at the Pacific

PORTLAND ......The City of Roses has become an unexpected destination for me with both friends and family living there. It's beautiful to see in any season.

People living in the Portland area have a wealth of natural beauty to enjoy. It truly is a magnificent little corner of the world. And, after several trips to Portland, I realized I really don't have photos of the city itself. It has wonderful bookstores, cafes, great coffee, and organic markets. However, most of my photos seem to be taken at the many parks and scenic locations instead of the actual city.

If you want to take a trip out of the city, Multnomah Falls makes a great day trip. Less far of a journey is the Rose Garden in the city and the nearby Japanese Garden. And then, if you want a longer trip, there are always the Pacific Coast and Crater Lake.

My trip to the coast was in the middle of winter. Crossing the mountains in the middle of a snowstorm was as spectacular as the coast itself.

It was the middle of the summer when I made my way to Crater Lake. There are two seasons around the lake: winter and August. Even though it was a wonderful summer day, I couldn't go all the way around the lake because some of the roadway was snow blocked. It didn't matter. Crater Lake had been on my list of world travels "must sees" since I was in high school. I'd seen a lot of things, in a lot of different corners of the world, before I finally visited this spot, but it was just as beautiful as I imagined.

And, back in the city, if you only have one night to visit, it should be on the Fourth of July. The fireworks display along the river was spectacular. Of course, part of the experience for me was viewing the lights at eye-level from the condo overlooking the river where my friends live. It was certainly the best angle.