Perfect Portland

Redding has had smokey skies for over 30 days now. This was due to fires caused by lightning strikes in the surrounding rural areas. So my trip to Portland where the skies were blue, clear and oh so fresh smelling was ah-mazing!

My trip was of course to visit my daughter, who is a speech therapist at a middle school there for the past two years. However, Portland has so much to offer, that each visit, I find new places to go and new wonderful things to see. (I do not however, visit in the raining season).

We have previously gone to the famous Rose Garden and the incredibly beautiful Japanese Garden (best one I’ve ever seen). So this time we went to see some lovely waterfalls. (A waterfall as magnificent and memorable as any in the country is located just a 30- minute drive outside of Portland. The winding road of the scenic highway will deliver you to Multnomah Falls while simultaneously captivating you along the way with breathtaking views of the Columbia River Gorge. Multnomah Falls is the second-tallest year-round waterfall in the nation. The water of the Falls drops 620 feet from its origin on Larch Mountain. Unusually cold weather can freeze the plummeting water into a majestic icesicle Visiting Multnomah Falls, a 611-foot-tall roaring, awe-inspiring cascade of icy water, lets you experience the power and beauty of nature up close and with ease.)

We also, visited Washington Park...a spacious outdoor park with miles of walking trails. We visited Hoyt Arboretum, a global garden in the wild where they grow and exhibit trees and plants from around the world.

Then we made our way to see the Pittock Mansion. It overlooks all of Portland. (The Pittock Mansion is a beautifully furnished turn-of-the-century home in Portland . The Pittock Mansion was once the home of Portland pioneer and owner of the Oregonian newspaper, Henry Pittock and his wife Georgiana. They had 6 chidlren and lived in the mansion, from 1914 - 1919. They moved into the mansion when they were elderly and they died just a few years after moving in.The house remained in the family until 1958 when one of the Pittock grandsons sold the house.The house fell into disrepair and at the threat of demolition, the citizens of Portland funded the site and restored the house to its former beauty.)

The second reason I came to Portland was to see James Taylor perform at the Clark County Amphitheater. We have good seats and I’ve always wanted to see him. What a fun show! It took me way back in time! Alison seemed to enjoy it too. She bought souvenirs for her friends: Jackie & James Taylor. (So I got to see two James Taylors). They came over one evening and a few other people to play Apples to Apples and Scrabble. Alison’s friend, Travis, won both games.

While there we also managed to make the obligatory trip to the awesome Powell’s Book Store. We had some nice meals, and went “back-to-school” shopping for Alison. What fun to be a tourist!

I am already planning my next trip...and looking for a musical event to attend.

thought of the day: "Why is it called 'tourist season,' if we can't shoot at them?"