Corn Maze

This Saturday I went on a fun fall outing with new friends. I had been to Sauvie Island before, just north of Portland, but it was pleasant to go during a different season. A popular farm there offers a pumpkin patch, hayrides, and a 5-acre cornfield maze - a perfect excursion on a cool autumn evening. I had actually met up with Gabe and Lesa once before, about a year ago when I first moved to Portland. They had moved from Phoenix to Portland in 2007 and we had a couple of mutual friends. After some recent communication on Facebook and Flickr, they invited me out on this little venture with some other friends.

After working the graveyard shift lately it was enjoyable, yet strange, to be out and about during daylight hours surrounded by lots of people. There was pumpkin picking, hay romping, animal bleating, and hot apple cider sipping all around me. And then, of course, there were the muffled screeches coming from the corn maze. This complex and intricate maze led us down paths on which we got lost for about 45 minutes. But half the fun is getting lost because it provides a certain camaraderie.

Afterwards we went to eat at a little southern style restaurant called Miss Delta. We had a cozy little shared meal of fried okra, sweet potato fries, and mulled wine over conversation and lots of laughter.

Da Vinci Days

In Corvallis, an hour and a half southwest of Portland, there is a “right brain, meets left brain, random, quirky festival” called daVinci Days. According to their website, “inspired by the genius of Leonardo, daVinci Days sparks creativity, celebrates innovation, and fosters the understanding and integration of art, science, and technology.” I knew that this was something I had to go check out.

The highlight of the festival was the Kinetic Sculptures Race. Kinetic sculptures are moving works of art, pedaled by human power over a rigorous, all-terrain course by teams of fun-loving racers. These engineering marvels move in all kinds of ingenious ways, sculpted into all sorts of fantastic shapes. I chose my vantage point to be on the banks of the Willamette River to watch these vehicles float down stream. It was such a beautiful breezy day.

A Whale of a Tale

Hippypotamus

OctoBus Garden

Something Fishy

El Pollo Diablo

Gossamer Slug

Big Friendly Giraffe

Then I strolled down to Oregon State University campus, coming first upon sidewalk chalk art, and then live music and several booths about art and astronomy and technology.

I love exploring new areas of Oregon. Corvallis is a really cool little college town. I think these festivals are what summer’s all about.

Share-it Square

Portland is known for its quirkiness. That’s a lot of the reason why I moved here. It’s also all about its little inclusive neighborhoods. In fact, Portlanders usually identify themselves by which neighborhood they live in. The city is so bike and pedestrian friendly, that people don’t often wander far from home, therefore Portland has a lot of community spirit.

There was one particular neighborhood I had heard of that really embraced this kinship. They created an intersection of fellowship called the “Share-it Square”. Each corner of the street has something the community can share.

There’s a book stand where you can take a book or leave a book.

There’s a children’s play area.

There’s a community garden.

There’s a sod-roof shelter and beautifully carved bench.

And there’s a tea stand with mugs, tea bags, and hot water.

The street is dazzlingly decorated by local artists.

I found it a very intriguing spot, and also very welcoming as I was greet by several passersby while I took pictures. I love all these cool little nooks in Portland.

Then, to keep the theme going, I had lunch at the Red & Black Café which is Portland's only vegan, worker owned, and collectively managed cafe. The colors 'Red & Black' stand for socialism and anti-authoritarianism which also makes this Portland's only explicitly anarchist restaurant.

I then stopped by a local music store that had this sign out front. Gotta love it!

Tide Pools

It was reported in the news that the Oregon coast was going to experience record-breaking low tides which would expose hidden sea life, and I decided it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I’ve been working some graveyard shifts at work recently, but I was convinced that it wouldn’t deter me. I got off work at 7:00am and bolted down the freeway toward the ocean. It was a cloudy day, but warm. One of the best viewing spots near Portland is near Cannon Beach by a landmark called Haystack Rock. The tide polls were plentiful, and many people were out to explore them. Park rangers were wandering amongst everyone, giving out warnings not to hurt the sea creatures, but also helping to identify different species and tell us lots of fun facts.

I’d never seen tide pools before, and I loved seeing such bright strange critters up close in their natural environment. As I walked around I heard sucking and squishing sounds coming from everywhere. Rocks along the shore that are never usually exposed revealed little caves. It was like some kind of strange alien world.

Because I’ve never lived near the ocean till now, I felt like this was an experience and education I needed to gain to feel more like a true Oregonian. I contentedly drove home with sand between my toes to get some sleep before work that night.

Haystack Rock

Tide Pool

Purple Sea Star


Green Sea Anemone and Iridescent Seaweed

Hiding Crab Amidst Mussels and Barnacles

Withdrawn Sea Anemone

Orange Sea Squirts

Exposed Rocks

Sauvie Island

Just a short 20-minute drive in North Portland is a rural riparian area called Sauvie Island. It’s a small stretch of land surrounded by rivers, known for its agriculture and wildlife. One side of the “island” is bordered by the Multnomah Channel, which hosts a village of house boats, and the other side is bordered by the Columbia River, which has pleasant sandy beaches.

I took a walk around one of the small lakes on the inner part of the island, and then went strawberry picking.

After leaving the island I crossed the St. John’s Bridge, and admired its architectural beauty in the park below.

Vernal Outing

Eager to explore more of Oregon, I headed down to Silver Falls State Park one fine sunny day. I always have my camping gear in the back of my car, and it came in handy on this spontaneous trip. Upon waking in the morning, I put on my hiking boots and discovered a crisp verdant trail leading past several waterfalls. The path took me behind a few of the falls and I enjoyed the refreshing spray even in the cool of the morning.

Later that day I visited a tulip farm nearby to witness their annual festival. I was surrounded by fields bursting with color. There were vibrant kaleidoscopic layers of flowers being admired by crowds of people. I also appreciated all of the Dutch cultural references.

Spring Has Sprung

Last night I decided to meander downtown to check out the cherry trees I heard were in bloom. It was a beautiful sunny evening down by the Willamette River. By the waterfront at the Japanese American Historical Plaza, graceful pink blossoms shimmered in the trees. I found that I wasn’t the only one out to enjoy the sunset under this delicate umbrella of flowers. I mingled with other folks out for a picnic or a bike ride or a stroll, happy that warm weather was finally upon us.

Then, VERY early in the morning I decided to go for a drive. I watched the sunrise over the Columbia River Gorge in the silence of dawn.

Then traveling east I came upon Dabney State Park along the Sandy River. New green shoots seemed to be popping up everywhere, and I enjoyed the solitude of a fresh green morning.