Portland's Bridges

Portland Oregon is a busy river city spanned by many bridges.  They cross the Willamette River through downtown and a little beyond.   Some are stunningly beautiful, others not so much.  A few carry interstate freeways.  The rest are local, and the newest one carries NO CARS!

Spanning the Willamette, beginning at the north end:

The Gothic-style St. John's Bridge is the loveliest of them all.   Opened in 1931, it links the community of St. John's with the West Hills.   I love the east bridge approach that winds through the neighborhoods; you earn the right to drive across this bridge.

The Fremont Bridge, opened in 1973; it carries Interstate 405.  This one is the grandest and most fun to drive on.  It's huge, it's majestic, and you feel like you're in space, looking down at the city.  Locally  it is known as the "flag bridge."

The Broadway Bridge, painted "Golden Gate red."   It was built in 1913, and opens vertically for tall river traffic.

The Steel Bridge carries bicycles, peds and railroad on the lower level, and cars and light-rail (MAX) on the upper.  A lift bridge, it opened 1912.

The Burnside Bridge is the most well-known and used in downtown and has been operating since 1926. Sometimes Burnside Street is used in a derogatory manner given the number of homeless and drunks who congregate in the area.  But for decades Saturday Market was held under the west end of the bridge, and that was a lot of fun.

Morrison Bridge.  Completed 1958.  This one swings open like the Burnside Bridge above.  You can see the two operator stations there on the deck.

The Hawthorne Bridge, which lifts, opened in 1910.  The red things are the 800,000 pound counterweights that lift the bridge.   It carries about 8000 cyclists a day in addition to road traffic.  At the end of the bridge is an electronic sign saying how many bikes have crossed that day.

Marquam Bridge built 1966 and carries Intersate 5.  Was there a design contest that called for the ugliest, most utilitarian structure imaginable, one without beauty, style, or class?   Actually yes.  It was designed by ODOT, and there was such an outcry about its design that public input was encouraged when the Fremont Bridge was in the planning stage (and what a difference!).  Sadly, this bridge is here to stay for a very long time.    

Tilikum Crossing.  The newest bridge on the Willamette, it's not open for business yet.  It has been interesting to see the building stages--it has been built from each side of the river, and the two parts met in the center a few months ago.  It is unique in that it will carry light rail, streetcar, buses, bikes and pedestrians.  NO CARS.  Completion 2015.

The Ross Island Bridge, built 1926.  This one has the craziest west bridge approach ever.  The first 10 years I lived here it was a white-knuckle sweaty experience learning my way on the approach. Signs are yelling at you "Turn here!!"   "Turn there!!"  "Get in this lane right now!!"  "Move to this other lane but only for 42 feet!!"  They should put up a sign that says, "Good luck folks."

The current Sellwood Bridge, the furthest south of the Portland-area bridges.  Notice it does not lift nor does it allow large ships underneath, because that kind of river traffic stops at the Port of Portland further upstream.  Built in 1925, it is being replaced as we speak by the bridge in the photo further down.  The two-lane bridge carries way too much traffic and has been in a deteriorating condition for 30 years or more.  And, it has a little 3-foot sidewalk for bikes and peds, which on a busy span like this, makes you feel like you're Nik Wallenda on a tightrope.

New:

The Interstate Bridge spans the Columbia River between Portland Oregon and Vancouver Washington.  I believe it is the ONLY lift-bridge left in whole United States that carries an Interstate Highway--I-5.  Beware of getting caught near here during a lift; it will add an hour to your trip.  A multi-state/multi-agency commission recently studied the issue of this bridge replacement.  The question was, what to replace this aging bridge with, what would be the cost, and who would pay?   The commission went down in flames because nobody could answer any of those questions.  So we're stuck.  Even if I live to be a hundred, that won't be long enough for my mortal eyes to behold a replacement bridge here.

