Day 13, Portland, Corvalis and camping near Mary's Peak

Morning in Portland started with a homemade breakfast and fresh roasted coffee provided by Tony.

Then we picked up Meadow's neice and headed down to Corvalis. Jim spent a year living in Corvalis while in college. He wanted to take a trip down memory lane and bring Ian and me along.

I thought it was so cool that the concrete trash cans have planters with plants growing in them.

cool sculpture along the river

the kids play in the fountain, a great way to cool down

we all took a walk down to the Williamette River and skipped stones

gotta love that Oregon grape, good to use in place of goldenseal, packed with burberine

the sequoia on the OSU campus that Jim used to climb as an undergrad

I was amazed to see these huge rhododendron flowers bloomingand smelling sweet

here's Jim showing us the place he spent a summer living near Mary's Peak, so beautiful

I'd never seen such awesome wild foxglove, back east I have only seen it cultivated

setting up camp

cooking up a hot dog, camp style

After we enjoed downtown Corvalis, we headed out to Mary's Peak so that Jim could share one of his favorite places with us. It was so great to have Tony and Meadow along to share in a campout. Tony built a nice campfire and we cooked out hot dogs and had fresh salad greens. Afterward we sat around the fire talking and telling stories for the kids and just enjoying the sound of the creek, the birds and the wind through the trees.