Summer Adventure Part II - Portland!

I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to travel this summer! This past weekend was spent with a great friend, visiting my wonderful cousins in Portland, OR. Portland can have the feel of a small town and a big city at the same time. They have a great Saturday Market right on the waterfront and as you venture into the hills, their is a huge park with hiking trails, the International Rose Test Garden, Japanese Gardens, a Zoo and more.

We packed a lot into our short 2 1/2 day stay and had a fantastic time! I visited Portland around the same time last year to go to the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, and it just happened to fall on the same weekend this year, so we also spent a few hours there listening to some great Jazz, and I fell in love with the vocal stylings of the Toni Lincoln Quartet . So much fun, and of course I got to spend more time with my new love, my Cannon camera...so, lots of great photos!

Mt. Shasta

Bridgeport Brewery

JAZZ FESTIVAL

Cathedral Bridge

INTERNATIONAL ROSE TEST GARDEN AND JAPANESE GARDENS

Koi in the Japanese Gardens

Mt. Hood

Summer Adventure Part I

This year has been deemed my year of adventure. I chose adventure as my new year's resolution and have been doing my best to live that out. When my relationship came to a fork in the road earlier in the year, it felt more like a roadblock that I had to find my way around, but once I did the adventure really began. I planned to take a trip back east visiting my best friend from college Lia, and seeing some places I had never seen before. I think one of the best parts about this trip is that I really didn't plan much except where I was going to sleep each night. This lack of planning plan allowed me to explore and take chances, and truly enjoy myself! I am so thankful that I have a job that allows me the time to travel during the summer, and I look forward to seeing what comes next. 

Another amazing thing about this summer trip was that I had my new camera! I didn't know if I would find love again...but this camera and I are having a pretty amazing affair and I don't think I ever want it to end. Now that I am moved into my new apartment (yet another part of my adventurous summer), I have had time to sit down with my photos and do some editing. Below are some of my favorite shots as well as a few artistic edits (I'm having fun with some creative editing).

Finally, after returning from my east coast summer adventure (DC and New York) I spent the weekend with my family at the end of June for Woodallstock VIII. I can't believe that it has been 8 years since we started! It was a blast as always with old and new friends and family. And, once again I got to have some fun with my camera and take some great shots everyone there. So glad I get to share this life with these amazing people!

So here it is...Summer Adventure Part I...I still have 3 weeks left of this summer, so Part II is still in store :)

WASHINGTON DC

Washington Monument

Korean War Memorial

The White House

In front of the Capitol

Library of Congress

Jefferson's Library preserved in the Library of Congress

Inside the Library of Congress

Lincoln Memorial

NEW YORK!

Yoga in Bryant Park

The beautiful voices of Peace Music Industries

WOODALLSTOCK VIII