Yes, you read that right. I skipped day 2 and went straight to number 3.

Day 2 consisted of the golf tournament (the only day I actually played) and I had my hands full trying to swing that club, rather than record media. So no, I have no pictures from that day. Just know that we didn’t do half bad in that tournament and it makes for the 2nd year in a row that we participated!

Day 3 started out in beautiful Bend, Oregon. If you have never had the privilege of going, please for the love of all that is holy, put it on your bucket list. Those juniper trees, those snow-capped mountains, that crisp cold air, their love of craft beers, good coffee, water sports, and the great outdoors… I just can’t express well enough what a beautiful place this is to visit.

We stayed downtown, in the Old Mill District, and headed north to Crooked River Ranch early Sunday morning to make the 40 mile drive to the golf course. And let me tell you, 40 miles is nothing when you have the views that Highway 97 offers. On a clear day, you have a view of Mt. Bachelor, the Three Sisters, Broken Top, Black Butte, Mt. Washington, Mt. Jefferson, and Mt. Hood. You’ll pass right by Smith Rock which is another glorious destination – but that’s for another blog post!

As we were driving up to the rim of the canyon, the scenery opened up to Crooked River Ranch and it’s sprawling, and stunning, golf course. I mean, y’all… this place was gorgeous! As chilly as it was on this late September morning, I had no complaints as we made our way up to the club house to pay for our round. Views in all 360 degrees!

But let me get the facts about Crooked River Ranch Golf Course out of the way before I bring on the pictures.

About the course:

• 18 holes
• Open to the public
• Four par 3s, Eleven par 4s, Three par 5s
• Rates listed here
• Carts available
• Golf shop, restaurant, stay and play amenities
• Address: 5195 SW Clubhouse Road Crooked River Ranch, OR 97760
• Phone: (541) 923-6343

Hole # 5 aligns itself with the canyon and boasts the most beautiful hole in all of Oregon. I’ll let you be the judge…

Amazing, huh? Have some of these…

After coming back from our three day golf excursion, I decided to do a little research to pinpoint the mental and physical benefits of this frustrating sport, known as golf. I was not disappointed.

According to www.golfandhealth.org, golfers live an average of 5 years longer, are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s and dementia, have a reduced risk of developing chronic conditions, and overall have fewer injuries than most other sports. They are currently studying the various mental and physical benefits every day, so I encourage you to visit regularly to obtain those beneficial updates!

On a side note, and because it affects me personally, I also found that golf was a recommended sport for those with fibromyalgia because it is a low impact form of exercise that assists with obtaining a better range of motion, rebuilding muscle strength, stimulates the mind to fight brain fog (or fibro fog as I’ve heard it called), releases those happy hormones, and relieves stress that can cause us sufferers a world of problems. Seriously, I may need to rethink my attitude towards this game. Dirt Therapy, is Dirt Therapy, right?

Anyway, back to this course. I have mentioned that I kinda adore my husband right? I do. That man is my security blanket, my favorite person in the whole wide world, and my absolute partner in crime. I say all this to hit home that it means the world to me to see him happy, enjoying himself, and doing the things that he loves (even if it’s not my favorite thing in the world). He loves that game and it was just awesome to see him debating on whether or not this was his new favorite course. I have to say, out of all the courses he has dragged me to, this one was probably my favorite too. I mean, look at this place!

Jake

Carolyn

Minnie

And again, it was sooo cool to take my mom-in-law and Minnie to a place that we’d never been before to all experience it for the first time at the same time. I’m not going to lie – I did not want to come home. We live for this stuff. Seeing new places, being outdoors, trying new things, planning our next adventures. They can be as big as full on trips or as small as planting a garden. Who cares… we’re outside, disconnected, unplugged and doing that thing Kaela likes to talk about called self care.

I think I’m gonna ask my hubby if he’ll give me a couple of lessons this weekend. Anyone that knows me knows that I’d rather set myself on fire than to have to ask for help so this may or may not be a blog post all of it’s own. But, I’m going to try…

Peace, Love & Dirt.

~Misty

And because I had soooo many pictures from Crooked River GC, enjoy.