Portland Area

Portland’s St. Johns Bridge is a suspension bridge that was built between 1929 and 1931, and it provided lots of people jobs during the Great Depression. Painted green, it has two Gothic arches that support the bridge. Just beneath the bridge, on the east shore of the Willamette River, is Cathedral Park (named for the arches), which is a nice green space where people let their dogs run off leash and take in relaxing views of the river. I’ve always had a fascination with old bridges, especially suspension bridges, so I dragged the family along to check it out.

To me, this bridge is gorgeous, as is the park beneath it, where I got some great pictures during late afternoon.

More up the girls’ alley was the Oregon Zoo, which was the perfect size for us. It wasn’t enormous, but it was big enough for us to spend a good six hours there. It currently has survival plans for 21 endangered and threatened species, including the African Elephant. Their elephant program is most impressive. I don’t believe I’ve been to a zoo that had more information and interactive exhibits to educate the public about the elephants. This included some history on elephants seen as religious symbols and the history of elephants as performers (informative, though sad). We also learned a lot about elephants being killed for their ivory tusks. We saw indoor exercise spaces for the elephants and a pretty large area outdoors where they roam and bathe. We were lucky enough to catch a feeding, too.

Of course, we saw plenty of other animals, as well. It’s just that this is the most I’ve ever seen of elephants in any zoo.

Our own two animals were also being photogenic, as usual.

I’ve never been all that crazy about zoos, but as far as zoos go, I have to highly recommend the Oregon Zoo. I feel like they do a good job of educating the public and taking really good care of the animals in their keep. The girls thoroughly enjoyed this change of pace, as they were getting a little tired of the hikes to waterfalls, mountainous views, and other scenic locations.

Finally, another stop we made during our Oregon visit was the End of the Oregon Trail Historic Site. All I can say about that is that I wouldn’t have survived! We showed the girls a picture of what the inside of one of the wagons looked like, and explained how people were cramped inside, camping in the middle of nowhere, as they made the dangerous trek out West. Many died along the way. If we ever think for one second that our RV gets a little tight at times, all we’ll need to do is think back to the inside of that covered wagon! That stop was very educational, and now Rayne and Jayden are enjoying playing the computer game The Oregon Trail.