Coolest State Flags

I declare the most attractive and effective flags to be the colorful and simple. When a banner is flown high up on a pole, tiny figures, words, and scenery drawn seemingly with a number 2 pencil are completely lost to our sight. At worst they look like aberrations in the fabric. In my opinion the flags pictured here make the boldest proclamations about their states. They are simple, striking, and convey a symbolic message and enthusiasm for their state:


Arizona--Don't you get a yearn for Arizona when you see their flag?  The warm sunny colors convey the wide open desert, the blue reminds us of the mountains and cooler areas. The star mimics a setting sun and the whole thing emanates a wild west feel.

Alaska--"The simple flag of the last frontier."   The Alaska flag goes together with the state song. "Eight stars of gold on a field of blue . . . The blue of the sea, the evening sky, the bear, the dipper, and shining bright: the great north star with it's steady light, o'er land and sea, a beacon bright . . . " which by the way, beats Oregon's languid state song by a mile. The long nights way up north give the stars greater prominence than we enjoy in the lower 48. And again, less is more.

Alaska State Song


California--My all-time favorite flag!  The grizzly says it all.  California was a wild place back in the day. The last grizzly in Southern Cal was killed in 1879 just a few miles from where I grew up (I have no memory of that event . . .). The flag was raised at Sonoma in 1846, declaring California separate from Mexico as The Bear Flag Republic. A two-year war occurred to make that a reality and voila, California became the 35th US state.

Montana--This is an exception to the rule that flags should not sport intricate pictures that are impossible to see from a distance. The bright colors and relative simplicity of the tableau makes it easy on the eyes. Love the Bitterroots and the Great Falls of the Missouri in the sketch.

New Mexico--Another flag from a sunny state that found a unique way to represent the sun, using a native American symbol. The colors represent the original Spanish explorers and settlement. New Mexico's heritage is displayed using only two colors and one symbol. Amazing.

Oklahoma--The shield of the Osage warrior bedecked with a peace pipe, an olive branch, and eagle feathers pays homage to Oklahoma's heavy native American beginnings. Set on a stunning blue background, there is no other flag like it.

Texas--Nothing says "the Lone Star State" like . . . a lone star on their flag. Dating from the days of independent Texas, the flag was Texas's symbol on becoming a state in 1845. The lone star represents solidarity in standing up against Mexico.

Washington--Old white guys glorified on a state flag don't usually cut it, but this vibrant flag honoring ol' George is pretty as a picture. The deep emerald green signifies Washington's predominant color, and, balanced out by the yellow of eastern Washington wheat fields, and azure blue reminding of us sea and sound, is stunning.

And now, the worst: There is not a duller state flag anywhere, than that from my home state. Even if you magnify the seal, it's not easy to see what is portrayed (if I squint a Conestoga wagon pops up and maybe a clipper ship . . .).  And 20 feet up on a flag pole, forget it. The beaver on the backside is a nice touch, but flown up the pole, you would swear someone spilled a jar of mustard on the flag.  About five years ago The Oregonian newspaper solicited designs for a new state flag, but the legislature did not get on board, and now that issue is dead in the water. Yeah, about as dead as our dull state flag.

Pretty Sights

Pretty architecture and designs abound in the Arab world. Arab calligraphy and illumination rival that created in medieval European monasteries. Intricate medieval calligraphic motifs have been transferred to stone, ceramic, wood, and metal all over Arabia. Some of these designs would lend themselves to quilting using the Celtic weaving technique. I captured samples of the beauty in Emirates.

 

 inside admin building at American University of Sharjah

 I don't remember where this is; sometimes my camera just couldn't help itself taking pictures of anything and everything without noting what or where it was

 wooden doors in old town area of Sharjah

 wood chest decorated with metal at old town museum in Sharjah

 old town museum motifs

 metal decoration above doorway in old town Sharjah

on university campus

Oops, this is not a traditional Arab design!  It's the enormous ferris wheel at the Casbah down by Sharjah Creek

Arches, Canyons, Needles and Reefs

Southern Utah—Wow!  We spent four days in four national parks: Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon, plus Natural Bridges National Monument. In each we hiked to and through some of their notable features. As dramatically beautiful as western Oregon is, it lacks arches, needles or reefs here (we are blessed with stunning mountains and waterfalls). Southern Utah comes in a rainbow of sandstone colors, and was prehistorically ocean floor. As a child growing up in an area of sandstone mountains in S. California, one of the thrills of my childhood was finding seashells stuck in canyon walls at the edge of town. Until this trip I didn’t realize just how extensive the ocean coverage was—all the way into what is now the Great Plains.

