Monday Photo Minimalism~Leaf and Pine Needles

Letting go. Trees can be good teachers.

I’ll be away for a couple of weeks and won’t post until my return.

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The Sunday Traveler~The Grotto, Part 2

Returning for one final travel post on Portland, Oregon’s The Grotto that I previously touched upon. This incredible place of gardens that is actually more like a well manicured forest. The gardens sit on a plateau way above the entry grotto and church (photos from that post were presented on 12/16/18). Here I am again to show just a few more photos.

Surprises around every turn in the paths, including this labyrinth. What a wonderful place to walk a labyrinth, and do a little meditation amongst this display of nature that tells me there is a higher power.

Actually this whole place is a meditation in the glory of nature.

Some autumn colors remained when I visited in late November, and I was grateful to see just a few hints of this, wishing that I had scheduled my trip for a little earlier in the season.

Like a little cabin in the woods, this little chapel was one of those little surprises.

I will close off with this set of photos here on Sundays and post more here and there on my Wordless Wednesdays.

The Sunday Traveler will be taking a few weeks away again, and will be out gathering more post materials as I travel back to San Antonio, Texas to visit friends. I’ll be back in about three weeks time.

Wordless Wednesday~The First Sunset of the New Year

 

The Sunday Traveler~2018. It’s a Wrap

The fireworks in Las Vegas several years ago over Caesar’s Palace.

That certainly won’t be a factor for this traveler this year’s end; it’ll be a cozy little thing on the home front with thoughts of gratitude for all the wonders of 2018; all the travel and beautiful places that I was blessed to see, and all the wonderful people who I have met in all those places and here at home too. And grateful for all of you, I have so enjoyed taking you along on my travels, and grateful for your support along the way. May 2019 be a good year for all of you. Happy New Year.

Wordless Wednesday~Cannon Beach, Oregon

The Sunday Traveler~A Christmas Card from Home

The Sunday Traveler didn’t have to travel far to take a photo for my card to you all. This is the wonderful little town where I live in Northern California, Benicia, on the Carquinez Strait. Behind the trees is one of the many little beaches around town and the water. I frequent one of the beaches almost daily to soak up beauty and peace, which is what I wish for all of you at this time, and in the coming year.

I’ll be back here in a couple of weeks. Happy holidays.

Monday Photo Minimalism~Only One Star

Sometimes the star you think you’ve lost is there. In the night sky. Shining.

I’ll be back here after the holidays. Wishing you all the best.

 

The Sunday Traveler~The Grotto

The Grotto, the National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother in Portland, Oregon. The grotto, shown above, is built into a basalt cliff at the bottom of 62 acres of elevated land/acreage above it. The bottom land, consisting of this grotto and a chapel are an introduction to breathtaking gardens on the upper level of land reached by an elevator

Yes, that’s the elevator; enough to make you stop in your tracks and wonder what it goes to.

Paths, streams, trees, the monastery of the Servite Order (that is private), and a meditation chapel enclosed by glass windows looking out over Portland.

The outdoor grounds make one feel like there is nothing more outside of this beauty, as if being lost in some magical gardens

These photos are but a fraction of those I took as I wandered in this garden forest in complete awe. I will be featuring more of these photos on a new venture for me, Wordless Wednesday; and I know I owe you all a few more photos from last week’s post on Multnomah Falls, that I’ll also feature on Wednesdays.

Until then, go out and view this beautiful world wherever you are.

Monday Photo Minimalism~Song

We all have a song. Sing it.

“Don’t die with the music still in you” ~Wayne Dyer

The Sunday Traveler~Multnomah Falls

The Sunday Traveler has seen many a beautiful place along the travel road, but Multnomah Falls is something beyond the pale.

The falls are located in the Columbia River Gorge, in Oregon; part of the Pacific Northwest

That bridge up there was my goal. The height of the falls is 620 feet, so my walk up a paved road/path was upward just short of those 620 feet. I’ll take you along on the path with me and the varying views of the falls as I walked up. The path is at a gradual incline, so not so very difficult if you’re a walker, and that I am, getting to where I want to take photos however I can.

The falls are there in the background, a bit hidden here, but when there, you can sure hear them thundering down.

The path up, with fencing on the right to protect from falling boulders

Looking over the edge on the right of the path. The longest drop from the top is 542 feet.

Two summers ago a fire occurred on the lands in the falls area and the remnants of that can still be seen

The next two photos are burned trunks of trees, the first that appears to be petrified, and felt as smooth as marble

Nature persists and returns.

The Sunday Traveler will have a few more photos of the falls next Sunday to finish off this wonderful day in the PNW.  Until then, travel on.