Pittock Mansion

April 24, 2018

With not much more than a day until departure, I don’t have much time to spare. Today’s ride was so pretty though that I want to remember it. I’ll be brief.

It was another day disrupted by home sale issues. Amazingly enough, there are still a few loose ends to be tied up. I think it hasn’t quite sunk in with our agent that we’re leaving so soon, and she’s left a few things unresolved. I volunteer to stay around to deal with them this morning, and Rachael leaves early for her bike ride so she can get back early and take over if there is still work to be done.

As it turned out, everything resolved quickly once I got in touch with the realtor. It looks like we really are done now, with nothing left but to watch our email for the closing documents to come through in about a week. After that we have some follow up tasks - cancel our homeowners insurance, shut off the utilities, and so on - but it’s all stuff we can manage through email from anywhere in the world.

I spent the rest of the morning packing up for departure, and then stepped out for a ride up to Pittock Mansion, at the crown of the west hills. Not a long ride, but pretty challenging - it’s about a thousand foot climb to the Mansion, with most of the climb coming in steep switchbacks through the hillside neighborhoods. I’d say the bulk of the ride is about a ten percent grade. Normally I would charge right to the top of course, but since I’m blogging today I’m honorbound to stop here and there for a few photos. Everything seems to be in bloom now, and the views across the city to the mountains are spectacular.

It’s hard to take a bad dogwood picture.

For just a brief period in the spring the horse chestnut is really beautiful.

It’s pretty remarkable how much diversity there is in the Japanese maple family.

Swan Island, Mount Saint Helens and Mount Rainier

Eventually the climb finally tops out and I reach Pittock Mansion, one of the real landmarks of the city. Not surprisingly on a day like today, I find plenty of company - but no other bikers.

The view from Pittock Mansion gives the best perspective on the buttes of the Boring Lava Field.

Eventually I tear myself away from the views and move on - and up. Pittock Mansion isn’t actually at the top of the ridge, as it happens. A few hundred feet further up and I come to the real summit, at Barnes Road. I start coasting down the other side but pull up as I pass Mount Calvary Cemetery and am struck by the weathered gravestones lining the road. One of the oldest cemeteries in the county, but I’ve never stopped to look around until today.

After this I’ve run out of time and need to head home. I take the most direct route, crossing over to Highway 26 and then dropping down past the zoo through Washington Park. I get home just in time to shower and head out again with Rachael on yet another date night.

I’m a bit embarrassed about the self-indulgent orgy of dining and cultural events we’ve spoiled ourselves on in the past weeks, but we justify it to ourselves by the fact that we’ll be out of town for most of the coming year. We’ve been lucky and seen some really exceptional performances, but tonight tops them all: the Alvin Ailey Dance company is in town for the first time in seven years and tonight they are performing Revelations, a work that has a good claim on being our favorite artistic work in any medium. We couldn’t believe our luck when we saw that the company was coming while we were still planning to be in town.

This is the third time we’ve seen Revelations now, starting with a performance in New York City in 2001 - we went back there to celebrate New Year’s a few months after 9/11, indulging ourselves while feeling patriotic - the city badly needed the tourism again after the attack and were offering cut rate bargains at the hotels and playhouses. I could really see Revelations every couple of years and be thrilled anew by it each time, I’m sure. It feels to me like a performance everyone should get to see at least once in their lifetime.

OK, now I really quit. Next stop, Chania!

While we were waiting for the theater to open, we were entertained by this passing parade. I have no idea what it was about, but it was sure fun to watch.

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