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...
Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival 2017
Tulips never disappoint. And the Wooden Shoe farm is one of my favorite Northwest destinations...
Venice, Day 5: Giardinetti Reali
On day 5 of my Venetian adventures in December 2015, I visited the Giardinetti Reali. It's a wonderful little oasis of calm and greenery, steps away from the wild humanity of Piazza San Marco. The last time I was there the park was overrun delightfully with cats. The cats now though are all gone, as they are gone from every corner of Venice...
Venice, Day 7: Wandering Alone
On day 7 of my Venetian adventures in December 2015, I spent the evening wandering the glorious streets one last time before my plane took off in the morning. The city is so endlessly interesting to me, with its tiny alleyways, its abhorrence of 90-degree angles, its colors, its style, its life. I can't wait to return...
Portait: Jenna at Powell Butte
Traveling model Jenna shot with me at Powell Butte in Portland, Oregon, in March 2017. We have had one of the rainiest years on record here in rainy PDX, but Jenna and I somehow got to have an hour to stand outside and not get drenched. This year that qualifies as miraculous...
Opening Day at the AC Hotel Portland
I was invited to the opening of the new AC Hotel in downtown Portland, Oregon. They built it in what was a funny old vacant lot that everyone just used as a shortcut at a busy intersection. Now it's a charming place to stay steps away from the Pioneer Place shopping mall and other downtown attractions. The best part of it for me, hands down, is they have a bunch of local artwork and local food and drinks...
Camassia Natural Area, West Linn, Oregon
About 26 wooded acres nestled on a ridge overlooking Oregon City. There are wetlands and oak groves, with the whole area sprinkled with large erratics (rocks brought here by ancient ice-age floods)...
Oregon City Wanderings
Just after exploring Camassia Natural Area, I wandered around Oregon City, Oregon, in February 2017. It's a great little city, anchored by the mighty Willamette Falls…