We camped out every night, and got plenty of hiking and gawking in on this trip. S. Utah is every bit a scenic wonderland as is the Grand Canyon or Yosemite or any other well-known US destination. Craig is writing about our tour in more detail here  http://acraigwalker.blogspot.com/

Cape Kiwanda

on Cape Kiwanda looking north toward Cape Lookout

This scenic spot on the Oregon Coast near Tillamook is not well-known. It certainly doesn’t have the draw of Seaside with its attractions for teenagers, or Cannon Beach which is known for restaurants and shopping (ugh). We all have our favorite pleasant beaches and this is mine. Kiwanda's broad soft sand beach mingles beauty and solitude with active tide pools, frolicking whales, squirrely seals and daunting sand dunes, and waves that thunder against the cape at high tide, all set around the remnant of an ancient rich-hued sandstone headland.

exploring the tidepools below the cape

We spent three days camping at Kiwanda last week. From the camp a short trail leads through a woodsy dune onto the beach. At low tide a walk around a rocky point leads north to the hamlet of Tierra del Mar. Cape Kiwanda itself is a mile south, though it deceptively appears to be short walk away. Along the walk to the cape the steady predictable rhythm of advancing and ebbing waves is serenely soothing. It’s not always peaceful here; enormous land-bound logs lie against the dune, thrown there by fierce winter storms. Occasionally we see hang-glider-ees hauling their load up the dune, then launching, and we watch as they gracefully soar, arc and drift onto the sand below.

images created in the sand by wave action

Sahara-style dunes give way to the cape itself, parts of which are brushy or grassy. Steep precipices abound and careless people have entered the great cape in the sky from this area. I’ve included photos of the view both north and south from the cape. Pacific City, home to the dory fleet, lies on the south side. Dorys come and go and are fun to watch. Incoming, they skid through the waves at high speed and only cut the engine when they reach shallow water, then glide smoothly to a halt on the beach. Running full-speed down the dunes is a blast, except when we tumble and get a head full of sand. Low tide reveals dozens of different creatures making a living off each other on the rocks and in the pools. Last week a couple of whales were spouting off the cape.

low tide under the arch

We plan to camp here again this summer!

a view of Pacific City from the cape

Wildlife Galore

I spent a wonderful week in Ithaca, New York with Bridget's family recently. Their apartment complex is full of young families, most of whom are associated in some way with Cornell University. Their building faces the local bird sanctuary so at least once a day Meme and Majd and I walked the network of trails that lace through the area.

The boggy land is pocked with scores of tiny ponds, lots of tall trees, wooden bridges to cross the marshiest areas, and at one end is a very large pond filled with ducks and geese and other water animals. There is a visitor center near the pond.

Some of the more common birds seen in the sanctuary are red-wing blackbirds, goldfinches, jays, robins, chickadees, various ducks and Canada geese, but sometimes scarlet cardinals made an appearance. One day we passed Canada geese parents swimming with their eight goslings! We see great blue herons often here in the Pac NW but not so often sitting on their nests. In the bird sanctuary were two sets of herons  nesting in adjoining tall trees.

Muskrats swim through the pond, raccoons climb the trees, and squirrels and chipmunks are everywhere. The last night of my visit as we walked at dusk, two beaver were splashing near the shore of the pond just yards from us. We crept closer as they came onto the bank to investigate their surroundings. They still hadn't spied us and we got within about 8 feet of them. Then Majd startled them and in a flash they dove back into the pond to head for deeper water. Funny that someone from Beaver-town Oregon would get a better view of beaver in NewYork than I ever do here.