Someone posted this video about Portland, Oregon on Facebook. It might be a little much, but it includes clips of some of my favorite places, and why we are happy to call Portland home.
Archive for the 'Travel' Category
We went camping this weekend in celebration of a friend’s 40th birthday. Once upon a time, 40 seemed so far away, but now that I am creeping up there myself, I can’t say I feel like I thought I’d feel. While I do feel like a grown-up (especially after the baby was born), I don’t feel as “grown-up” as I thought I’d feel by this point. I’m guessing it is true for most people, that though we live our adult lives every day, being grown-up doesn’t feel like we thought it would feel when we were kids thinking about being grown-up. Does that make sense?
Anyway, the highlight of this trip for me was the 2.2 mile hike to the Blue Pool, also known as Tamolitch Falls. The “Falls” actually no longer exists here. What used to be the upper section of the McKenzie river has been diverted, and now the water that fills this pool comes from an underground source. This is my favorite kind of hike - with a destination, or “reward” at the end, and this one did not disappoint. As a matter of fact, the pool contained the bluest water I’ve ever seen in my life, more like a really deep turquoise. The photo does not do the color justice, nor does it even hint at it’s incredible depth. Let me tell you, it was hard to resist the pull of all that glistening water on a summer day, but a quick temperature check with a dipped hand into the freezing cold instantly warned us that would not be a good idea.
And did I mention that I carried Chloe on my back on the hike up? I was pretty proud of myself. I think it actually made the experience more fun, hiking with friends with our babies on our backs. We brought the Beco carrier instead of the framed Kelty carrier because it packs down so much smaller in an already full car (Barkley was also with us). I’m happy to say the Beco continues to be worth every penny, although we use it less now than when Chloe was a newborn. And although camping with a toddler is quite challenging at times, I think it was still a good experience.
Ruby Beach
After writing that post about Bree Tanner, I thought of some photos I took of Kalaloch during our memorial weekend camping trip. What does Kalaloch have to do with the Twilight series? Nothing, except that it is just 30 minutes south of Forks, Washington. For being so close in proximity to this popular Twilight fan destination, Kalaloch was no busier than I’d expect for this area of the Olympic National Park. No surprise, but it was cloudy the entire time we visited, and no, we didn’t see any vampires. 
Big Western Red Cedar. Click here to see view from inside tree.
BTW – A friend of mine wrote an interesting post about visiting Forks as a Twilight fan, including great photos. You can read it here.
I hope everyone had a happy Memorial Day weekend!
We decided to go on a rare camping trip to the Lake Quinault area of the Olympic National Forest. It was cloudy, wet, and very cold (Hello! Rain forest!), but we did enjoy a brief break when the sun made an appearance on the second evening. I was finally able to pull out my camera and once I started I could hardly stop taking pictures. Everything was just so verdant and sparkling.
We pitched our tent in a beautiful spot, surrounded by lush vegetation and old-growth trees, right beside the lake. With Chloe in her framed backpack carrier, we explored the nearby rainforest trails, including one leading to the largest Sitka spruce in the world. The Lake Quinault Lodge was also picturesque and charming with it’s rough, weathered facade and stately presence.
Overall, the weather proved to be our biggest challenge, and sadly, our air mattress sprung a leak the very first night. We had bought a new REI Kingdom 4 “family” tent on sale just a few days earlier, and although roomy, it had a poorly designed fly that didn’t keep out the rain. Luckily David played it safe and packed our old Mountain Hardware tent, too, which was much more suited to the wet and cold environment.
I think I was the one who enjoyed our trip the most. Chloe wasn’t thrilled about the long car ride, or sleeping in her coat, but she did remarkably well and had a good time. I’m also proud to say we packed everything we needed, including food for delicious and easy camp-friendly meals. Our last night we enjoyed a special dinner at the Salmon House Restaurant in the Rainforest Resort Village while we watched the sun go down behind the mountains. It was a moment of perfection for me. I can’t wait until next time (when hopefully it will be just a little bit warmer!)
(Lincoln Memorial via iphone)
Has it really been a week since we arrived in DC? We’re enjoying ourselves so much! I keep meaning to write, but I never seem to sit down long enough (that, and my folks don’t have internet access)! I’ll have more to share soon once I finally download some of my photos.
Oh, and all that worry I had about how Chloe would act during the long, cross-country flight? Well, I shouldn’t have, because she was AMAZING! It was pretty much our easiest flight yet. I only gave her one of the many toys I brought to keep her entertained. Regardless, all that worry helped me pack a top-notch, toddler-friendly carry-on, which I hope to share soon!
