Portland is a great place for many reasons, but one of them is how seamlessly the city gives way to nature. I think about driving down Burnside towards the west hills. One minute you are in a thriving city, then you go through a stop light and are in the middle of a forest. It’s easy to forget you are a 10 minute drive from downtown Portland when visiting the Japanese Garden. It is peaceful and meticulously cared for. Whatever the season, whatever the weather, the Japanese Garden is always absolutely stunning. Every time I visit, I get amazing photos. It is a must visit for anyone and is on my list of places to bring guests. Read More
Category: Portland
For a short excursion near Portland, check out the Cedar Creek Grist Mill
About 45 minutes north of Portland, after a scenic drive through the country, you will find the Cedar Creek Grist Mill. Built in 1876, the mill was restored to working condition by The Friends of the Cedar Creek Grist Mill in 1989 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a great place for photos with a rushing river, scenic foliage, and a covered bridge. I visited in the early spring and it was still wet and overcast. The clouds help make the light better for photos as the mill is only open mid afternoon on the weekends.
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Portland’s Pittock Mansion
When I first moved to the pacific northwest, I lived about 10 minutes from the Pittock Mansion. The contrast from Florida made it fascinating to me and It quickly become one of my favorite places to visit in Portland. It’s close to the city, the grounds are free to visit, and the view is amazing! It’s one of those places that I go back to over and over agin no matter the time of year. Frequently, if I have an extra 30 or 40 minutes, I’ll head over to Pittock just to take in the view or get a few photos of the various flowers blooming. Read More
Coffee
I am a fan of coffee… actually let me rephrase that…I am a fan of coffee culture. What’s the difference? I am not a coffee expert, the way I drink coffee would probably offend coffee purists; I put too much sugar in it sometimes and don’t get overly concerned about what region it came from or the “toffee notes” etc. that are present in this one verses that one. I do know when I like a particular coffee or when I don’t. All that being said, I love coffee shops and appreciate good independent coffee shops of all types. This really came into focus upon moving to Portland.
Portland Cherry Blossoms
Spring in Portland
I love spring in the northwest. Growing up in Florida, I didn’t really get to experience seasons, it’s either hot or really hot with an occasional cold front during the “winter” that would bring it down into the 40s. “Spring” means oak trees throwing yellow pollen on everything, it was wonderful for my allergies. Eyes watering, sneezing, runny nose, etc. Since moving to Portland, I have had much better luck with allergy attacks.
The thing with having diversity of seasons is that you learn to appreciate each one because of its brevity. This tree in my back yard will only look like this for a couple of weeks each spring; during the winter it’s just a bunch of empty branches, and after it blooms, it will fill with green leaves. Portland comes alive in the spring with flowers starting to bloom in March continuing into April and one of my favorites are the cherry blossoms on the waterfront. Read More
March For Our Lives #PDX
Portland has a reputation of being full of hipster liberals and the home to regular protests, some of which have turned violent, I say this with love. This past Saturday’s March For Our Lives, however, was pretty amazing. I was blown away by the number of people who attended. Read More