Vista House n Latourell Falls Columbia Gorge

We took an Easter drive to the Columbia Gorge to see the Vista House and drive the Scenic Hwy to Latourell Falls. We stopped for a picnic and walked a trail to the base of the falls. It was a busy day with other tourists enjoying sunshine and a lazy Sunday.

A Spring Day in Portland

Magnolias and other pretty flowers blooming around the neighborhood.

Just a short update to let you know where I am. Am in Oregon for a family medical emergency. You can reach me with email.

Baja and Whales slideshow

Friends from Tucson organize trips to Baja for about 16 other friends. They spend time petting baby whales, going to see cave paintings, snorkeling, and just general sightseeing and hiking. They always have wonderful food experiences included in their trip. I have been given permission to let you see one of the slideshows from this year and just a few weeks ago. Enjoy!
For best viewing, click on "Slideshow" once you get to the webpage. You may need to do a copy and paste of the URL into your browser.
http://tinyurl.com/abhff4v

Whale Shark Sculpture on Malecon

The improvements to the Malecon are almost finshed after 2 years. There is now a sculpture of a Whale Shark down by the marina. The Malecon looks prettier than before and now there are places to sit in the shade along the water.

Pilon de Lolita

Pilon de Lolita aka The Pointy Mountain. A friend said to me recently, "I have been reading your blog and what you call "The Pointy Mountain" is really named Pilon de Lolita". I knew that. Once. Forgot. The name and its story long gone in my mind. Now I have a name and a story to go with it. The story goes: there were sisters living and gardening at the base of the mountain. When the Baja lands were divided and ownership designated for each of the sisters, one sister said: "where is my pilon?" One of the definitions for pilon is: a gratuity given by tradesmen to customers settling their accounts. Or as explained to me, it is like getting 13 instead of 12 for a dozen. The sister was asked: "what do you want for your pilon?" and..........she said: "that mountain!" She was given the mountain as her "little bit extra". Thus, the name: Pilon de Lolita. End of story.

Harleys, harleys and more harleys. Saturday night was Fiesta in Juarez Plaza (the town square) for the motorcyclists who arrived in town. Four bands scheduled to play, food vendors and tables in the plaza, motorcycles parked in rows and shoulder to shoulder people ready to party into the night. Looked like a much-needed boost for Loreto's economy. The night before and all day Saturday was an Art Show at one of the hotels. Sunday evening was a Red Carpet party here at Loreto Shores to watch the Academy Awards. Several people had fun dressing in gowns and wearing Bling to "walk the carpet". Wind. Wind and more wind. Today is a blustery day and the sea is rough and white-cappy. Hope to meet friends from Tuczon tonight. Have been doing a lot of reading and staying out of the strong winds and blowing dust.