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We left Cougar on Sunday morning, stopping in Vancouver, WA.



on our way to Portland where we arrived on a damp and grey afternoon. We strolled over to Powell’s City of Books, which is the world’s largest new and used bookstore in the world, occupying an entire city block and housing about one million books. 

The next day we took the Pink Trolley Bus Tour of the city where we got a great overview of the city, including Washington Park, where the International Rose Test Garden is located. There were still some roes in bloom. 






The Nike store in downtown Portland could be described as part museum and part retail store. In the centre a statue of Michael Jordan soars above and there is an amazing display of all his Nike shoes. 


Pioneer Courthouse Square is nicknamed Portland’s living room is said to be the most visited place in the city. It is a brick plaza which hosts festivals, rallies and markets. There are many art features in the square. 




Another piece is the Weather Machine, an innovative creation that consists of three weather symbols, each representing an element of Portland’s typical climate. Each day at noon, a musical fanfare initiates a two-minute sequence that displays the three weather symbols, a sun for clear sunny days, a blue heron for drizzle and transitional weather and a dragon for rain and wind. Unfortunately, the dragon was showing when we visited. 


One of the places we were really looking forward to visiting was Crater Lake. We had a very pleasant drive there for the most part - on the Interstate and then through miles of beautiful forest. As we got near to the National Park, the weather changed. We had to drive through very low cloud (Crater Lake is at an altitude of 6,500 feet) and some extremely foggy conditions. But thanks to Sylvia’s expert driving we arrived safe and sound. 


Fortunately the weather was beautiful the next day and we spent it doing the Rim Drive around the lake and exploring the Park. A massive volcanic eruption 7,700 years ago left a deep basin in the place where a mountain peak once stood. Centuries of rain and snow filled the basin, forming a deep blue lake whose waters are of unmatched colour and clarity. It’s the deepest lake in the USA. Below are some views of the Lake at different times of the day. 







A short drive away from the lake brought us to the Pinnacles, eerie spires of volcanic ash sculpted by erosion. 






Comments

  1. Bernadette7 October 2023 at 16:18

    Very interesting to read……… I’m sure you really enjoyed the experience

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous8 October 2023 at 09:14

      Thanks Bernadette. It was great. T

      Delete
  2. Anonymous10 October 2023 at 12:37

    I’m completely bowled over by the beauty and the ‘blue’ of the lake. It’s just gorgeous. Delighted that you went to visit the City of Books. I heard or saw a photo of the interior once.Driving to Crater Lake in foggy conditions sounds a little like a Stephen King moment!!!
    Two days ago I finished Hotel on the Corner etc. I really enjoyed it so thanks for the tip!
    Take care and enjoy yourselves! Rosaleen

    ReplyDelete

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