So Far Gone

 

So Far Gone by Jess Walter

Fiction

Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

2025

Finished on July 27, 2025

Rating: (4.5/5 Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

A reclusive journalist is suddenly thrown into a wild, suspenseful journey to rescue his kidnapped grandchildren.

A few weeks after the 2016 election, at Thanksgiving with his daughter and her belligerent new husband, Rhys Kinnick finally snapped. After an escalating fight about politics, he hauled off and punched the jerk. Immediately horrified by what he'd done, by the state of the world around him, and by his own spiraling mental health, Rhys chucked his smartphone out the car window and fled for a remote cabin in the woods of the Pacific Northwest.

Seven years later, when his grandchildren show up on his doorstep, Rhys barely recognizes them. Their mother has disappeared, and they need a safer place to stay than with their father, who has taken up with a Christian Nationalist militia. So what if Rhys’s cabin has no electricity or indoor plumbing, and the raccoons help themselves to the monthly grocery haul? He'll do whatever he needs to for these sweet kids.

But when the militia members show up and kidnap the children, Rhys realizes he'll have to re-enter the broken world. With the help of a bipolar retired detective and his caustic ex-girlfriend, Rhys reluctantly heads off on a madcap journey through the rubble of the life he left behind.

Susan, over at The Cue Card, mentioned this novel at the beginning of July, and it's one that was offered up for influencers on Libro.fm, so I quickly downloaded the audiobook. I was not disappointed. Like Susan, this was my first read by Jess Walters, and it won't be my last. I enjoyed the audio quite well, and Edoardo Ballerini does a great job with the narration. It's a difficult book to categorize, as it's partly a mystery and partly political commentary, with a madcap rescue by Rhys (who I envisioned as Christopher Lloyd) and his pals. There is violence, which when heard rather than read felt pretty intense, and I found myself cringing in response to some of the details. The novel felt like a mash-up of a Cormac O'Conner mystery (William Kent Krueger) and Kevin Wilson's hilarious Nothing to See Here. Check out Susan's spoiler-free review here, which goes into more depth about the plot. She shares the following quote, which I would have marked had I read the print edition:

As a journalist. As an American, as a rationalist, Kinnick had come to terms with the fact that 20 percent of his countrymen were greedy assholes. But then in 2016, the greedy assholes joined with the idiot assholes and the paranoid assholes in what turned out to be an unbeatable constituency. Kinnick realizing that the asshole ceiling was much higher than he’d thought, perhaps half the country. Whatever the number, it was more than he could bear. Especially when they were in his own family.

At some point, you look around, and think, I don’t belong here anymore. I don’t want to have anything to do with any of this.

Don't let the politics scare you off. So Far Gone had me laughing more than grumbling, and the raccoon scene is worth the price of the book alone! Great dialogue, well-drawn characters, excellent pacing, combined with the Pacific Northwest setting made for an entertaining listen. And as luck would have it, I actually have another novel (Beautiful Ruins) by Jess Walters on my TBR shelf. I'm looking forward to finally giving that one a read!

I received a complimentary copy from Libro.fm. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Frozen River

 

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

Fiction

2023

Finished on July 27, 2025

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

A gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history.

Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.

Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.

This is my first read by Ariel Lawhon, and I'm beginning to think that maybe I shouldn't have given up on her earlier novel, I Was Anastasia. While it took me two weeks to read The Frozen River, I really enjoyed the story and Lawhon's writing. The birthing details are not for the squeamish, and one delivery reminded me of my daughter's birth, which wound up an emergency C-section. The novel would make for a great book club discussion, and I'd love to see a limited TV series, as well. I'm looking forward to trying more by Ariel Lawhon and will most likely try Code Name Helene.

A satisfying read. Recommend.

Looking Back - Durable Goods

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

Durable Goods by Elizabeth Berg

Katie Nash #1

Fiction
1993

Finished on May 10, 2002

Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

"Sometimes life is so hard and then, bingo, it's like happiness is pushing at your back, waiting to come out your front..."

In the sweltering heat of a Southwestern summer, on a small army base in rural Texas, Katie waits impatiently for her life to change. These are uncertain times--a mix of pleasure and pain, of girlish confusion and adult discovery. Though battered by the recent death of her mother--and by a distant, abusive father driven to near madness by inner pain and rage--Katie's spirit remains miraculously strong. For she knows one day soon she'll be a woman. One day soon she'll understand.

My Original Thoughts (2002):

A quick, easy read. Berg's first novel. Not nearly as good as those that follow, but enjoyable the second time around. 