Once upon a time I thought if I ever had a child, I would never (literally) put a leash on her. Well, fast forward to the present. Our cross-county flight in a couple days with an active toddler is making me very nervous. This 2-in-1 Monkey Harness
We had a wonderful weekend visiting friends north of Seattle. The weather was sunny and perfect, and for the first time I could see the entire skyline of Seattle, including the Puget Sound and distant mountain ranges. I would love to live so close to the water. We arrived late, but with enough sunlight left to visit Hayworth Park and let the dog have some off-leash time.
On Sunday morning our families took the ferry to Whidbey Island, to the picturesque town of Langley. The toddlers tossed stones by the waters edge and we all peeked into the various shops until lunchtime. Unexpected treasures were found at the Chocolate Flower Farm where I bought up an envelope of the richest hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted and David found Chloe a like-new Little Tikes Tambourine for only $1 at the Good Cheer Thrift Store. Lunch was very tasty at the French Bistro, Prima (I’m always up for a good croque madame). The girls were getting tired though, so we parted ways soon after, but David, Chloe and I hung around just a little longer, to soak up as much of the island atmosphere as we could before the long drive ahead.
Greta and Ava picking up rocks
David and Chloe dropping rocks into the water
The gorgeous view from Langley
See all photos
This weekend I thought it would be nice to explore north into Washington State for a change. Even though we live only three hours from Seattle, we’ve hardly spend any time there in the almost ten years I’ve lived here.
A shot of the falls taken with the iphone
On Saturday we drove up to see the 270ft Snoqualmie Falls. It was wet and rainy, so we didn’t hike down to the river, but satisfied ourselves with a good view from the overlook. Even better, we ate a truly memorable lunch in The Attic of the adjacent Salish Lodge, and literally had the best seat in the house, right next to the window above the falls. (If you go, we’d highly recommend the Northwest Charcuterie and Cheese Plate, the Duck Confit And Kobe Beef Sliders and the Spiced Northwest Fish Tacos).
Saturday night we stayed at the friendly Pensione Nichols bed & breakfast, just a block away from Pike’s Place Market in downtown Seattle. I saw it listed in DeliciousBaby, and chose it because they allow both children and pets. The room with shared bath suited our budget, and it turns out we were the only ones there that night! Breakfast in the morning was lovely and Chloe got to gorge herself on handfuls of her favorite, fresh blueberries.
An early evening stroll through pike’s place market
View from the pensione
On Sunday we did a little exploring in the Ballard Neighborhood, stopping first at the highly recommended Cafe Besalu for a bite of the best leek gruyere quiche I’ve ever tasted. After that it was an engaging experience at the Ballard Locks, watching the water level drop to let the boats pass through. While we were there we also witnessed a bizarre occurance of a boat getting wedged sideways in the lock, but it wasn’t long until the workers freed it and sent it on its way.
By noon we had stopped at the Honore Artisan Bakery where I ordered a French Macaron in every flavor as a decadent birthday treat for us to share. Then it was on to the Farmer’s Market, a little (mostly) window shopping, and a late lunch at the nearby India Bistro before it was time to head home during Chloe’s afternoon nap.
A couple days ago my dad suggested we take a ride to Chesapeake Beach, a small, charming bayside town a little over an hour from Washington, DC. I hardly remember, but Dad said I had been here before to deep sea fish a long time ago.
It was a perfect day to be out. Sunny blue skies, with barely a hint of crisp October breeze. We started off walking the boardwalk and pier in North Beach. Lots of seagulls and ducks, and a few fisherman throwing there lines into the ocean. Afterward we sat in the shade in front of Sweet Sues, sharing a “To Die For” Brownie (brownie topped with chunky peanut butter and fudge frosting) and sipping coffee. We took our time browsing the gift and souvenir shops until lunchtime, when we headed a little south to Chesapeake Beach.
Someone we had met earlier suggested Abner’s Sea Side Crab House for lunch. Nothing fancy, but the perfect place for tasty deep fried crab balls, crab cakes, hush puppies, and onion rings. Several patrons were doing the all-you-can-eat fresh crab option and it was interesting to see the piles of atlantic blue crabs on their butcher paper covered tables. Later we wandered the wharf, admiring the boats before browsing the Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum. Overall, it was a lovely family outing for a lazy and peaceful autumn afternoon.
Side note: These photos were taken with the iPhone and this was my first attempt at blogging with it, too!
This is the second time I’ve had the opportunity to check out the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon, a competition between 20 colleges and universities to design, build, and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered house. Honestly, while it is interesting to learn about new and energy-efficient technology, mostly I go to admire the modern architecture.
