I started the day at The Chestnut Tree Motel, where the singularly unhelpful desk clerk had been unable to recommend a restaurant or an area for supper on Tuesday evening, so I didn't even bother about breakfast. Instead, an Internet search revealed several possibilities, and I chose this one. It was a very good choice.
Not only was the food excellent (Greek omelette with some of the best sun-dried tomatoes ever, and nice, soft feta cheese), but they had a locally sourced chai that was not too sweet. After I ate, I asked the young women at the counter for advice. "I'm only in Portland for a few hours, and I've never been here before. Where should I go to get the flavor of Portland?" They recommended 3 possibilities, figuring I could possibly fit them all in.
Construction blocked some of this entry to Portland's Chinatown.
The Chinatown gate, above, was glimpsed at a stop light on my way to the Pittock Mansion. If you've ever been to the Hearst Castle, this was the Portland version. I didn't go inside. It wasn't very big, if you compare it to Hearst. I could see a harp through the living room window. But I would have had to wait for the place to open and pay $10, so I just went to the viewpoints and looked at the gardens.
In case I haven't mentioned it before (and I think I have), the climate out here is amazing for flowers. From Kingston to Portland (so far), everything is in bloom, and the air smells so lovely!
I'm not sure what this is. It was in the gardens at Pittock Mansion. I was intrigued, so I took a picture.
A particularly healthy rose bush on the north side of the mansion.
Looking down the hedge, trying to give you the idea of how overwhelmingly rosy and gorgeous it was.
Gazing out over the city of Portland. It was raining -- imagine that, rain in Portland! It did that off and on all day. Mostly it rained when I didn't have my umbrella with me.
Remy doing his version of Vanna White displaying the rose bushes.
View to the north.
One of many beautiful fronts in the City Center area of Portland.
More flowers - these in front of a home near the City Center.
This hydrangea and the one in the next photo were on opposite sides of the same front yard, about 6 or 7 feet away from each other. Neither is pink or blue. Both are purple, but the purples are quite different.
The menu from Salt & Straw ice cream makers in the City Center. I had the Fermented Cherries. I took the picture so you could see all the unusual selections, especially dill pickle, which was something my brother, Jim, had from House of Flavors when we were kids.
A testament to creativity!
Driving out of Portland. More traffic. I don't think I like cities very much. Or maybe I just need to learn how to use the public transportation systems.
Speaking of public transportation, do you see that tower in the center of the photo. It supports a cable car system. I saw one passing over, but I didn't have a chance to photograph it.
Driving along past Upper Klamath Lake, and the fields of water on the other side. Sun broke through the clouds from the west and cast pieces of rainbow on the mountainsides. Impossible to photograph while driving, or maybe even while not driving.
The lake was so high -- or the road was so low -- that I had visions of driving along a dike in Netherlands. Once again, 3 transportation methods lined up next to each other: water, rails, and road.
More mountains and water.
Sun getting low over Upper Klamath Lake
I can't believe I missed the chance to see Glacier Lake. I guess it will just have to be on my bucket list for a while longer. I saw signs, but I thought I was heading in the right direction. Once I got to Klamath Falls, I realized that I would have to go back an hour and a half to see it, and my trip takes me on south this morning.
I'll be wearing my glasses today, instead of contacts. I have apparently developed a sty on the inside of my right eyelid.
While we're on the subject, I want to make a few observations about injury and pain. I've been hurt a lot, but I've never broken a bone. I've had sore muscles, contusions, abrasions, messed up places that took many chiropractic adjustments to fix, and Crohn's. I have a high pain threshold, so I tolerate most things pretty well and keep going while they heal.
The muscle soreness I experienced after descending Mount Walker led me to a new realization: pain can be debilitating. I know. Duh! Maybe I'm just good at forgetting pain, the way a mother does after the childbirth experience has passed, enabling her to do it again. If it remained fresher in my memory, I would eat better and maybe (probably not) be more careful.
But as I tried to negotiate stairs and ramps (and even flat walking on Monday), I flinched and twitched. I tried to will myself to walk normally, but the nerve reactions had their own opinion of how I should move. I tried to imagine what it would be like to have that kind of pain all the time. I know I would work with biofeedback and various things to control it, but it would be at best limiting, and at worst completely debilitating. My hat's off to you, those of you who have fibromyalgia and other diseases that keep you in constant pain.
I'm happy to say that my own muscle pain is gradually subsiding. I am actually starting to walk normally again, even on stairs. If I can remember the code to the new bike lock with which I locked the bike onto the rack in Portland, I'll have a little ride later today to get those muscles loosened up.
I should have WiFi tonight, so I'll write again later. On to Penn Valley, CA, and the arms of more beloved and rarely seen relatives.
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