Rocky Butte and Kelly Point Park

Just some pictures of a couple day trips we took. The first, to check out some outdoor rock climbing at Rocky Butte, about 20 miles NE of Portland. At the top of the hill you could see Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, and downtown Portland. The second, an amazing park called Kelly Point that we stumbled upon while taking a drive. The park sits along the Columbia right in the center of an industrial park. Even in the most developed or industrial areas of Oregon, there always seems to be a hidden park. I always find the contrast so incredibly beautiful. Along one side of the park there were several groups of fisherman. We sat here for a while and Brian played the harmonica he just picked up at a local music shop.

Red to Red

Last weekend we took a long, beautiful drive out to Echo, Oregon. Never heard of it? That's okay, most people haven't. It's a tiny town outside of Pendelton...you know this one, famous for the plaid, wool jacket. The weather was drizzly on the way out and we hit some slushy snow near The Dalles. But hey, nothing a warm cup of coffee couldn't cure.
Echo was so great, the perfect place for the mountain bike race. The scheduled departure was 11am. The racers lined up for their numbers and took a couple laps arround the town to warm up. The race started and ended at the Red Express Cafe. It then traveled up the road past some horse corrals, an old boarded up church, and some small farms till the riders hit the dirt. You'll have to get the rest of the details from Brian, but apprently the ride was a little bumpy with lots of uphill. As for me, I enjoyed a stroll through the town and little reading in the warmth of the cafe. It was especially fun because you could tell from the excitement of the locals that this was the biggest thing thats happened in the town in quite a while.
It was a great day and we took some videos with the RCA small wonder.