Now branded as Smoke on the Water, the former Lake Selmac Resort is one of Oregon's first cannabis-friendly campgrounds. The tent camping area is shaded by huge, old pines and firs, keeping your tent fairly pleasant even on a hot day. There are electrical hookups and some limited RV spots, as well as picnic tables and fire rings. Along one side is a fence separating the campground from a neighboring property.
The whole campground is right across the main road from Lake Selmac. There is some traffic noise at night, but very little. This is a small town and the road isn't very busy late. You're more likely to hear the wild turkeys calling or a bullfrog down by the lake. There's a nice dock and plenty of toys to enjoy the water. You can take out a paddleboat, kayaks, canoes, paddle boards, or inner tubes. You can also just sit on the shore or fish.
There's also a large lawn area at the campground that is great for larger gatherings, as is the thee sided barn on the property. While basic, the restrooms are clean and accessible with showers. There's also laundry facilities and a general store on site. The signs say no alcohol is allowed, only cannabis, but they do sell beer in the general store along with food and other basic supplies. If there's something you need that the store doesn't have, town isn't far away. Eventually the owners intend to have a dispensary on site, too, though right now you'll have to plan ahead.
Despite those private campground perks, this isn't a hazy party spot, however. Tou don't have to partake to feel welcome or have a positive experience here. Everyone seems nice and respectful, and the campground host makes the rounds and keeps up with chores like taking out the trash on the regular. In addition to the campground host, the owner is sometimes on site as well in the living area behind the general store. The hospitality is genuine and you can tell that management really cares about making Smoke on the Water as inviting, comfortable, and pleasant as possible.
------- Product Review -------
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - on this trip I got to test out the OOFOS Women's OOmg Black and Black Shoe.
This is one of OOFOS's first closed-toe offerings, providing the same support from their proprietary sole design and foam recipe as their sport slide sandals and clogs. The OOmg shoe upper is a breathable mesh sock, not unlike water shoes, but softer. The sole is thick enough that you don't feel the ground beneath you, yet somehow is also soft enough to sink into, all while feeling supported. I appreciate the way the sole encourages a heel-strike gait and takes the pressure off my toes. I have very high arches and experience frequent foot pain after walking and hiking. OOFOS felt like they were realigning my feet and I did feel a lot of relief after trying them all weekend.
While OOFOS are intended as a "recovery shoe" you slip on after you're done working out in your sneakers, I found they work really well as an all around leisure shoe. I wore them all weekend while I was camping, and they remained ultra comfortable even in very hot weather that caused my feet and legs to swell up. They were breathable, provided good traction, and stayed aligned with my feet despite plenty of moving around on my part and experiencing different temperatures throughout the day.
Since this first weekend trying OOFOS at Lake Selmac, I've worn my OOmg around town to run weekend errands, on a hike to the top of Spencer Butte in Eugene (quite the uphill slog), to ease foot pain after a day in heels, during a long day in the car without cruise control. In every setting they've remained comfortable, supportive, and don't seem to wear down even after hours of my weight pressing into the foam. They clean up easily and seem really durable. They lack some of the traction and control sneakers or hiking boots would on steep descents, but are perfectly adequate for casual tromping around.
The only downside I can find with my OOFOS OOmg is that the heel is made of a harder rubber substance than the mesh upper or foam sole. I assume this is to help give the shoe some structure and keep your foot where it needs to be. If you're like me, however, and sometimes put your shoes on in a hurry and step on the heel and sort of slip on your shoes like they're clogs, you might mash down that hard material and either wrinkle it or find it doesn't bounce back. If you smoosh it too much, it could kind of get stuck in a way that rubs uncomfortably or blisters a bit. So always be sure to tug the heel part of your OOmg up all the way and finish putting on your shoes so they stay the right shape.
Overall, I'm really happy to have a pair of OOFOS in my closet and I'm definitely bringing them on all my camping trips. They're so lightweight they go right in my pack and I don't have to worry about my feet getting tired of my one pair of hiking boots or sneakers. These are perfect for when you need to get up and poke the fire real quick and don't want to shove your feet back into a more fitted pair of lace-up shoes that you were already wearing all day.
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