My Current Thoughts:

I've read close to two dozen books by Elizabeth Berg, and have over a dozen on my "keeper" shelf, but it's been a few years since I've read anything new. Whenever I write one of these "Looking Back" posts, I think about re-reading so many of my old favorites. I'd like to carve out time to read one each month, especially some of the shorter books like this one.

Below are links & ratings of all of Berg's books that I've read to date (2025):

Talk Before Sleep (4/5)

Range of Motion (4/5)

The Pull of the Moon (4/5) and (5/5)

Joy School (4/5)

What We Keep (4.5/5)

Until the Real Thing Comes Along (4/5)

Open House (5/5)

Ordinary Life (4.5/5)

Never Change (4.5/5)

True to Form (4/5)

Say When (4.5/5)

The Art of Mending (4/5)

A Year of Pleasures (5/5)

We Are All Welcome Here (3/5)

Dream When You're Feeling Blue (2.5/5)

The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted (3.5/5)

Home Safe (4.5/5)

The Last Time I Saw You (2.5/5)

Once Upon a Time, There Was You (2.5/5)

The Story of Arthur Truluv (4/5)

Night of Miracles (5/5)

The Confession Club (2/5)

The Handmaid and the Carpenter (DNF)

The Poppy Fields

 

The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick

Fiction

Narrated by Marin Ireland and several others

2025

Finished on July 16, 2025

Rating: 2/5 (OK)

Publisher's Blurb:

From the New York Times bestselling author of the smash-hit The Measure comes a stunning speculative story of healing, self-discovery, forgiveness, and found friendship.

Welcome to the Poppy Fields, where there’s hope for even the most battered hearts to heal.

Here, in a remote stretch of the California desert, lies an experimental and controversial treatment center that allows those suffering from the heartache of loss to sleep through their pain...and keep on sleeping. After patients awaken from this prolonged state of slumber, they will finally be healed. But only if they’re willing to accept the potential shadowy side effects.

On a journey to this mystical destination are four very different strangers and one little dog: Ava, a book illustrator; Ray, a fireman; Sasha, an occupational therapist; Sky, a free spirit; and a friendly pup named PJ. As they attempt to make their way from the Midwest all the way west to the Poppy Fields—where they hope to find Ellis, its brilliant, enigmatic founder—each of their past secrets and mysterious motivations threaten to derail their voyage.

A high-concept speculative novel about heartache, hope, and human resilience, The Poppy Fields explores the path of grief and healing, a journey at once profoundly universal and unique to every person, posing the questions: How do we heal in the wake of great loss? And how far are we willing to go in order to be healed?

It's no surprise that as we grow older, we begin to lose our loved ones. In the past two decades I've had to say goodbye to my dad, stepdad, an uncle and an aunt, in addition to three cousins. Former neighbors have passed away, as well as a spouse or two of friends and coworkers. I am fortunate that none of my close friends, or siblings, have passed away, and my 92-year-old mother is still going strong! For the most part, these deaths weren't unexpected, although I'd be the first to say I'd love another decade with each and every one. However, the loss of my 24-year-old stepdaughter was the most shocking and heartbreaking death I have ever experienced. That grief was all-consuming, and not just for several weeks or months, but well over a year. (Truthfully, some say the second year is the worst year and "they" would be correct.) The sorrow my husband and I (and our younger daughter) experienced in those first few years is unimaginable. And it's not something one gets over, but rather learns to live with. 

As I listened to The Poppy Fields, I couldn't help but feel annoyed with the premise of the story. The author centers her narrative around the idea that an experimental method has been created in which a person who is grieving the loss of a loved one is able to visit the Poppy Fields in order to sleep (via a medically induced coma of sorts) through their grief. Some people stay for a month, others for up to eight weeks. The belief is that these individuals can return to their lives having moved on from their loss. Bah! This would be no different than drinking yourself into a blackout every day to numb the pain. Or curling up in a ball, sleeping all hours of the day, avoiding well-meaning friends and family. As much as we'd like a quick fix, the only way through a loss is to lean in and accept the hard truth. To do the difficult work. To embrace the sadness and loneliness. It's hard. Very hard. But it's the only way to heal, and learn to live a happy and productive life. 

I read Nikki Erlick's debut novel, The Measure, a couple of years ago and thought it was fine, but having read this recent release, I've come to the conclusion that her books are not for me. Her characters are flat, and the plots are predictable and lacking tension. Had I read the print edition rather than listening to the audio, this may have been a DNF for me.

