But wait, there's more

The Classical Chinese Gardens well shot by Old Sarge from Flickr.


The Classical Chinese Gardens in Old Town taken from the tea room by Elena 777 on Flickr.
I am not sure if anyone likes the place they live in as much as I do. I mean visually and recreationally and, well in many ways, this place is idyllic. It is my intention to die here. It seems a little strange to be so excited about how cool one's town is, but it's more than just the town. It's eveything around it too.

The Classical Chinese Gardens in Old Town taken by CatMan! on Flickr.

A little story. When I came to Oregon from Seattle, I liked it for the scene and it's crazy liberalness. That for once I could be part of the majority. Well, I have changed alot since then. I mean alot. Now I am again part of the minority, only this time it is as one more conservative.

Columbia River Gorge to the East of Portland taken by Deb and Dave from Flickr.
Illustration, in November voters put down a bid for parental consent for abortion for minors. This is a pretty emotional issue on all angles. To me letting parents know what their daughters were going through seemed like a no-brainer. Yes yes I know sometimes parents are not kind, there was a clause that allowed for that circumstance (the young girl would be allowed exception in certain cases through as little as a phone call with a judge). It seems so backwards for the law to think a very young girl would know what was best and that her parents were more likely to beat her up, ostracize her or abuse her than to be sensitive to the situation. What lousy parents we must have here! I thought it would have been shot down, but it really really won. Oregon, mainly Portland, is very very liberal. Not always in a good way it seems.

Forest Park is this ginormous park within the city limits. You can actually forget you are in a city as it takes up over 5,000 acres.
Anyway, I still like this area, and sometimes I think I was meant to always sort of be in the minority in a general sense in many ways. I am ok with that.

To the east by about an hour, we sit in the shadow of the truly majestic and very pointy Mt. Hood. This one by Gigapic off Flickr.

This one by Outre from Flickr.
But here are pictures of us. Of Oregon, all within about an hour from the city (Portland).

This is Latourell Falls in the Columbia River Gorge area. This is about 45 min from the city, there are many falls like this one, taken by livingwildreness.com from Flickr.

The main falls is this one, Multnomah falls, this is just the smaller lower part of it. Also about 45 min from the city, taken by fusion panda off Flickr.


Here is the whole of it, Multnomah Falls taken by dutch loon off Flickr.

And what city worth its salt doesn't have both a mountain and a coast within an hour (or so)? Here is just a sunset cloud shot, there's more... taken by hb19 on Flickr.

Oregon Coast in hi drama taken by real kuhl from Flickr.

And of course you have to have something nice to drink with dinner after all taking in all this beauty. We have a selection of vineyards in the Willamette Valley, just a really beautiful area. Taken by NPollack from Flickr.

Well and naturally all these mountains and beaches provide some nice hiking, this is Silver Falls near Silverton in the Willamette Valley. taken by snowbeard on Flickr.

One of my personal favorite drives is through the Columbia River Gorge. No one likes the Dalles, it seems but that's for the best as far as they are concerned, they are situated very nicely on the Columbia River and have some of the best and most dramatic views. This taken by ocean lover on flickr.

And these too, now I know them so well they aren't nearly as gross as they seemed when I was little and it was the ultimate dare to hold one for 5 seconds. And great entertainment to pour either a little of dad's beer or take them to a salty grave when we were little kids. Simple pleasures. Taken by leted from Flickr.