Rally & March - Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Day

Monday January 19, 2026 - Video & photos of the 12th Annual Reclaim MLK March to honor the life & achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr at Peninsula Park, Portland, Oregon

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Book Review - Oregon

Title - Oregon
Author: Don Winslow
My Rating: 👍👍👍👍
My Review: This was a short book that popped up as a freebie on my Audible subscription. I've lived in the Pacific Northwest for the last forty-two years so the title caught my attention. Ed Harris is an excellent narrator and the story brought back many memories of growing up in the 1970's and the Vietnam war. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by Don Winslow. 

Description (Audible): It was 1970 in a defeated Rhode Island fishing town. Vietnam and Nixon dominated the national news. Both the near and distant future looked bleak. But they were five inseparable high school friends with something incredible in common: an unwavering resolve to look after each other no matter what hell life threw at them. And they were on a mission. The plan was simple: Go off the grid before they turned 18 to avoid the draft. They’d sell some grass, stack some cash, then head west and start a commune. What could possibly go wrong?

Descriptioin (ChatGPT): Oregon by Don Winslow is a brutal, fast-paced descent into the morally murky depths of the American West. With his signature mix of gritty realism and sharp, noir-inspired dialogue, Winslow crafts a tale of criminals, betrayals, and high-stakes heists that’s as rugged as the land it’s set in. It’s part Western, part crime thriller, and all heartless, proving once again that Winslow knows how to make you question what’s more dangerous: the law or the people who break it. Buckle up—Oregon isn’t a place for the faint of heart.

Road Trip - Peter Iredale Shipwreck

Peter Iredale shipwreck

The shipwreck of the Peter Iredale has been on my bucket list for some time. I’d visited Fort Stevens State Park where the shipwreck is located but for some reason, didn’t see the shipwreck. It helps to know the history of the shipwreck to really appreciate it.

Peter Iredale shipwreck

According to Wikipedia, the Peter Iredale was a four-masted steel barque that ran ashore October 25, 1906, on the Oregon coast en route to the Columbia River. A heavy northwest squall grounded Peter Iredale and high seas and wind drove the ship ashore. Much of what's left of the hull is buried in sand so there's not a lot wreckage visible. However, sometimes after a storm, more of the buried hull becomes visible. Happily, no casualties occurred in the accident.

Peter Iredale shipwreck (360 degree photo)

Peter Iredale shipwreck (360 degree photo)

Hike - Burnt Lake, Mt Hood NF, Oregon

Hiked with friends and Buddy Boy (the dog) to Burnt Lake on the Mt. Hood National Forest, Oregon. The hike began in second-growth Douglas-fir Forest with huge stumps and evidence of fire all around. Not too far up the trail however, we entered the Mt. Hood Wilderness where the forest turned into lush old-growth Douglas-fir forest.  

According to sources, Burnt Lake got its name from a fire that burned through the area in 1904. Since then there have been other fires including the “Clear Creek Fire” that burned through the area back in August 1906. While the forest has grown back there was still a lot of evidence of the fire such as large, burned out trees, snags and logs. 

 Except for having to climb over a few large logs and fording a few small streams, the first half of the hike was pretty easy. The second half however was a bit steeper with a few difficult rock scrambles and more stream crossings where my shoes got soaking wet. 

I think the streams were running higher than normal due to recent rains and snow melt. Burnt Lake was beautiful and included a spectacular view of Mt Hood from the southern side of the lake. 

We also saw a fair number of wildflowers on the hike including pacific trillium, stream violet, calypso orchid & skunk cabbage. I hoped to see some flowering pacific rhododendron, but apparently it was too early and the only flowering native rhododendrons we saw were at lower elevations near the trailhead.

Burnt Lake (360 degree photo)

Pacific trillium (Trillium ovatum)

Stream violet (Viola glabella)

Calypso orchid (Calypso bulbosa)

Skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus)

Pacific rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum)

Road Trip - Seaside, OR

Carol and I celebrated our 41st anniversary by spending the day in Seaside, Oregon. Turned out, December 28 was a King tide so the ocean waves were pretty impressive. Normally there would be at least 100 yards of open beach between the dunes & ocean but on this day, the waves were coming right up to the dunes. So, walking on the beach wasn’t possible. 

But we did get to see some cool waves and have breakfast at the Osprey Cafe, where the chilaquiles and arepas are excellent! 

Hike - Warrior Rock Lighthouse

Warrior Rock Lighthouse

Took advantage of a short break in the rain & hiked with friends & my pooch, Buddy to the Warrior Rock Lighthouse on Sauvie Island, Oregon along the Columbia River. The lighthouse wasn’t real impressive but according to Wikipedia, it’s Oregon's smallest lighthouse & one of only two lighthouses still operating in Oregon which is not on the Pacific Ocean.

