Wedding @ Voodoo Donuts

Our last day in Portland was a trifecta of fun: first we went to the Rose Parade where there were lots of floats, horses, princesses and even llamas in the 2 hr parade. Then as we were driving to get donuts at Voodoo Donuts Bob spotted a naked bike rider. I only saw him in the mirror - which explains why it is called the "rear view" mirror. Then, after waiting in a long line for donuts we sat down at the only table to devour ours and preparations began for a wedding! We were invited to stay and celebrate Julie and Kevin's nuptials officiated by a "minister" in some kind of blue furry animal outfit. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Sunshine returns

Last night we sat in the lobby and had fondue and wine. It was so cozy. When we went to sleep last night the whole mountain was shrouded in fog. Then at 4 a.m. we could see a string of lights moving on the mountain. The snow plows were grooming the mountain for the skiers who would come today. The sky had cleared and stars were shining in the sky. When the sun rose it was a beautiful, crisp day on Mt. Hood and the skiers were arriving.

Winter wonderland

it's hard to believe that it is in the 90's at home in VA when we are surrounded by snow here at Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood. we decided to detour from our plans and spend the night at this huge old lodge built by the WPA in the 1930's. like the other WPA projects we have visited (the Hoover Dam for instance) it is a technical marvel full of artworks in the middle of a very hostile environment. New government projects would never spend the $$$ on mosaics, hooked rugs, wood carvings, paintings, decorative and functional ironworks. Everywhere you look you see the handiwork of people who probably are now gone. Even the stairposts are carved with a forest creature on top. We still haven't seen the sun today. maybe we read the Twilight series too many times - but during the drive up the mountain through the forests, I kept expecting the vampires to come charging through the forests and attack our car. This morning we stopped in Washoula and toured the Pendleton wool factory. we saw how the fleece comes in bales froTexas, how it gets dyed, carded, spun and then woven. And there was a store outlet at the end so we could save even more money. I'll post photos tomorrow. The laptop and the photo media reader are outside in the snow. None of us wants to brave the elements to go out of the cozy lodge.

Drive thru coffee stands

Cruising the coast

The sun never broke through the clouds and it was chilly enough to have a fire in the fireplace but we saw lots of beautiful sites driving along the coast. A visit to Tillamook Cheese factory, a drive thru a little roadside espresso shop (one of many along the road), roadside wildflowers, more tidal pools at low tide, and the inspirations for Japanese gardens.

Cannon Beach

From our hotel balcony, we see Haystack Rock. In the distance it just looks like a big rock jutting from the Pacific Ocean. But, when the tide goes out, you can get up close and see that there is a whole ecosystem on and surrounding the rock. On the rock there are many colonies of birds - including lots of seagulls, muirs, nesting puffins and eagles. In the tidal pools exposed at low tide, hundreds of sea stars, anemones, mussels, barnacles, hermit crabs, and tiny fish live. It is teeming with life that has adapted to living both under and above the ocean - as the tides change. Just fascinating - and so beautiful. After the tide started coming in we headed north to Seaside and then to Astoria to see where the Lewis and Clark Expedition came to its conclusion. Today it didn't rain - so one of the volunteers at the tidal pools told us Oregonians call a day without rain a "drought."

Portland Saturday

Silly us. We came to Portland for the Rose Festival so we decided to see their world acclaimed public rose garden. THERE ARE NO ROSES! well, not in bloom anyway. The spring has been especially cold and cloudy so the roses haven't burst into bloom yet. Then we detoured over to their Japanese Garden which claims to be the best Japanese Garden outside of Japan. It did not disappoint. The weather made the carpet of moss lush and thick over everything it covered. The day was sunny so we could even see Mt Hood (The gardens own Mt. Fuji) in the distance. A guide reported that it was only the third time this year that she could point out the mountain in the distance. No roses - but spectacular rhododendrons in all colors filled the garden. It was a magical oasis in a city that seems to be overwhelmed with homeless souls wandering around. When we headed into the city for the Saturday Market we saw many, many homeless men and teens in the park on the Willamette River. A highlight of the day (for me) was a trip to Powell's Book Store - a mecca for bibliophiles. I could have spent the whole day there but the majority ruled and we only spent an hour.

Portland, Oregon

We left the hot primordial soup-like environment of Washington,DC (temp 106 degrees, 99.9 percent humidity) and arrived in cool, crisp, clear Portland. Apparently it was Portland's first sunny clear day in months - so it was extra festive. The prior day, everyone he met told Bob they were going to move because they hadn't seen the sun in so long. Between cooling waterfalls, the Columbia Gorge, snow on the mountains, fields of wildflowers in bloom and a shop called "Voodoo Doughnuts" this town seems like a winner. Today we are off to the Rose Gardens, the Saturday Market and by then it will be 9 a.m. and we will start the day :) (an inside joke for anyone who knows the frenetic pace at which Bob travels).