travel – Page 3 – Starlight Writer

Our Oregon Trail – Part 2

April 15, 2010April 30, 2010 Diana B.3 Comments

8 things we loved about Oregon:

1. Wooden Shoe 25^th Annual Tulip Fest

oregontrip233blog — more than 150 tulip varieties

oregontrip290blog — more than 40 acres of tulips

oregontrip272blog — and mud puddles to boot!

2. The Bishop’s Close Elk Rock Gardens

oregontrip174blog — looking at salamanders

oregontrip185blog — the cousins beneath an old growth Redwood

3. Tillamook ice cream

458_TillamookIceCream3 — photo courtesy of Oregon Coast Today

4. Pipe organs at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral

oregontrip082blog — another organ in Oregon

5. Willamette River and Falls

oregontrip027blog — the Willamette River

6. Floating Vacation Homes

oregontrip047blog — The houseboat on Willamette River is very near the falls.

7. Mt. Hood

oregontrip384blog — our view of Mt. Hood from the airplane window

8. Oregon Zoo

181132214_rDCU5-M — We finally saw live elephants! Photo courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.

181131229_YZnAk-M — The zebras were Laurel's must-see favorite animal. Photo courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.

181116196_DrBaH-M — The polar bears were the favorite for me and my 2-year-old nephew Joseph. Photo courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.

Our Oregon Trail – Part 1

April 15, 2010April 15, 2010 Diana B.Leave a comment

More than 150 years ago, pioneers traveled west along the Oregon Trail — from Independence, MO, to Oregon City, OR, — in wagon trains. In early spring, folks loaded their most essential belongings into covered wagons, and their difficult journey took months. They overcame countless challenges along the way, like encountering unfriendly Indians, crossing raging rivers, passing over vast mountain ranges, and dodging herds of buffalo and other wild animals. If and when they finally arrived, they had to start anew just as winter weather set in. But the beautiful, lush and fertile lands of the Willamette Valley offered settlers great hope for a bright future.

Those old covered wagons were probably only slightly more roomy than the space allowed our family of four airline ticket holders bound for Oregon. We packed our most essential belongings into five suitcases, a camera bag, and two small backpacks.

oregontrip 001blog — our trail of luggage

By comparison, our journey west wasn’t difficult at all. It took only a few hours to fly from Minneapolis to Portland. Cruising at 36,000 feet, we safely crossed many a river and mountain without even noticing them. The only challenges we faced were crossing through airport security, hunting for much-loved relatives scattered across the city, and adjusting our stomachs and sleep schedules to Pacific Time.

But like those early pioneers, we found the Willamette Valley lush and beautiful.

During our five-day trip, we rendezvoused with my grandma and lots of other extended family to celebrate her 90th birthday.

Also during our stay, my uncle was ordained and consecrated by the Episcopal Church as the 10th Bishop of Oregon. It was quite an elaborate ceremony, especially for a Baptist like me who rarely experiences “high church” as some call it. His attire included these ornate vestments – a cope, stole and mitre.