As the sun started to set on Day 9, I was faced with a familiar dilemma: how to spend the final hours of a vacation. My flight left Portland just after midnight, so with time ticking by, I headed back to Washington Park, to re-visit the very first stop of this trip.
I was determined to find a good view of downtown Portland before I left. So I headed to one of the highest points in the park, just above the Children’s Museum near US Hwy. 26. A gravel trail takes you to the top of the hill, where on a clear day, you can see Mount St. Helens, Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, and Mount Hood. Because of the clouds, Mount St. Helens was the only one easily visible, and even it was partially hidden, near the top.
I’m pretty sure it was easier to see Portland from the park a few decades ago. Trees have grown up and partially block the view.
So I headed down to the International Rose Test Garden, for one more fragrant whiff, and a final attempt at photographing the roses and the city. Once again, trees were in the way, but I was getting closer.
From there, I went to the entrance of the park, at the Lewis & Clark memorial column. There’s a reasonably good view here, but there are still some houses in the way.
Thinking that I had seen all that I could, I packed away my equipment in the car, and began to head for the airport. But on the way out of the park, I noticed a “scenic route” sign, suggesting I turn right on Vista Avenue. That road led me…
… here: an overpass above SW Jefferson Street, which leads directly into downtown.
Even if I had tried, I probably couldn’t have found a better place to take the final picture of the trip.
Note: This trip was first published in 2006. Much of the same area was covered in the Big Sky trip in 2014.
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