Thursday, May 3, 2007

Does the sun shine in the Northwest?











And the Lord said, "Let there be light for Joann and Jack to enjoy Oregon." Lo and behold, there was light. We started the day with liquid sunshine and then the sun came out and it was a beautiful day. Because of the clouds we haven't seen Mt. Hood yet, but we still have hopes. Our travels today took us from Pendleton to Portland with many stops on the way. If it's possible to have sensory overload, today would be the day for that to happen. Every thing was beautiful from the scenic Columbia River Gorge to the Portland skyline. Our first detour was to England to see Stonehenge. (Just kidding, of course.) The replica was commissioned by the same person who built Maryhill (a French like Chateau turned museum) as a World War I memorial. After visiting Stonehenge, we continued down the road to Maryhill Museum. The building was started as a personal residence situated on 6,000 acres on the Washington state side overlooking the Columbia River. The owner changed his mind right before the house was finished and turned it into a museum. His name was Sam Hill and his wife and daughter were named Mary, thus the museum is called Maryhill. The albino peacock was on the grounds of Maryhill. We then crossed the Columbia river back to Oregon and went down the Old Columbia River Road passed several waterfalls. The Fall in the picture is called Multnomah Falls and at 620 feet it is the second highest waterfall in the nation, which flows continuously. Our next stop was Vista House, which is perched on a cliff overlooking the Columbia river. That's where the River picture was taken. We then drove on to Portland where our first stop was Pittock Mansion. It is owned by the city and it's reminiscent of the Newport, RI, mansions. Afterwards we went to an authentic Japanese Garden. Words cannot describe its beauty. We've selected two photos from there, and it was hard to decide which ones were the best. The last photo shows the Portland skyline from the Portland Rose Garden. We were a little early for the roses to be in bloom, but there were many other things in bloom to make the trip worthwhile. Oregon is dark lush green dotted with fresh Spring green and highlighted by thousands of blooming plants. Yes, our senses are on overload and we had to head to the hotel.

3 comments:

Jenn K said...

The Portland Rose Garden is where Anne had her wedding ceremony. It was at the end of May and the roses were in full bloom. The day before, we went to see the Japanese Tea Garden--both places were incredibly beautiful. I think the tea garden helped to calm Anne, since it's such a peaceful place.

In other news, we've been dealing with a sick kitty (Milo) who is having surgery today to help remove and prevent a urinary blockage. Say a little prayer for your grandkitty to heal quickly.

Jenn

jeanine said...

Looks like a beautiful day. Its cloudy here today so hopefully the sun is still shining on you today.

Marilyn said...

Jenn, I hope Milo's surgery went smoothly. The grandkitty needs special treatment. Do you think the recovery period is covered under the Family Medical Leave Policy? You can try.
The pictures of the Northwest are so beautiful that I want to get in the car and drive. The next time you go to the Northwest, you will have to be there at the end of May. Nevertheless, the pictures indicate that you're finding plenty of beauty! I love the Northwest.