OUR TRAVELS

Wish we were the heirs to the largest independent bookstore in the world.  The place was jammed with books and customers.  We spent hours roaming the aisles and perusing the books and didn't make a dent towards seeing everything!  It was too bad that we don't have room in our suitcases.  More than a few caught our eye! The world's smallest park located in a median strip right here in Portland has a diameter of just 24 inches. We visited the HUGE international rose test garden.  Wow, the air was definitely rose scented! Since we were missing the elevation hikes that get our blood pumping, we walked several times to the Portland park areas.  Needless to say our blood was pumping - 9.5 miles with a total uphill climb of over 1200 feet. We caught our breath at Pittock Mansion at the top of our climb.  The building and grounds were beautiful - the views were breathtaking! Mt Hood is in the distance.  Unfortunately it was too hazy to see Mt St Helens. Here are some miscellaneous

No 90+ isn't our age though we do feel that old sometimes after walking miles and miles.  90+ refers to how many waterfalls are in the Columbia River Gorge east of Portland.  We took a tour to the Gorge and Mt Hood and visited just three of the best known waterfalls. Multnomah falls is 620 feet, one of the tallest in the country.  Falling rock is a common experience.  In 1995, a bus size piece of basalt fell from behind the waterfall into the pool.  Glad we weren't swimming at the time! (No swimming allowed.) LaTourell Falls Horsetail Falls This rest stop has some of the best views in the Gorge.  Its construction in 1917 went way over budget upsetting some Oregonians who called it a very expensive outhouse. If you look closely, there is a person in this photo.  The trail did look a little precipitous! Mt Hood - the Pacific Coast Trail crosses the mountain Walking on the mountain Timberline Lodge is at 6000 feet elevation.  It would be a beautiful place to stay - inside and out.

While viewing the activities on the river from our deck in Portland, OR, this amazing sight paddled by.  Donna quickly ran for her camera to memorialize the occasion.  He must have missed the memo that men of a certain age should switch to long swim trunks. On the plus side, he is exercising. Here are more amazing views from our deck.  There is so much activity, we spend hours watching the boats, skiers, cargo ships, scullers, trains, bike riders and so on.  There are bridges on either side of our townhome.  We can actually see six - yes, six bridges from our deck. The Steel Bridge is a double decker bridge that raises and lowers its bottom level for ships using a vertical lift mechanism.  That is to say, it has an interior lift span section that remains horizontal as it is raised upward.  There are 40 trains (lower level) and 600 light rail trains (upper level) along with buses, cars, trucks, bikes, and pedestrians that cross this bridge daily. Here are night and daytime views of this