The lighthouse currently operates with an automated beacon and bell. Nice hike and the fall colors were super! We also lucked out & got to see the "Oceanus Leader" car carrier ship cruise by.

Hike - Angels Rest, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Hiked with friends and Buddy Boy (the dog) to Angels Rest located in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and Columbia River Gorge. The trailhead is located near Bridal Veil just off the Historic Columbia River Highway about 30 miles east of Vancouver, Washington (my home town). 

The first section of the 4.8 mile out-and-back trail was relatively easy and passed through beautiful Douglas-fir forest with an understory of vine maple, sword fern, Oregon grape, thimbleberry, etc. 

Upper Coopey Falls

Not far up the trail, we passed a couple waterfalls where there was a small fork in the trail leading to a somewhat precarious viewpoint of the 150-foot Coopey Falls. A little further, the trail crossed Coopey creek on a small footbridge. 

It then paralleled the creek for a little way and became steeper with a few switchbacks. At this point, the views became much better, partly because there were fewer trees due to the 1991 Multnomah Falls fire and the 2017 Eagle Creek fire. 

Looking north towards Columbia River Gorge

The trail eventually crossed over several talus slopes that required a little agility, especially when hiking with a young energetic dog.

Not knowing what to expect further up the trail, we found a somewhat level area where we had a little picnic before our final attempt to reach the summit of Angels Rest. Getting to the top required some rock scrambling and agility. However, the view from the summit was spectacular and well worth the effort.

Looking north from Angels Rest summit

Hike - Mirror Lake, Mt Hood NF, Oregon

Hiked with friends and Buddy Boy to Mirror Lake on the Mt. Hood National Forest, Oregon. According to online sources, the Mirror Lake trail is one of the most popular 

hikes on the Mt. Hood National Forest, partly due to its accessibility and partly because it’s a relatively easy hike to a mountain lake with a beautiful view of Mt. Hood.

The 4.4-mile loop trail begins right off Highway 26 near Government Camp and is an easy hike to Mirror Lake.

The trail loops around the lake and crosses through some marshy areas where there was a makeshift boardwalk that took a little agility to navigate. The best views of the lake with Mt. Hood in the background were in the marshy areas on the southwest side of the lake. 

Mirror Lake with Mt. Hood in the distance

We only saw a few wildflowers along the trail including Indian paintbrush (Castilleja sp.) and sickletop lousewort (Pedicularis racemosa). 

There were also lots of the infamous Devil’s club (Oplopanax horridus) along the trail and near the lake. 
Not surprisingly, there were lots of people around the lake but luckily, we were able to find a nice spot  along the somewhat muddy lakeshore for a little picnic and a mud-bath for Buddy Boy. 

Buddy Boy taking a mud bath

 Mirror Lake picnic spot

Road Trip - Days 2 & 3 - Manzanita, OR

On day 2 we spent most of the day exploring Manzanita and nearby Nehalem Bay State Park. Turned out January 6 was a full moon and high tide was close to what's referred to as King Tide.

So, that in combination with stormy weather, caused some pretty scary surf conditions.

Beaches were covered with huge logs and woody debris that had been washed up by giant waves. Walking on the beach was a bit treacherous and we had to constantly keep an eye out for sneaker waves. 

Since it was off-season, Nehalem Bay State Park was deserted. The park includes a huge campground with bike trails, bathrooms, showers, yurts and facilities for horses. Nehalem Bay also had a boat launch which I assume would be used mainly by fishermen.

On day 3 we drove south to the town of Nehalem and found a nice little restaurant named Wandas Cafe where we treated ourselves to breakfast before heading back home.    

Looking south from coast highway towards Manzanita and Nehalem Bay, OR

Road Trip - Day 1 - Manzanita, OR

Took a short road trip to Manzanita, Oregon in celebration of Carol and my 40th anniversary. Stayed at The Inn at Manzanita and spent a couple days exploring the area. Weather was stormy and due to a full moon, tides were very high.

We'd never been to Manzanita so it was fun exploring a new area. Manzanita is a quaint little town with shops, restaurants and other touristy things but, since it was off-season, many of the restaurants and shops were closed. 

Thankfully though, there was a bakery/coffee shop nearby where we were able to get our morning caffine fix. There was also a cozy little book store and a few artsy shops where we were able to spend a little time and lots of money. 

Road Trip - Columbia River

Got adventurous on a road trip to the coast, and took the Westport Ferry over the Columbia River to Washington. The Westport to Puget Island Ferry is the last existing ferry on the lower Columbia River.

The ferry started in 1925 and has gone through many changes. The current ferry, Oscar B runs 18 times per day, 365 days a year, and takes about 15 minutes to cross the Columbia River.