Riding the Aerial Tram

Sami and I went to take the birthing class at the OHSU Center for Women's Health yesterday. The class was good, but my favorite part - we got to ride the aerial tram from OHSU Kohler Pavillion to OHSU Center for Health & Healing so we could go to the cafe for lunch.

I have a few more pictures of the tram and Kohler pavilion back on my August 26th post.

Me waiting to get on the tram.

(I wasn't ready for the photo)

Another pic of me and my ginormous belly.

South Waterfront, the Willamette River, and Mt. Hood.

Sami riding on the tram.

Downtown Portland, the Willamette River, and Mt. St. Helens.

"Landing" at the OHSU Center for Health & Healing.

Another view of downtown Portland.

Going back to our class in Kohler Pavillion.

Titus Canyon, Death Valley

Grapevine Mountains

We started driving on Titus Canyon road because we noticed there was a geocache on it. What we didn't know was that Titus Canyon Road is a 27 mile long one way street leading though an incredible canyon.

My pictures really don't do the drive justice. The colors were incredible. Blues, greens reds... I really need to get a polarizing filter for my camera. While this camera does great in the Oregon rainforest, it tends to overexpose things in the sunny desert.

We should have stopped to take pictures in Red Pass, but there were already a lot of cars there so we didn't. That was the main problem with taking photos in Titus Canyon. We felt like we couldn't safely park without preventing other cars from passing.

About halfway though our drive we stopped in the ghost town of Leadfield. The sign says it all.

I wouldn't want to live here.

Sami stands in front of the mine entrance with the GPS to claim a virtual geocache find.

The old outhouse.

I dont' remember if I've seen a lizard eating plants before, but this one was. He kept nibbling on this green leaf.

We saw a butterfly here too, although it was too fas for us to get a close up.

Petroglyph near Klare Spring

Click here to see entire lizard.

Interesting Rocks

Heading back to the car after investigating the petroglyphs and wildlife.

Entering the narrows of Titus Canyon

We passed a large group of Japanese tourists hiking through this part of the the canyon. They looked very hot and tired. I wondered how far they had to hike.

Video going though the narrows.

I apologize for bad video quality and the bird poop and glare on the windshield. It does give you an idea of our drive though.

We came out of the canyon just seconds before I stopped the video. I didn't know though, so I ruined a good shot by ending it too early.

Beatty, NV

We arrived in Las Vegas late Friday night and drove to Beatty, Nevada just north of Death Valley.

We spent the night in the Stagecoach - it had good reviews online but our room was near the laundry facilities or something. Loud machine noises kept us awake, and I accidentally set the time on the alarm clock and we woke up 2 hours earlier than we intended.

Bird in a palm tree outside the Stagecoach.

There were lots of these birds in the trees and on the Stagecoach sign. They were very noisy and made strange sounds.

Beatty has it's own "B" up on the mountain, just like the Hollywood sign.

Desert Paintbrush - Castilleja chromosa

Location of our first Nevada geocache.

Shortly after leaving the hotel we stopped at this rocky area along the roadside to search for a geocache.

View from the top.

Closeup of mountain.

Mormon Tea - Ephedra torreyana

Narrow-Leaf Crypanth -
Crypantha angustifolia -
AKA White Forget-Me-Nots

Gravel Ghost - Atrichoseris platyphylla