A Portland Photowalk

Saturday March 30 was one of those freakishly hot days that sometimes appear in Portland in early spring: clear blue sky and a high temperature in the upper 80s. So I took my camera downtown to capture the cherry blossoms in bloom, and ended up spending several hours on a very pleasant photowalk. Here are some highlights.

Waterfront Park with Cherry Blossoms — Cherry blossoms in Waterfront Park, Portland

The cherry blossoms were lovely and smelled so good. It's particularly magical when a breeze comes up and the blossoms fall like light snow. I don't think any of my photos captured their beauty properly, which is a little disappointing, but it was fun to try.

Portlandia statue at the Portland Building

Portland Sign in Black and White — Some fun with black-and-white: the Portland sign at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

Mark Building from Park, Portland, Oregon — View across the Park Blocks to the 1925 Mark Building, now part of the Portland Art Museum.

Mark Building Facade in Autumn, Portland, Oregon — East facade of the Mark Building with fall foliage reflected in the upper window. Built in 1925 as a Masonic Temple, it is now part of the Portland Art Museum. Portland, Oregon, USA.

After a couple of hours in the hot sun I was ready for a break and cold drink. As I happened to be near the historic Ladd Carriage House, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to check out the new Raven & Rose restaurant.

The Ladd Carriage House was built in 1883 and was thoroughly restored before opening as the Raven and Rose restaurant in January 2013.

Raven & Rose Interior — Main dining area

Raven & Rose: Wood Oven — Wood oven, made from bricks salvaged from the building's chimney

Raven & Rose: Artisan Flatbread — A delicious product of the oven: artisan flatbread with local hazelnuts, apples, bacon, gruyere and leafy greens

Raven & Rose Interior: The Rookery — Seeing my camera and interest, the friendly staff made sure I went upstairs to see The Rookery, a bar and lounge area which was very cool.

I ended my walk back where I started, in Waterfront Park. As it was nearing sunset, the light was much better this time around.

I wasn't the only photographer taking advantage of the light and the blossoms!