New Year's Eve in Portland, Oregon

For Christmas my sister and I were gifted with tickets to Pink Martini on New Year's Eve show in Portland, Oregon. Pink Martini is like no other musical group you've ever heard.  They are extremely popular in France and Japan and sing songs in a number of different languages. They've mostly recently worked with the Von Trapp grandchildren.  I included a link with their name to a number of their videos - my favorite is "Hey Eugene!"

So on New Year's Day...

...we had breakfast at St. Honore Boulangerie. 

No, I did not have any macarons.

I did have hot chocolate and a croque monsieur.

Downtown Portland has an amusing array of trash bins.

Cats...

...and umbrellas...

...and bicycles...

...and salmon.

Benson Bubbler fountains are famous too!

Cool light fixtures.

Rental bikes. 

Light rail

Monstrously huge Christmas tree.

Portland is called the Rose City - so...roses!

The Pioneer Court House.

Bird-watching 

Nordstrom and Christmas lights.

US National Bank building

Remember the Benson Bubble water fountains? This is the Benson Hotel where we spent New Year's Eve - unparalleled people-watching!

The hallways stretched the entire city block.

Built in 1913, the hotel features Italian marble floors, Austrian crystal chandeliers... 

...and Circassian walnut wood from the imperial forests of Russia.

We had a great mini-get-away.  And returned home in time to watch the University of Oregon football team beat Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl!

Road Trip - Day #4 - My Michigan Adventure - Friday 8/4

Deja vue I know as I've already shown this piece all stitched up, but back on August 4th I'd intended to introduce it to you as part of my stitching rotation, so here it is. And here it is complete if you'd like to refresh your memory.

And now back to My Michigan Adventure.

On Friday, August 4th we awoke to a distant thunderstorm and rainbow. 

The plan was to return 'home' via a more direct southern route via Michigan 75. But first, a lighthouse called. This is McGulpin Point Lighthouse.

It had a nice view of the Mackinac Bridge...

...and a nature trail down to the lake.

Locally, this rock is just as famous a Plymouth Rock.  In fact is is much larger at 34 feet long and 54 tons. French explorers plying the Straits of Mackinac since 1615 used the rock to gauge water levels as they navigated in canoes along the tumultuous waters between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas.

Native Americans used it much earlier.

On the way back to Allendale, we found the cutest Dairy Queen ever near South Higgins Lake State Park.  We had to stop. We needed to fuel up before our wildflower walk.

Cousin K. knows me well and she penciled in a visit to Lake Loda Wildflower Sanctuary in the Huron-Manistee National Forests. The 7 acre site includes welands, a marsh, a lake, red pine, black oak, fern wetlands, and a small stream.  Lots to see, so off we go!

August is not the best month to see wildflowers in bloom, but with our guide we were able to observe Pitcher Plants...

...and Water Lilies.

An interesting fern.

Baby trees!

I was thrilled to see Indian Pipes  or Ghost Plants(Monotropa uniflora). It is not a fungus, but rather a plant - a member of the blueberry family it likes a dense moist forest floor with lots of leaves and detritus.

A shaded forest is a great place for moss.

Lots of mosses.

Cat-tails like marshy areas.

Though no longer in bloom, this Lady Slipper Orchid was easy to ID.

Lots and lots of fungi and mushrooms. 

See what I mean?

Here's the small stream...

I thought it very odd looking with its sandy bed.  But as Cousin K. reminded me, the state of Michigan is basically one huge sandbar. Thus the dunes and sandy lake shores.

   

A Jack-in-the-Pulpit. It's bloomed and set seeds. 

The forest - quiet and still - we did not see anyone else during our walk. 

Baby Black Oaks.

Rubeckia is a staple in gardens, it was strange to see it as a wildflower.

Some kind of delicate helianthus (sunflower).

Sister L, Cousin K's daughter M, Cousin K.

And how are we doing after 4 days and 3 nights and 650 miles of travelling together?  Pretty happy I think! 

What a wonderful adventure we shared.  Many great memories.

Road Trip - Day # 3 - My Michigan Adventure - Thursday 8/3

Design - "Flag Sampler"

Chart - "3 for 2 - July" 

Designer - Curtis Boehringer

FAbric - 32 cnt Antique white linen

Fibers - DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 23July 2017

Completed - 28 July 2017 

I never got around to showing off this July finish - I love, love, love this flag.  I think it's going to get framed next year.

Now on to Michigan Day Three of our Road Trip.

We got up bright and early and took a ferry over to Mackinac Island.

As there are no cars on the island (other than an ambulance), there are three ways to explore the island.

By foot, or by bicycle...

...or by horse.  

We chose to take a horse-driven tour of the island.  

We got to see the exterior and grounds of the aptly named Grand Hotel. The hotel was built in just 93 days and opened in 1887.  Famous guest have included Thomas Edison and Mark Twain.

Our horse tour was in two parts.  Part one had a two horse team, part two with steeper terrain used a three horse team.

The top of the island featured this lovely rock arch looking out to Lake Huron.

Thanks guys - we had a great time!

After the tour we walked to Fort Mackinac to explore the fort and enjoy the views of the town.

Lots of money floating in the harbor!

After Fort Michilimackinac closed in the mid-1770s, the fort was moved to the island in 1780. All the building are original and it was very interesting to tour them and see what daily life at the fort was like for the soldiers and their families. 

There were lots of folks dressed in period costume to help interpret the history of the fort.  We watched a blacksmith at work, a baker, and these musicians.  

And enjoyed the views of the town.

It is such a pretty little town.

I think having a green thumb is a requirement for living here.

And everything, yep even UPS deliveries is done by horse.  Don't you think it would be a kick to work this route in the summer?

The Grand Hotel, being well, grand, had grand transportation to the hotel for its guests.

As the day progressed, the skies got gray and grayer and the winds picked up.

This lighthouse is called Round Island Light.

We shopped and ate lunch at a pizza place.  Then shopped some more - the island is famous for fudge - I think there were 12 fudge shops.  But I am an Ice Cream Girl.  I'd been looking forward to eating at Moomers in Traverse City, but that did not happen.  So it was a thrilling moment to find that Mackinac Island had a Moomers. The Traverse City shop has 160 flavors of ice cream - how do you chose?  This small shop had a couple of dozen flavors.  Two scoops was only $1 more than one scoop - chocolate sprinkles were free - so that's what I did! 

Here's the post office. Everyone has a postal box as it does not deliver mail.  We finished exploring...

...and shopping just as the heavens let loose as it does in the midwest. We got soaked waiting for the return ferry and the trip back to Mackinaw City was a rough and ready and drenching adventure.  We spent the evening cocooned in our hotel room watching the weather pour and flash and thunder over the lake.