Playing in Portland

When I first land in Portland, I'm thinking city life, and while that definitely does exist, everywhere I went I was surrounded by majestic flowering trees. White, pink, yellow, & purple fields of flowers endlessly hovering above you. It was magical. This is city life redefined by nature. Pictured above left are Prunus cherry trees found at The University of Oregon campus. The top right is a similar variety in white taken at Pittock Mansion. The bottom right photo of vibrant yellow leaves was taken at the basin of St Johns bridge. The photo opportunities of these beautiful trees was endless!!

The natural beauty continued through downtown & among all the trees were some of the most creative water fountains I have ever seen. Imagine a water playground in the middle of tall high rise buildings or at the top of endless steps overlooking Mount Hood. These are just two of the many wonderful water exhibits found here in the city of Portland. The first of which is known as the Ira C Keller Fountain where 13,000 gallons of water per minute cascade down numerous walls. Many people are found here at lunchtime enjoying the cool view.

 My next favorite was The Lovejoy Fountain, a stair step fountain designed in 1968. Spend a few moments here and it feels like all your worries are being washed away. The best part is if you walk around to the top of the fountain, there is a majestic view of Mt. Hood. There's just no escaping the beauty of nature in this city, and why would you want to anyway?!

Okay, I'm not typically a "foodie" nor do I EVER eat doughnuts but this place was talked about everywhere I went so I just couldn't leave without giving it a try and boy was that the best mistake I ever made. I can see why this place is so famous. They have the most outrageously bizarre doughnuts you can imagine and every one I tasted (and mind you, I tasted plenty!) were out of this world fantastic!! From the infamous maple bacon bar to mango tango & memphis mafia ~ fried dough with banana chunks & cinnamon covered in a glaze with chocolate frosting, peanut butter, peanuts & chocolate chips~ these doughnuts outdo their claim to fame and will put you in a Voo Doo trance wanting more!

One of the most beautiful sites I just happened upon soars above the rest with the most picturesque views and beautiful surrounding gardens. The Pittock Mansion sits 1,000 feet above Portland's city skyline and is an astounding 100 years old. It is open to the public for viewing but I arrived too early to get in. I, did, however spend over an hour enjoying it's exterior beauty and grounds. Well worth the climb up.

Portland is not surprisingly home to many beautiful gardens. Pictured top left is the Japanese Garden & below it, the Rose Test Garden. They are within walking distance from one another, however, the Japanese Garden has many steps, all of them worth the serenity you will find there. Pictured below is my "go to" garden belonging to none other than Shakespeare himself. I love that many city gardens covet a special space for the great Bard, and all of them host something a bit different. This one had a lovely statue of a quill pen and plants named after the author's most famous characters. Situated within the Rose Test Gardens, a walk through this garden is like walking back in time....

Any trip to Oregon wouldn't be complete without a visit to the falls. Driving along the Columbia River Gorge is a site within itself. You can visit fish hatcheries, art galleries, wineries, parks, & museums, including the beautiful  Vista House. Many a traveler end up in the same spot, at one of the most photographed falls in the state, Multnomah Falls. (top right) Astounding? Yes. Majestic? Yep. Powerful? You betcha. My absolute favorite? Nope. I'll tell you why. What makes these falls so beautiful is how they are doubled up with a bridge between them. So, yes, it's gorgeous and totally worth seeing even though you will be sharing it with hundreds of others at the same time. But travel just a bit further and you will come upon the falls in which I sat in awe and wonder, Horsetail. (below right) Some might say these falls are simple and yes, I suppose they are. But look, water falls tend to fall much in the same way, like a gushing wall of water, hence their name. However, Horsetail Falls, properly named, falls like a feather, rather light & airy. I found them unique. I also loved how you could walk right down to the base of the falls and even wade in the pool below. You can even get behind the falls for more dramatic photos. Everyone is going to love something different and hey, there's plenty of falls to fall in love with here, that's the beauty of it. You simply can't go wrong travelling the roads where Lewis & Clark did years ago. I think Lewis summed it up beautifully...
" we passed several beautifull cascades which fell from a great
hight over the stupendious rocks" ...  1906.

A scenic route not to miss is that of Hwy 35 along the Hood River. Named by National Geographic as "one of America's top 100 adventure towns", the trip through this part of Oregon was stunning! The valley below Mt Hood was sprawling with lavender farms, vineyards, & fruit trees. Here you'll find Italian grape growers, Marchesi Vineyards whose Dolcetto is divine, locals like Mt Hood Winery, a full production facility from "vine to bottle". Try the Pear Wine, it's delicious, & Wy'East Vineyards who created Cloud Cap Select, a tantalizing Port made from none other than Oregon's finest, Pinot Noir grapes. 

Okay, crossing a bridge in Portland is like crossing the street anywhere else. There are so many bridges here, I lost track. One in particular stood out for me. St Johns Bridge is located a few miles west of the city and connects North Portland to US 30. It is a dedicated historical landmark (built in 1931) and undoubtedly the most beautiful steel suspension bridge I've ever seen. It is especially appealing to photographers as I was not the only one with camera in hand. Go out of your way a bit, this mighty green beast won't let you down. 

There's something about Portland that is like no other city I've visited. Perhaps it's a quirkiness, or maybe the fact that it's SO green, both literally & figuratively. I mean the bike paths go down the MIDDLE of the road! It certainly has it's landmarks. Take Powell's City of Books, the largest independent book store in the world! This place is insane!! There are so many levels and rooms, you can easily get lost in here. I'd actually love to get lost anywhere in Portland. 

Good Times
Good Times