Molalla River Recreation Area, May 2017
A series of hiking and mountain biking trails that take you through forests so thick they make you feel a million lightyears from the Willamette Valley just a little below…
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, May 2017
It's a gorgeous little park adjacent to Reed College, and it is packed to the gills with a wide assortment of rhododendrons. And ducks and geese, for that matter...
Leach Botanical Garden, May 2017
Exciting blooms and berries from a seemingly endless array of plants...
Fields Bridge Park, West Linn, Oregon
Continuing my quest to visit all the parks of Oregon, I visited Fields Bridge Park in April 2017…
Camas Lily Bloom in Camassia Natural Area, April 2017
April 2017. It was time to return to Camassia Natural Area in West Linn, Oregon. Why? Because the camas lilies were all in bloom of course! Brilliant blue hues blanketed the fields in the park, which is about 26 acres of protected oak groves nestled across from Oregon City. There were other flowers too, white, pink, yellow...
Winter Hike in Champoeg, Oregon
In early February 2017, on a very cold, wet winter's day, I hiked around the Champoeg State Heritage Area outside of Butteville, Oregon. Champoeg (pronounced like "shampooey") was an important settlement in the 19th century and in 1843 formed an early regional government, a key step for the area eventually becoming a state. Today the former townsite is merely a field, but the surrounding 600 or so acres have become a park with forested trails easing along the Willamette River....
Ellie Pritts and Portland's Mississippi District
Angeleno power-player Ellie Pritts and I wandered in April 2017 around a couple of blocks in North Portland's Mississippi District, where there are fun little shops, bars, and coffee shops. Plus, we got to see one of the most wonderfully named parks in town, DeNorval Unthank City Park, or as it's more commonly known: Unthank Park. What a name! And from what I hear, Dr. Unthank himself was pretty amazing too, breaking numerous racial barriers in 20th century Portland...
Return to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival, April 2017
At sunrise with a lovely veil of fog. Paradise...
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, Portland
10 acres packed full of foliage, most importantly all sorts of rhododendrons. And they were all coming into bloom, wow...
Leach Botanical Garden
There are so many interesting plants there, and the whole estate (of about 17 acres) is serene and gorgeous...