Oregon

Continued from the last post, here are more highlights from my trip to Portland...

One morning I was able to row as a guest with Station L Rowing Club on the Willamette River. It had been almost two years since I have been in a boat but the stroke came back to me quickly as we cruised down the river and under several bridges at 6 in the morning. It was nice to see a different view of Portland, this time from the water.

View of the Willamette and downtown Portland from the dock

Watching the water flow by while bow 4 rows

Around town...

Portlandia Statue

2nd largest copper statue in US

International Rose Test Garden

Portland's Rose Festival and City Fair was occurring while I was there so there was much going on in the city. The waterfront park was filled with amusement rides and several parades passed through the city. I went to see the Rose Festival's Grand Floral Parade followed by dragon boat races on Saturday the 7th.

The cutest llamas at the parade

Dragon Boat Races

I also participated in Portland's World Naked Bike Ride on Saturday, June 7th. I had just heard about it a few days prior and decided that it would be a fun experience so I took Brentwood's bike to the start at Normandale park. Around 9PM about 8000 bikers started on the 7 mile ride as bare as they dared. The ride is hosted in 75 cities worldwide but Portland's is the biggest. First started as a protest against our dependence on fossil fuels it has progressed to also highlight the vulnerability of bikers on the road as well as address body image issues and push the edge of social boundaries. It was quite an interesting (and cold/windy) night to see all the costumes people wore and to be part of something that I believe in. As a biker I am constantly aware of how dangerous it is to bike on roads, but I am also fervent in my belief that I have a right to be on the road and drivers need to acknowledge that right and be more conscious of bikers.

Here is a video I took from that night.

Waiting to start

"Bare as you dare"

Our next trip was to the Oregon coast. We drove to Cannon Beach and then down Hwy 101. We stopped at Short Sands Beach for a nice lay out on the beach and then down to Nehalem Bay State Park to camp. It was super windy on the beach which made it a bit chilly so we didn't spend too much time on the beach but it was nice to see the Pacific Ocean again and have my feet in the sand.