Sharing photos and stories from my travels.
Lan Su Chinese Garden, aka the Garden of Awakening Orchids, is a glorious, walled garden in Portland’s Chinatown neighborhood. It encompasses one full city block and was inspired by the gardens of Portland’s sister city, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. Kuang Zhen designed the garden with the help of 65 artisans from Suzhou. Five hundred tons... Continue Reading →
Elk Rock Gardens of the Bishop's Close, dates back to the early 1900s and is one of the oldest gardens in Oregon. Established by Scottish immigrant, Peter Kerr, this 10 acre (4 hectare) garden is perched on the cliffs high above the Willamette River. Kerr was an avid gardener and spent many decades tending to... Continue Reading →
Do thank you notes really matter in this day of instant messaging, texts and emails? Is a quick text with a thumbs up, 👍🏼 or “TY” rather than a hand written note, a sufficient way to respond to a gift, a dinner party or a job interview? There was a time when a hand written... Continue Reading →
As I’ve mentioned before, theTravelsletcher and I enjoy taking walks, in our neighborhood, in a park, garden or forest, and in wetlands and nature preserves. On our recent trip to Central Oregon, we found several interesting and beautiful places to enjoy some rambles. The first one, Sisters’ Nature Preserve, is just outside the historic town... Continue Reading →
As mentioned in previous posts, Oregon has seven wonders, six of which I have already covered. Click here if you’re interested in seeing the posts. The Wallowa Mountains, sometimes referred to as the ‘Alps of Oregon’ are the seventh wonder. Original art by theTravelsketcher. Travel Oregon Images Travel Oregon Images Located in the far eastern... Continue Reading →
Le Pigeon is a French bistro located in Portland that has a earned quite an impressive reputation since opening in 2006. At that time, Chef Gabriel Rucker was just 25 years old and has since earned two James Beard Awards. Interestingly, he dropped out of a two year culinary program at Santa Rosa Community College... Continue Reading →
Don’t forget: beautiful sunsets need cloudy skies. Paulo Coelho Sunset, Portland, OR
Autumn is a glorious time of year with its vast array of vibrant and brilliant shades of red, yellow, gold and orange. The fallen leaves become delicately diaphanous after falling from their lofty canopy above, settling on the ground below, and disintegrating into the earth. It truly is a magical time of year. These photos... Continue Reading →
As mentioned in my Painted Hills post two weeks ago, the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is divided into three separate areas referred to as “units”. These include the Painted Hills Unit, with the other two being the Sheep Rock Unit and the Clarno Unit. The monument includes close to 14,000 acres (5,600 hectares)... Continue Reading →
Travels Through My Lens 