I am a firm believer in learning about other cultures and peoples.
That is why in November of 2005 I drove north to Oregon...
...To live as the Ewoks do.
Out'n'About Treesort is located in Cave Junction, Oregon.
They rent cabins for very reasonable prices, particularly in the off-season.
But what makes this place different than others is...
Their cabins are in the TREES.
Some are low, some are high.
Some stand off by themselves...
Others are connected by rope bridges high up in the trees.
But these aren't your standard-grade tree forts.
They come equipped with electric, heat, and running water.
The highest hut is 37 feet in the air.
To get to it, you must climb a circular staircase...
Go up two different levels...
Cross a long bridge...
Cross ANOTHER bridge...
Climb some steps, cross one more bridge, and then you're home.
They actually have ropes for hauling up your luggage. (It's just easier.)
I was there at the end of November, the dead of the off-season.
Except for the owners, I had the whole place to myself.
Here you can see my home-in-the-trees.
It's called "The Peacock Perch." It was the first one they built.
When they started renting it to travellers, the town tried to shut them down. Said it was dangerous and unstable. So they climbed 63 people, two dogs, and a cat on it to prove them wrong.
Held up fine.
This one's called "Swiss Family." You have to climb a ladder up into the floor of the main building, and there's a separate house with bunkbeds for the kids.
One morning the lady said "Wanna go for a trail ride?" What could I say? HELL YEAH!!!
We rode through the fields, stormed through freezing rivers, and took the woods at a full gallop.
It was AWESOME.
The area is secluded, nestled in the mountains.
The land is bordered by a state forest.
A short walk leads you deep into the woods.
It was perfectly silent there.
The kind of silence where even breathing seems loud.
At night the coyotes would howl, chase and capture their food. Then eerie silence once again.
The forest was filled with strange trees that had odd peeling bark.
These trees aren't sick; this is a naturally occuring thing. Twisted and Evil.
The woods are a magical place.
You never know what you're going to find around the next bend.
It is a strange and amazing place...
...And I can't wait to go back there again.
But wait! This isn't the end of Jason's Ewok Adventure!
Next I headed south to the Redwoods, in search of the legendary One Log House!
The path was fraught with perils...
...Strange people and strange places...
For this was no mythical wonderland I was headed into...
...It was California.
The treesort owner told me of a little-known back road through the redwoods.
...A winding, rarely traveled dirt road.
The Redwoods are incredible. You really can't understand how big they are by looking at photos, or by watching "Return of the Jedi."
For example? Looks like a nice forest grove, right?
...But each of those trees is at least fifteen feet across.
It was a damp morning in the beginning of December...
...And I had the forest all to myself.
THE COAST! Heading south along the pacific.
I ran into Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox.
Or rather, their IMPOSTERS.
Everybody knows the REAL Paul and Babe live in Bemidji, Minnesota, one of my hometowns.
Northern California is Lavish. They even have sculptures on their BRIDGES.
I drove The Super Chief through this tree, but I knew it was no match for the One Log House.
Here's the "Legend of Bigfoot" store.
They specialize in chainsaw sculptures...
...Of Bigfoot.
They had some rare treasures outside.
(This guy's going to wait FOREVER...)
At last! The Legendary ONE LOG HOUSE!!!
What secrets await inside this incredible artifact?
What treasures lie behind this coded door?
It's a trailer home. With beds.
Made out of a tree.
And with that, my Treehouse Road Trip comes to a close.
I learned a lot. About trees. About myself. And how to live as the Ewoks do.
...Chief Chirpa would be proud.