Recipe for a Perfect Weekend:

One beautiful, remote location, such as Hidden Lake, along the South Fork of the McKenzie River, near where Willamette Nat’l Forest meets Three Sisters Wilderness Area

Spectacular old growth forest to hike through before reaching the lake each morning

Three old, decrepit plywood-and-log rafts to commandeer and paddle to the far side of the lake

My Honey, two supercool friends-Ted and Marina, and believe it or not, seven teenagers: Everett, Clayton, Eli, Nicole, Mimi, Ari, and Emyli

One excellent dog, Jake

Combine above ingredients, then add:

Copious amounts of hearty, delicious food

Plenty of wine in the evenings

Bottomless portions of sunbathing, napping, and swimming in the perfectly mild but cool, deep green lake (clothing optional and, in fact, superfluous)

Be sure to include at least one campfire sing-along

Always, Always volunteer to cook, because then the teenagers will have to do the dishes!

Campfire Songs:

Yellow Submarine

Let the Sunshine In

Free Fallin (Tom Petty)

I’ll Follow You (Death Cab for Cutie)

Nicole performing The Viagra Song, complete with choreography

Emyli performing her amazing original songs

Delta Dawn

A little Rocky Horror, a little Dylan, a little Simon & Garfunkel

A couple of Pagan-y chants (this is Oregon and we are all hippies, after all)