I received a complimentary copy from Libro.fm. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

How the Light Gets In

 

How the Light Gets In by Joyce Maynard

Fiction

2024

Finished on July 7, 2025

Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

From New York Times bestselling author Joyce Maynard comes the eagerly anticipated follow-up to her beloved novel Count the Ways —a complex story of three generations of a family and its remarkable, resilient, indomitable matriarch, Eleanor. 

**** Spoiler Alert - Do not read if you haven't read Count the Ways ****

Following the death of her former husband, Cam, fifty-seven-year-old Eleanor resides on the New Hampshire farm where they raised three children to care for their brain-injured son, Toby, now an adult. Toby’s older brother, Al, is married and living in Seattle with his wife; their sister, Ursula, lives in Vermont with her husband and two children. Although all appears stable, old resentments, anger, and bitterness simmer just beneath the surface. 

**** End of Spoiler ****

How the Light Gets In follows Eleanor and her family through fifteen years (2009 to 2024) as their story plays out against a uniquely American backdrop and the events that transform their world (climate change, the January 6th insurrection, school violence) and shape their lives (later-life love, parental alienation, steadfast friendship). With her trademark sensitivity and insight, Joyce Maynard paints an indelible portrait of characters both familiar and new making their way over rough, messy, and treacherous terrain to find their way to what is, for each, a place to call home.

I was really looking forward to reading How the Light Gets In, but sadly it didn't live up to my high expectations. Joyce Maynard's earlier novel, Count the Ways, made my 2023 Top Ten list and I was eager to revisit the follow-up story of Eleanor and her family. Since it had been over a year since I read the previous novel, I decided to give the final chapters in that book a quick re-read. I shouldn't have bothered. Maynard spends an excessive amount of time providing backstory details, not just in the opening chapters, but throughout the entire book. At 422 pages in length, I felt the novel could have used more editing to cut through the repetitious detail of past and present details of Eleanor's life. The first half of the story lacks tension, which made it difficult for me to immerse myself in the book. The references to historical events that I enjoyed reading about in Count the Ways were overdone here, as if Maynard had a checklist to complete, dropping incidents such as the Sandy Hook school shooting, the disappointing election in 2016, Covid and the negativity toward vaccines and Dr. Fauci, John Prine's death, as well as George Floyd's murder. I also felt the sudden mending of one relationship a bit far-fetched after so many years of estrangement. With all of these quibbles, it's a wonder I finished the book, but the second half was a little fresher with enough to keep me interested. And the musical references (Kris Kristofferson's Help Me Make It Through the Night, Warren Zevon's Keep Me In Your Heart, and John Prine's When I Get to Heaven) are always a treat when encountered in a novel. While this may be my least favorite of Joyce Maynard's, I've certainly read a lot of winners by her. Click on any of the links below to read my reviews:

The Bird Hotel (4.5/5)

Count the Ways (5/5)

After Her (4/5)

Where Love Goes (4/5)

Labor Day (4.5/5)

The Usual Rules (5/5)

Looking Back - Perfect Match

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult

Fiction

2002

Finished on May 7, 2002

Rating: 4.5/5 (Very Good!)

Publisher's Blurb:

Picoult brings to life a female prosecutor whose cherished family is shattered when she learns that her five-year-old son has been sexually abused.

What does it mean to be a good mother?

How far would you go in the name of love -- and justice?

In the course of her everyday work, career-driven assistant district attorney Nina Frost prosecutes child molesters and works determinedly to ensure that a legal system with too many loopholes keeps these criminals behind bars. But when her own five-year-old son, Nathaniel, is traumatized by a sexual assault, Nina and her husband, Caleb, a quiet and methodical stone mason, are shattered, ripped apart by an enraging sense of helplessness in the face of a futile justice system that Nina knows all too well. In a heartbeat, Nina's absolute truths and convictions are turned upside down, and she hurtles toward a plan to exact her own justice for her son -- no matter the consequence, whatever the sacrifice.

My Original Thoughts (2002):

I couldn't put it down! Picoult's books are not great works of literature, and rarely do I find a beautiful passage to mark, yet they're great reads. Always satisfying and very entertaining. The subject matter is always original to each book. They don't blend together and are very memorable. This one was about a prosecutor who faces the horrible knowledge that her five-year-old son has been sexually abused. What occurs in the chapters to follow is astonishing, but as a parent myself, I have no idea if I wouldn't react in a similar manner. A real page-turner. Great airplane book!

My Current Thoughts:

I remember that I enjoyed this one a lot, but the details of the story are long gone. Picoult is a favorite of mine and I think there's only one of her books that I didn't care for. I still have a few more to read, too, which is nice. 

