Blogs from Oregon, United States, North America - page 20

Geo: 44.0472, -123.02When we first started planning this roadtrip, DH had expressed serious interest in only three of the many, many odd ball attractions spread all over the U.S. and Canada: the Lucille Ball Museum in New York, the worlds largest perogy in Saskatchewan, and Springfield Oregon, world famous home of the cartoon Simpsons. Our first crack at her relatively short list wish list (mine sits at 1,857 and growing) was Springfield Oregon. Two TV shows make DH giggle like a teenage girl- Modern Family and The Simpsons, so the idea of going to the home of Homers "Doh!" was high on the list for her. She was hooked after an episode in which Homer, as a coach, started cutting everybody included the voice-over guy who was trying to shush him as the credits rolled- she ... read more

Geo: 45.5118, -122.676West of Downtown Portland is the Washington Park within which lies Portland Japanese Garden. It is reputed to be the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan. It occupied 5.5 acres and took four years to build. It was superb. Every turn presented a different view, each one equally breath-taking. When we got there, it was pouring but it was in fact a blessing in disguise, as all the trees with rain drops on the branches were glistening when the sun eventually emerged from behind the black clouds. There were lots of places to sit down in a tranquil setting, fellow visitors' noises notwithstanding, and contemplate nature, life, the meaning of the universe etc. Alas, all the benches were wet from the rain so we didn't find out what it was like to meditate ... read more

Geo: 45.5118, -122.676Portlanders value their outdoor space. So it came as no surprise that a forward-thinking governor, Tom McCall, reclaimed land formerly used as a highway and created a park by the Willamette River. It is a nice green space to stroll along when the weather is good (it was raining this morning...). Alas, the view across the river isn't the most picturesque; the highways bypassing Portland are all on the other side of the river. The park also contains a poignant memorial to the 100,000+ Japanese Americans interned during WW2.Portland is twinned with the Chinese city of Suzhou. As part of a cultural exchange programme, each one created a garden in the twinned city. Portland gave Suzhou a rose garden. In return, the Chinese created a classical Chinese garden for Portland. It is very pretty ... read more

Works Cited Inc, History Globe. "The Oregon Trail: 1843 Map." The Oregon Trail: 1843 Map. History Globe, June-July 2016. Web. 02 Feb. 2016. Underwater, Todd S. "Oregon Trail History." Oregon Trail History. Todd Underewood, Oct.-Nov. 2000. Web. 02 Feb. 2016. United States. National Park Service, National Park. "Maps." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, 26 Jan. 2016. Web. 02 Feb. 2016. "U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR." Basic Facts About the Oregon Trail Oregon/Washington BLM. Ed. National Historic Oregon. Land Management, 2 Nov. 2007. Web. 02 Feb. 2016.... read more

Amy: We are officially in Oregon.However, dad says that we won’t stop until we get to Oregon City, which is still a couple days away. In the meantime me and my siblings are making plans for when we get to Oregon City. Throughout the trip I’ve had time to talk to them, really talk to them. Most of the time I’m in my room or with some friends because I used to hate hanging out with my own family. I always felt that Jennifer and Jason sort of separated themselves from me, and I always felt that mom only wanted to argue with me. I realize now that I was wrong, I was the one separating myself from them, I was the one that was looking for an argument. I like the way this trip worked ... read more