Having been to the mountaintop (well, not really, but my heart felt like it); we ventured further south to Oregon. We were staying in 2 locations — one between Portland & Mt. Hood and then further south to visit Crater Lake.
The last (and only) time I visited Portland with my BF Ann in 2014, the trip was cut short so I could get back to NY because my father’s health was rapidly declining. We made a quick change of plans after being there only a couple days and got the next flight back to central NY and rented a car to get to the hospital. I was the last of the 6 kids to get there and he died shortly after I arrived. He was – is – my favorite man in the world. So, it was rather bittersweet to go back, but Portland is a wonderful city with so much to see and do. Alas, we had but one long afternoon but we really made the most of it! I place it 3rd In my list of favorite US cities – behind NY and New Orleans.
After we got set up at our campground, we drove close to the city with our bikes in tow, parked and then took off to bike around the waterfront and across 2 bridges (Steel and Sellwood). Portland is a fantastic bike friendly town and known for the many (12) bridges across the Willamette River. We had 2 destinations in the city – first Salt & Straw for deliciously interesting ice cream. They have some crazy flavors and let you try before you buy, so we did plenty of that ultimately settling on meyer lemon & blueberries and roasted strawberries and coconut (me) and for B, the meyer lemon and cinnamon snickerdoodle. We ate it before we could take a picture! Unfortunately they were out of the raspberry & wasabi sorbet I was hoping to try – but we were delighted and spent the rest of the day working off the ice cream.
We biked pretty much uphill to the Japanese Garden. We had a little over an hour to take in the beauty, peace and serenity.
“Born out of a hope that the experience of peace can contribute to a long lasting peace. Born out of a belief in the power of cultural exchange. Born out of a belief in the excellence of craft. The Portland Japanese Garden is a place to let go of worldly thoughts and see oneself as a small but integral part of the universe.”
The International Rose Test Garden was right next to the Japanese Garden, but we were running out of daylight time to get back to the other side of the river, so we have a reason to return!
We cycled back over the Sellwood bridge and admired the houses down on the river – and other site to explore on the next trip. We got back to the Foster Rd. area where we parked the truck only to find the food carts we were hoping to dine from mostly closed. (Portland is also well known for it’s food cart scene). Turned out to be a good thing as we quickly found Thunderbird Bar that had the best buffalo and BBQ chik’n sliders, delicious cider and IPA and a super cool vibe. We dined, drove back to camp and promptly conked out.
The next day we drove to our camp site closer to Crater Lake. I was tickled by the town names along the route and near our next locale. Boring, Zigzag, Government Camp…really.
Trillium Lake is said to have the most beautiful view of Mt. Hood, so we thought we would get a change of pace by kayaking on it the next day. We booked for 4 hours, but that was overkill – it’s not a big lake; but yes indeed quite beautiful.
From there we drove up the Mt. Hood Scenic Byway and visited the historic Timberline Lodge. What a site! Known for being the exterior of the hotel in The Shining…
it was constructed from 1936 to 1938 by the Work Progress Administration it was built and furnished by local artisans during the Great Depression and later declared a National Historic Landmark. Back when government did good things. Truly spectacular. The chairs in the bar weighed more than me.
Underground bar —
Blue Ox
Wooden tables 
Lobby fireplace 
Lobby ceiling 
Dining room 
Iron work 
Lobby view from above
Artists work 
Our last day in Oregon was taking in the breathtaking Crater Lake: “Crater Lake inspires awe. Native Americans witnessed its formation 7,700 years ago, when a violent eruption triggered the collapse of a tall peak. Scientists marvel at its purity: fed by rain and snow, it’s the deepest lake in the USA and one of the most pristine on earth. Artists, photographers, and sightseers gaze in wonder at its blue water and stunning setting atop the Cascade Mountain Range.”
We were indeed awed. We traversed the Discovery Trail for some beautiful views and then hiked up Mt. Scott to get a broader panoramic view. It was a challenging and fulfilling hike.
Discovery Point view 
Mt. Scott trail 
View from Mt .Scott
After we got back down Mt. Scott, we drove over to catch a couple of other key sites around the lake – Phantom Ship and the Pinnacles. Phantom Ship is a small island in Crater Lake in the U.S. state of Oregon. It’s a natural rock formation pillar which derives its name from its resemblance to a ghost ship, especially in foggy and low-light conditions. The Pinnacles are a group of volcanic pumice spires, colored various shades of grey and brown, formed by erosion.
Phantom Ship 
Pinnacles 
More Pinnacles
We didn’t drive around the entire rim of the Lake – we felt like different viewpoints were not going to add anything more to our reverence, so we called it.
Back on the bikes! Next morning, we rode out from our campsite to take a trail by the Rogue River. Had a bit of a rough go on the bike trail with overgrowth and downed logs – according to a runner on the trail, some had been there for at least 3 years, so we didn’t do the entire trail, but it was a good ride, especially when we found the blackberries alongside the trail and helped ourselves to mother nature’s sweets.
snack time! 
Blackberries
I finally got to make the vegan Bahn Mi sandwiches I have been wanting to make for some time, delicious! end to our time in Oregon. Off the the Redwoods in the morning.
Wanderlust In Silver 