Saturday, March 23rd - Millennium Plaza and Beyond

Knowing it would be a long week with all the kids home on Spring Break, we moved this week's walk up to Saturday. Katje's son came along and volunteered as photographer, taking lots of pictures of the spring flowers that are popping up all over. It's been a mild winter but it's sure nice to have spring back!

We followed the road for a short distance, then turned onto the Kincaid Curlicue Corridor, which winds down through a monstrously huge apartment complex to the river. I wasn't paying attention and sent us in the wrong direction (have I mentioned that I can't read maps?), which turned out to be a good thing because it led to a group of tall standing stones engraved with lines of poetry, well worth the little side trip. The path past that soon ended so we turned around and headed back in the right direction, paralleling the river. The instructions in the 'Walk There' book say that we should go to the Water Sports Center and from there return to State Street via Oswego Pointe Drive. The map shows the path ending with a sharp right turn at a set of stairs. Well, there is a set of stairs just past the Water Sports Center that lead up into yet more of this behemoth of an apartment complex, but the path continues past it. So we continued on until the path abruptly ended with no way to go but back (there were no steps and even if there were, there were enough “no trespassing” signs to make it clear that we would not have been welcome to use them). So back we went, taking the set of stairs that we had passed (and that Katje's son thought was the right one all along) up through the apartment complex – this didn't seem like a very public walkway, but at least there were no unfriendly signs telling us we shouldn't be there.

Back through the apartment complex we went until we reached the car. The walk as described in the book continues along State Street and eventually leads down to George Rogers Park, the starting point of our Old River Road walk back in January. We stopped at the car and took a vote about continuing, and unanimously decided that since we were already back at the car we were all okay with just piling in and heading back home. We discussed whether this was enough of the walk to mark it out of our book and decided that with all of the 'side trips' we took (and the dullness of the rest of the walk) we're checking this one off. After all, we still have 41 walks to go in that book and another 25 left in 'Every Day Hikes', so it's not like we're going to run out any time soon!

Photos from the Alameda Ridge Walk

The start of our walk in Alameda

The area has some beautiful homes (you will see mostly house pictures this go round...). We both loved the front porch/entry of this one.

Pink Trees! Spring is here!!!

I am seeing a new theme starting, pictures of chicken coops. This one was very cute with the chicken emblem on the coop door.

In a neighborhood of Tudor style houses, this one was quite different with its southwest theme (the cacti were getting ready to bloom, which were a very pretty purple color).

The door to a Fairies house (wonder if one will move into our yard...)

Love the entry on this one..



Love the turret on this one! Beautiful!!!



Julie referred to this as my Scarlett O'Hara house. I would move in here if I could! I love the front tree in the entry path, the tall white columns, love just about everything about this house...

A different view of the house.

Both of us really liked the creative gazebo this family put out on their deck.

It's a Dragon gate! Best gate ever.

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Another set of stairs to walk up (this neighborhood has many staircases tucked between houses).

Our foot picture, these steps were built in 1912.

This time we are going down a set of steps (if you are keeping track, this is staircase number 3).

There are many trees like this throughout the area. Very old and very cool the way it grows back on itself and then branches out.

These plants were all over in yards. Does anyone know what kind it is? Neither of us knew.

Another house I could live in, The wrought iron above the door was gorgeous, plus it continues on either side of the house on the balconies.

One of the Horses in Alameda (this is part of the Horse Project here in Portland)

Another beautiful house with a wonderful porch.

Love this tree! It is a Historic Canyon Tree.

This house once belonged to Thomas J. Autzen, a local lumber baron (his company produced plywood). The stadium in Eugene is named after his son.

Another view of the house. The detail is remarkable.

A view of the tree up close.

4th set of stairs we encountered today (there were many more we did not go up/down)

Both of us love the stair stepped windows in the front (our guess is there is a staircase on the other side).

The whole front of this house was covered in windows. The view from up there would be awesome.

Had to take this one, the tile work between the 2 windows caught our eye.

Nothing better than having a small balcony above your front door. I think of my son dropping water balloons on people from there.

Took this one for the Gargoyle.

Did you lose count on the steps yet? This is set number 5.

And finally, we reach our final set of steps, the ones leading back to the car. These were much easier going down than up.

Monday, March 18th - Alameda Ridge

Today we decided on a change of scenery. Instead of creeks and forests and other wonders of nature we walked through the Alameda neighborhood and admired houses. Now, I love my little 1970's ranch home in the 'burbs, but I have to admit to some serious house envy today. If you like classic old houses – tudors, colonials, bungalows, neoclassical, craftsman, mediterranean – whatever your favorite style, chances are you'll find it in Alameda. The streets wind around the ridge and converge 5 – 6 at a time in complicated intersections, very different from the surrounding neighborhoods' neatly laid out grids. One of my favorite features is the staircases that periodically snake their way between houses so that pedestrians can get from street to street without having to follow the long winding roads that cars are held to.

We were following the map in our 'Walk There' book, which starts out at 50^th and Sandy and runs up diagonally to 26^th , where it circles the house built in 1927 by lumber baron Thomas Autzen. We were surprised to find that the lumber baron's house was built of brick until we noticed the thick beams on the half-timber construction of the upper stories and the carved wood panel above the front door (you couldn't afford beams like that today – if you could even find them). The house sits on its own shield-shaped block so we got to walk all the way around it and peek through the greenery to admire it from all angles. Absolutely gorgeous.

