Highlights from the Oregon Coast

We visited several towns along the coast including Cannon Beach, Tillamook, Newport and Florence. We also visited several lighthouses. Pictured here is the Yaquina Head Lighthouse just north of Agate Beach. We also visited the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

Just about every town along the coast has a bead shop and most have quilt shops. Thanks to recommendations I made a few quilt shop stops. The Center Diamond shop at Cannon Beach was wonderful - big selections of fabrics, books and patterns. We also stopped at the Latimer Quilt & Textile Museum in Tillamook.

Other Quilting related stops I recommend (but not on the coast) are the Pine Needle Quilt Shop in Lake Oswego, OR and the Button Emporium & Ribbonry in Portland.

Highlights from Portland, OR

Started vacation in Portland Oregon during the Rose Festival so of course we needed to visit the International Test Rose Garden. Just about everything was in bloom. There were rows and rows of different varieties and colors. Most were hybrid roses with almost no scent, but every now and again we would come across a heirloom variety with a beautiful scent.

Across the way from the Rose Garden is the Japanese Garden. The garden is located were the old Portland zoo used to be. (The current zoo is just a few minutes away.) Along with including all the traditional elements of a Japanese garden, it includes several recycled items including the old stone steps from the Portland municipal building and several ballast stones from the port.

As is typical in the north west the weather was warm, but cloudy and a bit hazy. Only had a few minutes of light showers in the afternoon, but nothing to cause us to miss these outside attractions.

What Spring?

Don't let this beautiful flower deceive you! It is safely living in the living room. The plants outside are miserable! Its been cold, dark, cloudy and rainy for a week and we had yet another frost warning last night.

This is the only sign of spring (not holding out much hope for summer) that we have had.