Mom's visit to Portland

 

OK, I will admit, I was struggling for a last minute gift for my Mom for her birthday.  So I did what any great son would do:  I called my sister (Kristy).  Well, she was in the same position as I, so we decided to fly her out to Portland and overlap with Kristy's visit so we could all spend some time together.  For all that my Mom has been through lately with her selfless devotion to help my Dad during his recovery from brain surgery, she really deserved a break and some time away.  For the first part of her trip, she went to Seattle with Kristy, Pat, and Elliot.  After Kristy and Pat left, my Mom and I did a roadtrip down to California.  My Mom had mentioned before that she wanted to see the Redwoods in California.  I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity for her to do so and for us to spend some quality time together.  We had a lot of fun and saw many things along the way.

a quick hike to see a wild patch of Darlingtonia (aka the pitcher plant), a rare carnivorous plant  that only grows in Oregon and Northern California

rivers so clear, you can see the 40 ft bottom from atop an overpass

The redwoods never disappoint.  This is my second trip to see these beautiful freaks of nature.  It is truly amazing how massive they are.  Even more impressive is their resilience to live through fire, insect attacks, floods, etc through thousands of years.  I could do this trip every month and not get bored of it.

On the way back up from California, we drove along the coast, stopping at beaches and enjoying fresh seafood in the little coastal towns.  Now THIS is living!

pristine ridges in the sand

We spent the night in Florence, Oregon.  The next morning, we started the day with a nice coffee and a walk along the piers.  There were crab fishermen setting pots and several boats arriving full of fresh tuna from recent expeditions.  Seals trolled the docks, hoping for a fisherman to toss them some scrap bait.

We continued our drive up the Oregon coast, finally arriving at the Sea Lion Caves... 

...however the caves (above) were devoid of Sea Lions, as they were all out sunning themselves on the rocky shore nearby:

We gradually made our way back home to Portland, trying to take the scenic route whenever possible.  Mom especially liked seeing the endless rows of trees as we drove through the Christmas Tree Farms.  Once back in Portland, we spent a few more days checking out local treasures:

South Falls, Silver Falls

North Falls, Silver Falls

Portland Rose Garden

Portland Chinese Garden

view of downtown Portland from the Pittock Mansion

I really appreciated getting to spend so much 1:1 time with my Mom, since usually our visits are short and we are trying to see a lot of family all at once.  The long car ride was a great time to get caught up and discuss many topics and really connect.  I think she will agree that it was some of the most special and meaningful times we have ever spent together.  Happy birthday Mom, I love you.