2025 2nd Quarter Favorites

 

The God in the Woods by Liz Moore (5/5)

Tin Man by Sarah Winman (4.5/5)

We Spread by Iain Reid (4.5/5)

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler (4.5/5)

A Month in Summary - June 2025

Point Hudson Marina & RV Park

Port Townsend, Washington

June 2025

It's summertime, my favorite season of the year! We don't experience the horrible heat and humidity that so many of you have during the summer months, so I'm always happy when it's warm enough to break out my shorts, t-shirts, and sandals. Spring, fall, and winter you can find me in jeans and a thermal layered under a flannel shirt, and I get so bored with my daily "uniform."

We were on the road for a couple of weeks, and I feel like I didn't get a lot of time to read, but I wound up with the same number of books read in June as I did in the two months prior. It helps that one of the books was a very quick read despite its length. We're home for the rest of the summer, so I'm hopeful that I can knock several off from my Summer Reading Challenge list.

Books Read (click on the title for my review):

Table for Two by Amor Towles (3.5/5)

Tin Man by Sarah Winman (4.5/5)

Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout (3/5)

The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave (2/5)

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (5/5)

Movies & TV Series:

Dept. Q - Great 8-episode mystery series, as long as you don't mind all the f-bombs. I really liked the chemistry between the three main characters (Morck, Akram, and Rose), and look forward to a second season.

Patience - A British–Belgian detective drama series set in Yorkshire. Patience works in the archive/records department and is autistic. Ella Maisy Purvis, who plays Patience, is also autistic. We enjoyed the show, but it lacks depth and tension, especially after watching Dept. Q. 

Visitors:

We enjoyed a great visit with Mark & Ana (my brother and sister-in-law) who came up from San Diego for a long weekend. 

Travels:

Tillamook, Oregon

Fort Stevens State Park, Oregon

Point Hudson Marina & RV Park, Washington

(Not the prettiest RV park, but check out

 the views from inside our RV below.)

Our travel buddies, Dave & Molly

Quinault River Inn & RV Park, Washington

Cape Disappointment State Park, Washington

Rod had a book talk in Port Townsend, so we took the RV up to Washington, enjoying a few of our favorite camping spots along the way. I'll share more photos from that trip in the coming weeks. 

We live in an area where fireworks are banned, and it's so nice to not hear explosions days before and days after the 4th. Such a change from our neighborhood in Nebraska! I hope you all have a safe and happy 4th of July.

The God of the Woods

 

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

Mystery

2024

Finished on June 26, 2025

Rating: 5/5 (Outstanding!)

Publisher's Blurb:

When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide.

Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.

As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances.

Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet, The God of the Woods is a story of inheritance and second chances, the tensions between a family and a community, and a history that will not let any of them go.

I loved The God of the Woods! I was immediately pulled into this captivating book from the first page, and had I been on a flight across the country, I would have ignored everyone around me, reading non-stop until the plane arrived at the gate. As it was, the first two nights I read long after midnight, and finished the book in less than four days. Normally, a book of this length (478 pages) would take me well over a week to complete. I can hardly wait to discuss it with my book group.

There are over two dozen important characters in Liz Moore's treasure of a book, and I kept a running list to keep them straight, as well as to jog my memory for my upcoming discussion. Between eight points of view, and multiple timelines (set during the 1950s, 1961-1962, 1973, and 1975), I was afraid that I'd get lost with the constant back and forth between characters and years, but the author handles these details skillfully. The chapters headings delineating the time periods were also helpful.

As I read, I was reminded of Chris Whitaker's exceptional novel, All the Colors of the Dark. Both authors kept me guessing until the very end, and their use of short chapters propelled their stories in such a manner that I didn't want to stop reading. I was somewhat concerned that Moore's denouement would feel rushed or convoluted, but her conclusion was clear and satisfying. Bravo!

I'm looking forward to reading from Liz Moore's backlist, most especially Long Bright River, about which I've heard great things.  The God of the Woods is a superb page-turner. Highly recommend!

The Night We Lost Him

 

The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave

Mystery

Narrated by Julia Whelan

2024

Finished on June 24, 2025

Rating: 2/5 (OK)

Publisher's Blurb:

Nora Noone’s father, Liam, was many things to many people. To the public he was a self-made hotel magnate, whose luxury boutique hotels were among the most coveted destinations in the world. To his three ex-wives, he was a loving yet distant family man who managed to keep his finances—and his families—separate. But to Nora, her father was always a mystery—especially after his suspicious death at his cliffside home.

