journal

I heard that Chihuly glass was showing at the Tacoma Museum of Glass.  But what awaited us there was more spectacular than we could have imagined.  The museum features an incredible exhibit by Preston Singletary of Native American inspired glass.  You have to see this man’s work.  It was so fabulous and one of the best examples of  glass art I have ever seen.  What photos I do have for you are the georgeous installation outside the museum, a few shots from the workshop theater, a couple of samples from the workshop and the incredible work of some children from the summer workshop.  This was the surprise museum of my trip.

Hi there, I’m back again after cruising in Alaska and lots of sight-seeing in Seattle.  First things first.  Seattle was so filled with quirky sights, great public art and weird people.  I was there, right.  I loved the laundromat and you can see the pal that I made there.  I loved the “Flower Power” sculpture, the fountains but most of all the Seattle Public Library (Central).  This incredible building was listed as one of America’s top 10 buildings so we had to stop by on the way to the Mariner’s game.  It was spectacular.  The market was teeming with people but the buildings surrounding the waterfront were really cool.  Seattle is VERY hilly by the way. 

Throughout this adventure I have been most surprised by the fact that I am surprised at the places I’ve loved.  To drive through the Oregon wilderness and rural communities seeing the farms and ranches is a spectacular experience.  I was alone on the road for most of the drive seeing another car only once every fifteen minutes or so.  The expanse of land with the farm houses, cows, horses and a few other creatures was georgeous.  The barns were the most attractive in their design and deterioration.  You will see this in the photos I just couldn’t resist taking.  In the Oregon remoteness is Crater Lake.  Now that is a sight of Xtreme beauty.  What more can I say.  The Lodge at Crater Lake was also cool beyond belief.  The design was early mission and rugged western.  And there were rockers everywhere… LOVED THAT.  I highly recommend this as a fabulous getaway from civilization.  It must be exquisite in the winter.  But alas, I had to leave and drive to southern Oregon.  Notice the name of the road I took there.  I had to take a photo of the GPS listing because it brought to the surface a troubling emotion I’ve had since crossing the Mississippi River.  Here’s the deal.  I wanted to read about places I will be going so I found several books that gave me a sense of the history of these places: Alaska by Michener, a book about Louis and Clark’s expeditions and a novel about the experience of Native Americans on the Trail of Tears.  I could only finish one of these books because the treatment of Native Americans in our history was so deplorable and heartbreaking.  So in my usual Cathy fashion I chose not to dwell on this terribly sad part of history.  Maybe that’s why I feel I am doing my part to make things better for the remaining Native American population by supporting their casinos.  LOL. 

The best way to get from Portland to Seattle is through Mt. Rainier National Park.  We traveled the back roads to get to the park and then up over 6000 feet for a spectacular view of the (volcanic) mountain.  At the park’s entrance we went on a little nature walk and enjoyed the grandeur of the trees.  On the way up to view Mt. Rainier we stopped to see wonderful streams and a few wildlife surprises.  There definitely was a bear in the woods near the vista and I got a good shot of a beaver cruising the road. Mt. Rainier was worth the detour.

There was so much to do in downtown Portland.  We had a full day of sight-seeing, shopping, dining and walking.  The best places to see good stuff are the Portland Museum of Art, Rose Garden and Japanese Garden.  The art museum had two wonderful exhibits – Escher from early woodcuttings to the study for a major installation and a Tattoo art power point show on a hugh screen. The Rose Garden was part of a public garden complex on a major hill above the downtown.  There we so many varieties of roses on display.  But the crown jewel for me was the world class Japanese Garden.  Once again our hotel was an example of great renovation to a truly modern design.  Previously a Days Inn, Hotel Modera, was real uban chic.  Just loved it.