My college friend M flew out last night and I picked him up at PDX airport. Was very excited for a chance to get what will certainly be one of my last chances to take a selfie of my feet on the Portland Airport Carpet. The famous teal carpet is being torn up amidst the gnashing of teeth. Beloved by Portlanders, this carpet has a line of merchandise, a facebook page, and a twitter feed. And it’s going to be the Grand Marshall at our upcoming Starlight Parade. Yes, we are a bit wonky in Portland.
This morning we took off on our coast road trip. I have challenged myself to post each night, because I promise I will not post 7 days’ worth of photos in a timely manner once I get home and go back to my busy life. It has to be done now or not at all. Wish me luck.
Thus, I am going to go heavy on the photos w/captions, and light on the talk. Please enjoy.
We left the house and came through the center of Portland so I could show a little of the city to M on our way West. We explored the outdoor amphitheater in the center of the volcanic cone of Mt. Tabor, then we spotted clusters of food carts, went down Hawthorne Street, and crossed the Willamette River. Purely by coincidence, we ended up downtown next to a classic Portland must-see spot, on my way to Chinatown. So we pulled over and waited in line 25 minutes to get into Voodoo Doughnut. Check out the link: craziest doughnuts you’ve ever seen. As M said, “Take that Dunkin Donuts!”
Portland is such a lovely small city that in minutes we were out of town and heading toward the coast. The sky kept things interesting all day: alternating drizzle to rain to mist and then one actual downpour with hail. We did get some breaks of sun that sometimes corresponded with our stops.
We toured the Tillamook Cheese Factory, and ate some of their fabulous ice cream. That was just too much sugar for one day, but neither of us is entirely sorry. We toured the cheese making operations, and purchased giant slabs of extra sharp white cheddar. We ended the day in Astoria, and now I need to rest up for tomorrow. (spoiler: Goonies!)
Conscious Engagement 
Beautiful pictures
Thank you for stopping by! I’m glad you liked the photos, and I hope to post many more. 🙂
Yes.. I would love to see your posts.. please support my blog as well.. thanks 🙂
Good luck with the posting Crystal. I think your flower is a Bog Arum lily which I featured (not as well) in http://derrickjknight.com/2013/04/28/our-shrinking-world/
I am delighted by at least three things, Derrick! 1) You identified the lily for me! Thank you! 2) When I was growing up in Idaho, we also called them Skunk Cabbage, and I think it’s wonderful that we use the same colloquial name that you do in England (I can’t believe I don’t recall seeing them flower) and 3) These are related to the Calla Lilies I used to have in my garden and loved so much.
Thanks for the good luck wishes, too. I can use all the help I can get.
Looks like a great trip Crystal. The scenery is beautiful and there is nothing better than travelling with a good friend!
You are so right, Pauline. So far we have talked each others’ ears off, but I look forward to another day of it!
Loved coming along on your coastal road trip Those yellow flowers in the swamp are amazing. Never seen anything like it! 🙂
Thank you for sharing! 🙂
~Carl~
Carl, I am so pleased that you like my blog. Thank you for following. My friend Derrick has identified them as Bog Arum Lilies (see his link above). Your pleasure in the flowers has validated my own interest. I just could not stop looking at them as we drove past the long marshy areas.
Thank you so much for this identification through Derrick! Thank you Derrick! 🙂
Many years ago, I spent 2 summers in South-East Alaska and these skunk cabbage plants get HUGE. They were past my waist. I am imagining the flowers bloom in the early spring, as they were not blooming in Alaska. Could very well be the same plant. In Alaska, bears are very attracted to this plant. You can tell they have been around, when they have been digging the roots. 🙂
Look at those ginormous blocks of cheese! Have fun. Looking forward to more. 🙂
Yes! Thanks for noticing! The cheese blocks were impressive. I am a big fan of cheese and a particular fan of Tillamook. After I lived in Vermont and learned what real cheese tastes like, I moved back to the west and couldn’t bear all the usual cheeses again. Now Tillamook is the only brand I eat, even though I have to pay for the quality of it.
That is a trip I would love to take one day. It was fun to go along with you virtually. You’ve captured some wonderful photos. I love that unusual flower and the bridge looks almost like it’s going down into the water. It’s been such a wet couple days that I hope you can get more good photos. I’ve not been to the cheese factory but that looks interesting. Looking forward to more. Stay dry.
We will do our best to stay dry, Marlene. Today we get to drive on that bridge. 🙂
I’m having an anxiety attack just thinking about it!
Take deep breaths and be glad someone else is doing it for you, so you don’t have to!
So true. 🙂
Love love the sunset shot. I am envious of the trip already.
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2015 05:13:19 +0000 To: thekidsciotto@hotmail.com
How lucky that I added that sunset shot to the bunch, Cuz! There were powerlines right through it, so I had to really crop the view. And we were right next to the forest, so I stood on the doorjamb of the Jeep to get high enough to look over the trees. Thanks for coming along. 🙂
Isn’t that ice-cream sinful? I had their four flavor sampler, or was it five? Got in trouble with my son-in-law in October for not checking out the Goonies.:) All in all, you can’t go wrong making your way up, or down, the Oregon Coast. Great photos and looking forward to more. Will be in Portland this week for the WordPress conference. –Curt
Sinful is *the* word. I had the Oregon Hazelnut with salted caramel. I would have been in the hospital if I had tried a five-flavour sampler!
Have a great time at the WP conference. I am disappointed that you and I can’t share the city at the same time. Ah well… we will meet at some point.
Skunk cabbage! I’d recognize that stinky flower anywhere. (Aka Lysichiton americanus. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysichiton_americanus)
The street I grew up on was covered in skunk cabbage, so every year when they bloomed it was as if a convention of skunks had blown into town and sprayed everything. Which actually happened on another street I lived on — there was an empty lot that housed a LOT of skunks, including one that would *follow you home* and spray everything you owned. Our entire house stank for WEEKS when it attacked us. Got mom, the dog, the car, the entire outside of the house, the yard….
Love the pictures of your trip. Can’t wait to see you when you arrive up here! 😀
Thanks for the link and for joining us on the trip. I am excited to see you too. Today we will make it to Victoria, I think. So we are pretty close.