Japanese Garden

Last stop before we headed back to hotel and hot tub was the Portland Japanese Garden. We agreed that this garden would be beautiful every day of the year. Right now you can see the structure of the garden and its carefully-tended maples. The rain poured on us but with umbrellas we managed to enjoy strolling the 45-minute route. It covers five acres on the side of a hill and the vistas change along with the style of the gardens. Evidence of the unusual cold was seen in the ice-filled bowls.

Tomorrow we try to make it through Oregon and Shasta Pass, the last potentially snowy section. Fay has emailed us to say the heat awaits in Palm Springs - going to be +80 by the weekend. Here we come!

Snowy mansion

After Powell's we drove up to the Pittock Mansion, built by a newspaper mogel on the top of the highest spot in Portland. Built in 1909, it is stunningly beautiful with detail and craftsmanship borrowed from around the world. The owner and his wife only lived in it for the last four years of their lives but three more generations followed. Recently the city bowed to pressure and bought the property before the mansion could be torn down for development.

Rain or shine.....

We are staying in the town of Troutdale, north of Portland. It is located at the beginning of the Columbia River Gorge and when Bill booked it, we had the plan of driving up the gorge and hiking the various trails. We set out this morning with the blessings of the Troutdale Tourist Information staff and only got started before deciding that the snow was going to win! If there was any possibility of seeing the spectacular falls, we might have braved it but the ceiling was low and the snow increasing. I wanted to take a picture of the one waterfall we saw - an ice sculpture - but we couldn't stop on the treacherous highway!
So, plan B: Powell's! We spent two hours browsing the world-famous bookstore and thinking we'd died and gone to heaven. We stopped at the entry desk and were handed a map! Bill browsed the finance and travel sections. Of course I spent most of my time in the children's section but managed to check out fiction and new releases before we sat down in the coffee shop and along with everyone else savoured our finds.

Still trying to find the sun

After months of saying we're taking off somewhere warm, we're on our way. And simultaneously we find record cold all the way down the coast.... We left on the Coho Sunday morning and after a quiet trip on calm seas, sailed through customs as well. The guy asked where we were going and when Bill happily replied "Palm Springs!" he waved us off with a hasty, "G'Bye!" No danger in that geriatric car, he decided.
Nice to travel by land - no worries about exceeding 3oz of fluids or carrying Swiss army knives, and sharp scissors - just pack everything you can think of in the back of the car and drive! I threw in my sewing machine and Bill added a printer! We're good to go!
There was heavy rain all the way except for a scary section of huge snowflakes which were sticking but by the time we crossed the Columbia River and entered Oregon the rain had slowed down and there was no sign of snow on the ground.
We're in Portland now for two nights and are trying to decide how many of the gardens to try to take in with the forecast for mixed snow and rain. Maybe we'll just hide out in Powell's.

Where is the warm weather?

We've just visited our storage room and found the wardrobe box marked 'summer'. Then Bill checked the weather on line and we added a few things like long underwear and winter jackets! Our plan was to meander down to Palm Desert and visit National Parks on the way. We now realize we might find it tricky to hike under 10 feet of snow!

Portland is our first stop. We're spending two days there. Bill's birthday present to me was a new summer outfit so he thoughtfully booked us into a hotel close to the outlet stores so we can shop. He was surprised when I told him that my plans were to shop on El Paseo Drive in Palm Springs - maybe at Mister Marco's, Ralph Lauren's or Sak's? Then I'll probably stop in at Joy of Permanent Makeup and Hot Tip Nails.... Who shops at outlet stores??