This post will be light on pictures. More later.

My daughter invited me to hike with her and the grand children and I don’t say no. So off we went, destination Multnomah falls.

Oh, but the parking lot was full.

So we took a back way.

Still full.

Happily there are other hikes nearby. For my money, we were better for it.  I’ve done Multnomah falls and it’s familiar. The change was welcome.

She was not happy at first, but we did internet searches on smart phones. While she was still upset we got behind someone’s car with Connecticut plates who piously stayed at between half the speed limit and 4 mph under.

The Columbia River Gorge is full of glorious hikes and we got a nice reminder of that  after we ditched Connecticut and found some.

About the time of our outing I had already decided do more landscapes. Forest and water are irresistable to me.

During her stay, we did gorge hikes on the Oregon side and on the Washington side. All good. We also hiked along the Columbia River  and spent an idyllic day at the coast, and went through some Mt. St. Helens lava casts.

Below one of the children is pointing to our car way down in the parking lot.

For those who have not hiked in the Pacific Northwest USA, I can tell you that the sights and scents and variety are outstanding.

Hiking is for enjoying friends and family. It’s for thinking. It’s for renewal. It’s for Ibuprofen –  or better shoes. ‘Ouch’ feet.

We went up some steep trails. One of them led to numerous view points where the soil was worn from traffic right to the edge of sheer drops. We read a notice that those cliffs had claimed two dogs the previous week. So I cringed when  a large short hair canine with a pink bow on each ear ran happily to the very edge before turning back and checking out the rest of the trail.

At one point we caught up with three women who were stopped and fixated on something in a tree a few dozen feet from the trail.

“Shhh,” said one.

“What?” I asked my daughter.

“Chipmonk”, she whispered.

We had a chuckle. Out of towners.

As for the beach, for the first time ever I lingered in town before hitting the sand. There are art galleries I’d decided to check out.

Then I found my people. My daughter was on the blanket with her husband while the children flitted to and fro free to get wet and sandy and to dig.

There was cold ocean water and warm river water in close proximity. Everything was clean and wonderful.

Interesting people strolled before us and my daughter told me that people watching was a favorite part. Does that couple look like they are a match for each other? What sort of life might they live?

She told me their stories in the manner like I do when visiting art museums where I ‘explain’ the art.

Think Simon and Garfunkle singing, “Laughing on the bus, playing games with the faces. She said the man in the gabardine suit was a spy.”

I came back from each outing determined in important things that I was inspired to want to do.