This year, there were a lot more people turning out to tour the homes, so we only had time to tour three: Rice University’s , Penn State’s, and the University of Minnesota’s. Personally, I liked the design and layout of Penn State’s the best, except for the amount of plants inside (a little too messy). Our guide said that it was originally designed for “DINKS” which apparently stands for “double income no kids,” so I guess I won’t be living in one any time soon.
Event goes through October 18th, and I would highly recommend visiting it if you get a chance.
Looking back at our France photos (to find one for this post), I was reminded of how many good ones there were. Here are a few of my faves. But really, is there such thing as a bad photo of Paris?
Fountain at the Place du Concorde, Paris
Daily Menu, Au Vieux Châtelet, Paris
Château de Chenonceau
Mont Saint Michel, detail
Arc de Triomphe, Paris
From Marie Antoinette’s Hameau,Versailles
Skyline view, Paris
Eiffel Tower at night
Roseburg
By day three we had reached our friends for the Fourth-of-July weekend. Our first day there we drove down just south to visit to the drive-through Wildlife Safari. We went in the afternoon and it was a pretty warm day, so I don’t think the animals were as active as they’d be in the morning or late evening. The ranger said that I could even hold Chloe on my lap, which was a nice change. Really fun to have the animals so close! I was kind of afraid the camel was going to do some damage to our car as he walked by, but he was just rearing his head and smacking his hump. Strange, but fascinating!
McKenzie River Area
I don’t know why, but after this I put my camera away for a few days. Then on day 5 we left and headed to the McKenzie River so David could do some fishing. We camped at Riverside Campground, so he could throw his line into the Santiam as well. Barkley, Chloe and I just sort of hung out. Barkley’s leg is almost perfectly healed, thank goodness. You can hardly see the demarcation line where his fur is growing back (although he still has a bald spot on his back by his tail, where they shaved him WAY too close). And here’s a trial self-portrait with my slr, much harder than with a point-and-shoot!
Self-portrait with the SLR, much harder than with a point-and-shoot!
Barkley relaxing by the river, finally back off-leash
So, I had every intention of writing about the rest of our trip, but I think now I’m just going to summarize the highlights in one long post. We had a good time, no question, and I do want to share, just not as individually detailed as I had planned. I haven’t been in a very bloggy mood lately, probably because Chloe is evolving faster than I can keep up. She’s amazing. But more on that later. Here’s some pics from the remainder of our trip.
Shore Acres State Park
Restored formal garden
Grandiflora Crimson Boquet Rose
The hidden gem of Simpson Beach
This park is awesome. Imagine owning a private estate on the coast, with your own sandy beach, and building a gorgeous summer home on a bluff high above the waves. Then add a formal garden, including a Japanese-style garden surrounding a 100-foot lily pond, all in the early 1900s. Unfortunately (or fortunately for us), the great depression occured. Now the mansion is gone, but the gardens have been restored and there now sits an enclosed observation deck on the original home site. I would have loved to have spent more time here (just down the road from Sunset Bay State Park), but Chloe was getting tired and we wanted to let her sleep on the drive down to Bandon. Thus, we also missed Cape Arago State Park, just south.
Bandon
Part of the Bandon coastline, plus a view of riders probably from Bandon Beach Riding Stables
Coquille River (Bandon) Lighthouse
By noon of day 2 we were in Bandon, Oregon. We treated ourselves to a fresh and delicious! halibut fish-and-chips lunch at Bandon Fish Market, before perusing the little shops. Dessert was yummy chocolate and handmade candy samples at Cranberry Sweets. (Steer clear of Bandon’s Coffee Cafe, though, our latte was very disappointing.)
Port Orford
Misty boats at the Port of Port Orford, Circa 1856
Port Orford coastline
Florence to Coos Bay
We drove from Portland to just north of Florence for our first visit to the Sea Lion Caves. They don’t tell you this on the web site, but be prepared for the biggest stink of your life. I was actually fine, but David had a stronger reaction. Kind of expensive, but worth seeing, as it is the world’s largest sea cave.
Heading south on hwy 101 to Florence we stopped briefly at the Darlingtonia Botanical Gardens, a preserve that protects a small area of naturally occurring cobra lilies Darlingtonia californica. I find these insectivorous pitcher plants fascinating!
We took a brief tour of Florence’s Old Town before continuing south through the Oregon Dunes National Rec Area and Coos Bay to Sunset Bay State Park. We chose to camp here for our first night, and I’m surprised now to find I hadn’t taken any photos. I can definitely see coming back here someday when Chloe is older. The little bay offers a charming sandy beach with calm water, a large expanse of grassy, wooded play and picnic area, and warm showers after you’re all done.
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