Oregon State: Heaven on Earth

Oregon State: Heaven on Earth
It was finally happening. My wife and I were on our way to the Pacific Northwest. It's a part of the country we'd both wanted to visit since we were in our early teens. For years we'd heard about the unsurpassed, unspoiled beauty of the area and so decided on Portland, Oregon as our destination. In fact, we were so excited about this trip that we booked our flight, hotel and rental car months before we'd even chosen a venue for our wedding.
Two of my co-workers had previously visited Portland and spoke at great length of the cleanliness of the city and the majesty of the forest. A third co-worker was actually originally from Portland and when I told her of our plans to go there she nearly swooned. She went on and on about all there was to see and do there and, of course, assured me that we would have a wonderful time.
We were married on August 13, 2005 and the next morning my family came by our apartment to pick us up. We stopped to have breakfast and then they took us on to the airport. This was a first for my wife, who'd never been on a plane. Our connecting flight took us the Dallas/Ft. Worth hub where we changed planes and flew straight on from there to PDX.
As the plane began its final approach the pilot came over the P.A. and told everyone to look out the windows. We were treated to a view of Mt. Hood, an extinct volcano that stands alone east of Portland. From our side of the plane we could see across the state line into Washington where the imposing Mt. St. Helens stood, a permanent plume of steam rising from its shattered peak, evidence of the volcanic activity still taking place deep within the bowels of the mountain. Behind it in the distance was another landmark, Mt. Rainier.
Portland is a city in the woods. It is situated in the foothills of the Cascade Range(so named for the numerous waterfalls and streams which wend their way down from the mountains). It flows with the natural lay of the land, rather than trying to subjugate it. The great Columbia River winds down out of Washington to define the state line with Oregon for three quarters of its length before curving back to the north again. The smaller Willamette River branches off from the Columbia and makes its way to the south.
We disembarked, picked up our rental car and proceeded to get ourselves lost among the unfamiliar streets, utterly unable to make heads or tails of the directions to our hotel the clerk in the rental car office had given us. We were not staying in Portland itself but in Hillsboro, a town west of there. Eventually we found our way out there and checked in.
The next day was our first full day in the city. We decided to head to the International Rose Test Garden. Situated on the side of a small mountain which marks the western edge of the city, the Rose Test Garden draws enthusiasts from all over the country, and the world. We took our time strolling through row upon row of countless varieties of roses.
Above the Rose Test Garden is the Japanese Garden, a completely natural setting built and maintained in the style of a traditional Zen monastery. In here we tromped along narrow, muddy paths to emerge into clearings which featured, respectively, a giant koi pound, traditional sand and stone gardens and a platform for the Japanese Tea Ceremony. From this point on the mountainside it is possible to see out across the city all the way to Mt. Hood. Unfortunately it was overcast that day.
The next morning we got up early and left Portland, heading east into the Cascade Range to spend the better part of a rainy, misty day hiking up narrow, rocky paths as some the highest waterfalls in the country dashed themselves into cold, clear mountain streams. By late afternoon the storm had moved away to the east and we were able to get an unrestricted view of Mt. Hood as we drove toward it. Heading south around its base we fell into its shadow and then chased the setting sun back to Portland.
The day after, we left the city behind again and drove west to the Pacific Ocean. This was another first for my wife. She'd never been to either coast. We stopped in the small town of Cannon Beach where we spent most of the day just walking along the shore. This was, by far, my favorite part of the trip. To walk down to the surf and turn around to the see the coastal mountains wrapped in mist and ocean spray was a sight to which mere words cannot do justice. We drove further south to another small town called Manzanita and threaded our way through its sand dunes and beach grasses as the sun began to set. There is an ever-present fog bank which sets a few miles offshore along the entire coast of the state. At night it rolls in to engulf the region.
Our time in the Portland metropolitan area was spent visiting as many local attractions as we could: like the famous Powell's City of Books, a massive multi-story structure that boasts that it has any book one might be looking for, and if it doesn't then a call will be made to one of the dozens of warehouses which support the store and the item will be sent over.
On our final day we had to be up before dawn to allow enough time to get to PDX to go through security before boarding our flight. We were both so happy that we were, at long last, able to see such a beautiful place as Portland. We hope to return there one day soon. Five days was simply not enough time.