Though the authorities rule Liam's death accidental, Nora and her estranged brother, Sam, believe otherwise. As they form an uneasy alliance to unpack the mystery, they start putting together the pieces of their father’s past and uncover a family secret that changes everything.

With Laura Dave’s “signature blend of pulse-pounding suspense” (PEOPLE) and “trademark emotional heft” (The New York Post), The Night We Lost Him is a “propulsive” (Oprah Daily) must-read, with a heartbreaking final twist you’ll never see coming.

Meh. I haven't read anything by Laura Dave, but decided to give her new book a try when offered an early release copy by Libro.fm. The mystery wasn't exactly compelling or propulsive, but Julia Whelan's narration kept me entertained. As others have said, the plot is flat with boring characters. I have a print edition of The Last Thing He Told Me, but I'm not inspired to give it a read anytime soon.

I received a complimentary copy from Libro.fm. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Anything Is Possible

 

Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout

Amgash #2

Fiction

2017

Finished on June 22, 2025

Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Recalling Olive Kitteridge in its richness, structure, and complexity, Anything Is Possible explores the whole range of human emotion through the intimate dramas of people struggling to understand themselves and others.

Here are two sisters: One trades self-respect for a wealthy husband while the other finds in the pages of a book a kindred spirit who changes her life. The janitor at the local school has his faith tested in an encounter with an isolated man he has come to help; a grown daughter longs for mother love even as she comes to accept her mother's happiness in a foreign country; and the adult Lucy Barton (the heroine of My Name Is Lucy Barton, the author's celebrated New York Times bestseller) returns to visit her siblings after seventeen years of absence.

This is the second collection of short stories I've read this month, and I'm not a big fan of the genre, so I'm not surprised that I didn't love Anything Is Possible. The stories are more interconnected than those of Table for Two (Amor Towles), and some of the characters are familiar from my reading of My Name Is Lucy Barton, but the book is not one of my favorites by Elizabeth Strout. I struggled to keep track of the characters' relationships with one another as they overlap from chapter to chapter. Plus, the central theme to Strout's stories is shame and regret, and many involve mothers who leave their families. Thus, the overall tone is bleak and gloomy. The writing, however, is marvelous, so I was never tempted to stop reading. Anything Is Possible is best read right after My Name Is Lucy Barton, perhaps with a pen & pad in hand.

Tin Man

 

Tin Man by Sarah Winman

Fiction

2017

Finished on June 10, 2025

Rating: 4.5/5 (Very Good!)

Publisher's Blurb:

This is almost a love story. But it's not as simple as that.

Ellis and Michael are twelve-year-old boys when they first become friends, and for a long time it is just the two of them, cycling the streets of Oxford, teaching themselves how to swim, discovering poetry, and dodging the fists of overbearing fathers. And then one day this closest of friendships grows into something more.

Many years later, Ellis is married to Annie, and Michael is nowhere in sight. Which leads to the question: What happened in the years between?

By the internationally bestselling author Sarah Winman, Tin Man is an unforgettable and heartbreaking novel celebrating love in all its forms, and all the little moments and small kindnesses that make up a life.

I finished this beautiful novel a couple of weeks ago, but we've been traveling, and I am just sitting down to compose my review. 

Sarah Winman writes the most gorgeous prose, and while the storyline is a little confusing, I loved Tin Man. It's a tender story about friendship, love, heartache and grief. Much like her most recent work (Still Life), Winman's characters are memorable and well-drawn. This moving novel avoids cliche, and will enchant fans of John Boyne, particularly those who read and enjoyed The Hearts Invisible Furies. Sarah Winman has become a favorite author, and I intend to read more of her books. 

"Plan to read it twice: first for the story, then to savor the beauty of the poetic symbolism threaded throughout the sparsely crafted prose." - Shelf Awareness

Highly recommend.

Umatilla Marina & RV Park

Disclaimer: I am getting back to posting about our 2023 trip to Canada. Many of these photos were shared on Instagram & Facebook, so they may look familiar to you. Sorry for any confusion!

Canada Road Trip (Summer 2023)

July 5, 2023

Fernie, British Columbia to Umatilla, Oregon

Daily Mileage: 214

Umatilla Marina & RV Park

Site: 2

Duration: 1 night

Cost: $40

Weather: Sunny and hot (95!)

Cell Coverage: 4 bars Verizon & TMobile

Meh. It was a long, boring (and windy!) drive from Athol, Idaho to this spot along the Columbia River. The RV "park" served its purpose for an overnight, but it's not a destination spot. There was some road noise, but it wasn't terrible. There are plenty of trees and grass, and our site looked out over the marina and river. Pretty sunset.