | Jared Withrow

Hello, everyone! 

My name is Jared and this is probably the first blog post I’ve written that will be seen by more than 5 people… and the first time I’ve done any thing like this in many years.  It feels good to look through photos and tell a story of my home for 25 years and share with you a few places that I’ve held close!  

Currently I live in a town called Bend (population 80,000) and is one of the most desirable places to live in the Pacific Northwest.  Within 30 minutes of downtown, we have six months of skiing available, mountain biking for the other six months, and hiking year round for anyone that wants to find themselves lost in the wonder of God’s green earth.  The photos I’ve chosen to share highlight places I hold most dear.  I hope you enjoy them!

  ^^Santiam Pass

Anyone driving to Central Oregon has seen the wonderful changes in landscape that the Santiam Pass has to offer.  It transitions from lush valley plantlife with lots of green leafy trees to thick evergreens growing hundreds of feet tall.  Away from the city lights, the summit of the Santiam Pass is a great place to photograph the night sky.  

 ^^Smith Rock  

For many, this is a place to find some of the best rock climbing in the world.  Thousands of routes call many more thousands every year to climb the ancient volcanic rock.  Besides climbing it is one of the most photographed places in Oregon and only a short drive from Bend.  If I ever have company visiting from out of town I will almost always take them to see this amazing place! It’s the icon of Central Oregon if there was one. 

^^Backporch Coffee Roasters

 

So maybe you need a weekend from your weekend outside… Backporch is without a doubt the best purveyor of specialty coffee I have ever had.  Dave, the owner, travels to farms all over the world to harvest coffee with them and bring home a crop to roast here in Bend!  I could talk forever about how wonderful everyone is that works there and the tight knit community that lives there.  

 ^^Three Sisters

  So if you can’t tell already… I love the mountains.  These are the Three Sisters.  Their names are Faith, Hope, and Love.  But the greatest is love right?  Correct!!  The South Sister is the highest of them all and I just had the joy of climbing it last weekend with a good friend.  They all stand at around 10,000 feet and on most days can be seen from any part of town!  

 ^^Tumalo Falls

Are you cold yet? This majestic waterfall froze this winter and a few of us were able to climb it before it warmed up.  I love this place and all the waterfalls that are in the area.  Definitely a classic.  Winter or summer, it is always one of the best hikes around! 

 Deschutes River Trail & Downtown Bend

Maybe one day you just found yourself downtown and wanted to go for a walk.  15 minutes? There’s a path for that.  15 miles?  There’s a trail for that!  The River Trail is one for long conversations with friends and walking the dog.  EVERYONE has a dog in Bend, except me… but I love them all!

A few more…

^^ Sometimes its too warm outside to do anything but go caving! There are 5 caves right outside of town that are such a great way to have fun and beat the heat! 

^^ The Deschutes River Trail as you leave town! So much contrast and beautiful colors in the fall! 

  ^^Crater Lake in the winter.  It used to be a huge volcano but exploded and left a lake behind! 

 ^^ The Painted Hills look like Mars…

I’ve been told that I try to sell this place off as the best place on earth all the time… but honestly it never feels like I’m trying!  Almost every week there is something else that happens to make me appreciate it more.  If you have any sort of itch for adventure this place will act like Miracle-Grow and you might suddenly realize that you crave the sun and outdoors more than ever!  Oh and another thing I forgot to mention is that the Les Schwab Amphitheater brings in many concerts for the summer such as The National, MGMT, or Jack Johnson!  

 I hope you have enjoyed this tour of Bend!  Many thanks to Abbey for the invitation to participate in her Summer Land Project!  It's a great idea and I can't wait to see what others end up sharing! 

***(abbey now!) thanks so much jared for kicking off the project so well! your corner of the world is "pretty neat." (wink wink!) who wants to visit now!? i think i'll start planning my trip, its like a calender... 

i can't wait for the rest of the places we all visit together.  

all photos and content by jared withrow

Summer Land | New Project

^^this picture looks summery and adventurey right?

 

here it is. this summer is going to be the craziest and most fun summer i think i will ever have. (maybe.) its jam packed with weddings, travel, moving, adventuring and exploring. i won't tell you everything because that would just spoil all the fun! but i wanted to do a project that reflects the adventure that this summer will be.

and also i needed help because i'm going to be so. stinking. busy.

so here is the deal. starting the first tuesday in june (tomorrow...) i'm starting a project called summer land. for thirteen weeks i'll be hosting thirteen different photographers/friends as they show you a little about their homeland. since this summer will be full of travel i thought it would be the perfect way to travel america (and a few places around the world) without even leaving our rooms! i couldn't be more excited see these places through the eyes of the people who call it home! i think it will be a wonderful adventure and i hope you ride along with me!

keep your eyes peeled as they say.