Oregon Zoo

Several weeks ago John and I were lucky enough to attend a free day at the Oregon Zoo. It was really easy to get to from our apartment--just a 10 minute walk to the MAX train station (light rail) and only two stops to get to the zoo. I was impressed by how close the animals got to visitors. I have several photos below where the animals were sleeping right next to their viewing windows for people to get really close. I really liked seeing the black bears and river otters. It was great to take advantage of the Zoo's free day and explore another great asset of Portland.

Corgi Walk

Corgis are a magical dog breed. I absolutely would love to have a corgi and hope to someday. This past August I was really excited to witness the Portland Corgi Walk, where several hundred corgis congregate to celebrate their breed and to commune with other corgis and their owners. John and I arrive a little after the event began, and so it seemed like there where only a few corgis around, but then after a little wait, the corgis started coming back from their roundabout walk and soon we were surrounded by corgis. Seriously, pictures can not describe the bounty of corgis. When all was said and done they beat their record of the previous year of corralling corgis--they had about 300 last year, and this year close to 370. Please enjoy my photos below!

Astoria Column

A large inscribed tower, known as the Astoria Column, looks down upon the Columbia river and the town of Astoria.  Constructed in 1926, the column was erected to commemorate the Lewis and Clark Expedition.  People can buy small basal wood planes and toss them off the top of the column, which is what John and I felt was necessary to do.  John's plan got lost along the hillside in some inaccessible bushes, but we salvaged my plane.  The column is not only a historical landmark, but geologically marks the Northwestern part of Oregon, as noted in the local forecast.   

Astoria, OR

Astoria is a small historic town situated in the Northwest corner of Oregon.  It punctuates the end of the Columbia river where it meets the Pacific.  Lewis and Clark stayed in a fort close to here, which marked the last encampment for the expedition before the navigators headed back to the East.  Astoria today has lots of little shops, cafes, and restaurants.  John and I got lunch after we scoped out the Goonies house and the Astoria Column (which I'll mention next week).  

A historical house/museum in downtown Astoria

Goonies house - now a private residence