60 in 60, Take 20, 21, & 22

#20, Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, Portland, (07/19/11)

While my parents were in town in mid-July, we walked around the Oak Bottom Wildlife Refuge. It's three miles of "eh"...we didn't see any birds, which are apparently this place's claim to fame, but Mark did find a very long piece of grass that he used to point at things along the trail. This was at the height of his tree identification phase; thankfully my mom was around to indulge him.

#21, Tamanawas Falls, Mt Hood National Forest, (07/30/11)

Several Saturdays ago we headed to the east side of Mount Hood and did two relatively short hikes. This particular day was gorgeous. In fact, I said "It's gorgeous" so many times I had to rush home and immediately watch Pollyanna. This was the day I had hoped to give my parent's while they were in town, but alas...the weather here rarely cooperates.

The hike to Tamanawas Falls was 3.4 easy miles with plenty of rocks to slow Mark down.

#22, Trillium Lake, Mt Hood National Forest, (07/30/11)

And then there was Trillium Lake. Beautiful Trillium Lake. This was another two-mile easy stroll and is now slated as one of my favorite spots around Mount Hood. It was absolutely lovely.

And in case you are wondering where my "I want a boat" obsession came from, this is the place. The lake was filled with people kayaking, canoeing, and floating in all sorts of inflatable watercraft...all while Mt Hood loomed above.

After we left Trillium Lake, we made a quick trip up to the Timberline Lodge, which sits at 6,000 feet and offers views of Mt Jefferson (Oregon's second highest peak) and the Three Sisters to the south.

*Mark and I do actually own more clothes than are represented on this blog. I have become aware that we are typically photographed in the same shirts in every post.