Monday, June 18, 2012

ROSES + MOUNTAIN = BEAUTY!!!

Saturday, June 16 – Jeri and Terry, Just Wanderin', were gracious enough to spend another day sharing downtown Portland with us. What a GORGEOUS day to do some sightseeing. We began our adventure by strolling through the Portland Farmer's Market. It has been operating since 1974. It is in Portland's historic Old Town.

portland saturday market

It's fun to see the crafts and business ideas of local entrepreneurs.

Interesting…Himalaya food.himalayas cafe

There wasn't the fruits or vegetables that we saw at other markets, but there were plenty of booths spread out over several blocks of the city.

booths

Once again, we left a deposit in the local economy by purchasing a few items at the Farmer's Market.

Marsha looking at a possible purchase. Jeri cheers her on. Terry just isn't so sure.
marsha makes a purchase

This lady takes a mold of your face and then makes a mask. No thank you.
mask maker

There were entertainers all over the area.

We have no idea what this guy was playing, but he was very good.entertainer

Many readers recommended we stop at Voodoo Doughnut Shop. We stopped SEVEAL times, but the line was a mile long. The donuts must be good, but we'll have to take the word of readers or the smiles on the patrons faces as proof.

Voodoo doughnuts

We made a quick stop at Old Town/Chinatown. Not much there but the beautiful gate.

Chinatown

One of the highlights of the day was our visit to the International Rose Test Garden.

pink/red rose

A visit here quickly answers the question, “Why is Portland called “The City of Roses.” What a gorgeous display of roses!

purple roses

red roses

This is a new type of rose called the Terry and Jeri. So cute.
Terry and Jeri

There were thousands of beautiful and fragrant rose bushes displayed in an amazing setting overlooking the city with Mt. Hood in the background. Breathtaking!

mt hood

Marsha could definitely spend the entire day here. If you would like to see more of the gorgeous Rose Test Garden, please click here.

We are continuously delighted with Mt. Hood.

Mt. Hood

Being from Ohio, we are not use to “living with a mountain.” How wonderful to have it “keeping watch” over the city. The 11,245 mountain, Oregon's tallest peak, is still covered with snow. Mt. Hood is a dormant volcano believed to have been formed 11 to 14 million years ago. It has had at least four major eruptions over the last 15,000 years.

Love the clouds in front and around the mountain.Mt Hood watching over city.

The most recent eruption occurred shortly before the arrival of Lewis and Clark in 1805. It is home to 12 glaciers and is the source of five significant rivers, all of which drain to the Columbia River. It is one of the most frequently climbed glaciated mountains in the world.

beauty of Mt. Hood

If you haven't seen enough photos of Mt. Hood, click here for more of the beauty of this mountain.

Our last stop of the day was lunch at Who-Song & Larry's Restaurant & Cantina. Located on the banks of the Columbia River and at the foot of the Interstate bridge.

Who Song and Larry's

Interstate Bridge

Terry remembers this as the first bridge in the area over the Columbia River. We were fortunate to see it lift up for a passing barge. Neat!

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We'll be seeing Jeri and Terry when we move to the Kelso, Washington, Elks Lodge tomorrow.

Sign for the day.
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Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y'all back real soon. Have a great day!