LUSH, GREEN, REFRESHING...

...those are the first words that come to my mind when I hear "Pacific Northwest." And Silver Falls State Park, Oregon is a superb example, as you'll soon see why. This is just one of at least ten waterfalls in this, Oregon's largest, state park.

Intrepid adventurers take a bracing stroll behind the falls,

and on the wall behind the water's curtain, Saxifrage and moss cling and thrive in an ideal misty domain.

Creekside clumps of this False Lilly of the Valley, with its sumptuous leaves and fragrant flowers were just starting to bloom.

Amazingly dry, this pillow of soft, airy moss invited a nap.

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MAIDENHAIR FERNS

There are approximately 200 species in the Maidenhair Fern genus. This delicate, quintessential plant of moist habitats is a Northern Maidenhair, sometimes referred to as Five Fingered Maidenhair.

Breaking up the anomalous asphalt trail to the bottom of the falls were lavish outcroppings of these Maidenhairs. Their unique, fan-like pattern is eye-catching because the fronds are flat and circular and grow outward. Can you imagine playful nymphs wearing crowns of these wispy ferns as they frolic in the woodlands?!

See what I mean?

Lush, Green, Refreshing