This was a beautiful walk all around. It probably didn't hurt that the sun was shining, the mock cherry trees are in full bloom and all the spring bulbs are up. It really feels like winter is over now, and makes me want to start planting my own garden. As a native Oregonian I know better, but on those beautiful days between rainstorms it sure is tempting.  4.4 miles today, with 216 stairs up and 263 down, and I think we'll have to take a few more of these "gawking" walks to admire the beauty of Portland architecture.

Monday, March 11th - Rock Creek Trail

It's official, we've become walking snobs. The Rock Creek Trail is everything we used to look for in a trail – flat, paved and not too long (though we would have considered 3.2 miles a pretty decent distance when we first started walking). Now that we've been spending time in Forest Park, Tryon Creek and Hoyt Arboretum these walks are kind of...well, boring. It's paved. And flat. And the creek doesn't babble. It also crosses three busy streets and goes under Highway 26 so it's always clear that this is a city walk. We've kind of gotten to the point that we prefer the woods and even the hills (despite my wheezing and complaining).

It probably didn't help that it's early spring, which means that the sky is gray and since nothing has started to bud or bloom along the trail the landscape is also kind of gray. Well, the pussy willows have started to bud out, but what color are pussy willows? Gray! It is, however, unfair to judge the walk by the weather and the season. In summer this is probably a very pretty path, with lots of vegetation and wildlife. We did see quite a few birds, lured in by a feeder at one of the apartment buildings we walked behind and there was a tree down that looked like it had been chewed on by beavers. Which may explain the quietness of the creek.

I'd rate this walk as a definite 'dull', with the understanding that in a different season it would probably fare better. And once the serious spring rains come in I'm sure it's exactly the type of trail we're looking for. Forest trails are lovely, but not when they're knee deep in mud!

Photos from the Rock Creek Trail

The trail starts at Orchard Park in Hillsboro

For the first part of the trail you walk on along the road

The start of the Rock Creek Trail

Very pretty entrance to the trail, love the stonework on either side

They had sanded the bridge to keep it from being slippery with all the rain we get.

Rock Creek

End of the trail, time to turn around and head back

The start of our trek back to the car




One more creek picture...



Must be spring! The pussywillows are starting to bloom!!!!

Photos from Lower Macleay to Pittock Mansion

Here we are back at Lower Macleay Park, ready to try this walk again, hopefully we don't get lost this time!

The bridge above the park

This time there is trail damage. We decide to proceed anyway, there were many families out this morning so we figured the trail should be usable.

The start of the trail, still looks similar to last time.



Love the stream that runs through here, very beautiful!



This is part of the trail damage we saw. They added rock and ground covering above, plus sandbags below.

It looks like snow but is really sandbags.

The stone house again, this time we are careful to go the correct way.

The trail we need to be on to continue towards the Pittock Mansion

Another portion of the stream that runs through the park. Love the sound of it!

This "waterfall" is part of the restoration project in the park. They have signs posted about habitats for trout.

This has got to be the biggest tree we have seen that has come down. The light colored "tree" in the background was part of the downed tree. We were both glad it happened before we got there today!

Another portion of the downed tree, it covered the path and they had to cut it in pieces (my guess is they will leave it as natural habitat for the animlas out here.

Our favorite trail, Wildwood...

This wall was donated by Mr. Macleay's daughter 53 years after he donated the park to the city. Was a wonderful tribute to him and the land he owned.

The second half of the trail leading up to the Pittock Mansion, at this point we figure we are close.

Again, our favorite trail, Wildwood, however, the book says to stay on the Upper Macleay Trail so we do.

Not sure what this is but it was in the middle of nowhere and looked strange. Will have to research more to find out....

So far this is what we are encountering. Hills and switchbacks, makes for a very tiring walk, but we are motivated to get to the top!

You can see the road below, we just keep climbing up, and up and up.

Ummm, we took this photo of the ferns so we could stop and rest a bit from the hill climbing. They are very pretty though...

Again, we come to an intersection and follow the books directions of walking the Upper Macleay Trail. This would prove to be a wrong choice at this junction, we needed to follow the Wildwood trail up to the mansion.

Those steps and the wooden fence is the way we needed to go...good thing it was a short walk back to here.

This is where we ended up when we went the wrong way, both of us were quite impressed by how big this house is!

Back on track, following the blue diamond markings...

Uphill again! Lots of hills, lots of walking, wanted lots of resting but we were determined to make it to the top and rest there...

Julie laughed at me for this one, I pointed the camera out over the edge as we were walking and didn't look at what I took the photo of, I think it turned out okay.

The little speck of white is an ice chip that fell from the trees. These were falling all around us on our walk up. They made very strange sounds as the were falling through the trees.

At last, the Pittock Mansion parking lot! This is where the trail comes out at.

The Pittock Mansion!

This tells a bit about the Pittock family.

The view of the city from the back lawn at Pittock.

The view of Mt. Hood from the same spot. Best of both worlds up there.

A bit more about the family.

On the back side of the mansion, facing the city. Had to take several photos just to prove we were there!

Pittock Mansion.

Overlooking the city.




So we took several photos to see which one looked best. I love how the sunlight lights up both our faces. Was such a nice day and great for a walk. 

 

This little house is below the mansion. We both think it would have been the caretakers house.

Inside the front hall. The kitchen would have been downstairs, to the right is the parlor, to the left is a restroom and bedroom. More bedrooms upstairs perhaps?

Heading back down to the car, this time the trail is labeled Pittock Trailhead. Good thing we already know the way!

It is much steeper than it looks here, but the walk down didn't take as long.