Lake Katherine

Back in September, Sandra and I returned to Chicago for my niece's wedding. Earlier in the day on Saturday, several members of my immediate family had a chance to visit Lake Katherine, a nature preserve in the Chicago suburb of Palos Heights. Along the Cal Sag Channel, the preserve is home to a pond, a small waterfall, arboretum, and gardens.

While my Mom walked on the trail which circles the pond, my brother Steve, his wife Jamie, Sandra, and I set off in canoes to enjoy the water. The weather was near perfect for the end of September and I captured some video using the Flip camera. It's not great for capturing still images (image quality is nowhere near as good), but it certainly is convenient and easy to use. Here's a photomontage of the pond, Jamie, the ducks at the waterfall, and Sandra at the helm:



Lake Katherine, Water Images

Click on the image for a larger view.

While Lake Katherine is no secret to the southwest suburbs, this was my first visit. I enjoyed the leisurely canoe trip across the pond. For more information about activities at the nature preserve, check their website. It's a place worth spending a nice weekend afternoon.

Here's one last image of the gardens:



Monarchs Enjoying the Flowers

Eclipse

I haven't mentioned the site often recently, but NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day is still showcasing wonderful images of astronomical and meterological phenomena. The Christmas Eve post, Eclipsed Moon in the Morning, presented a cool (yes literally too) photo by Roger N. Clark. Check it out. The world can be a wonderland, sometimes even a wintry wonderland.

Heading Home

The Wednesday returning home from Portland was a day of travel. Portland to Phoenix to Denver to Nashville...I definitely prefer direct flights. Though there is something to being in a plane at the gate at Phoenix and being asked to lower the shades on the windows because it's 118 degrees outside. There is also something to catching the sunset over the mountains at Denver.



Setting Sun at Denver's Airport

Willamette Valley and Wine

On our last full day in Portland, we headed out to the Willamette Valley, a noted region for Pinot Noir. The goal was to taste some good wines. In order to make the visits easier, we turned to Ron Burke of Oregon Wine Tours.



Vines of Rabbit Ridge

Our first stop was Ayres Vineyard. This was Ron's suggestion and the family-owned winery didn't disappoint. Ayres specializes in Pinot Noir from Ribbon Ridge, which is a small AVA (American Viticultural Area) in the northern part of the valley. They also produce a Pinot Blanc in limited quantities which was sold out when we tasted.

Co-owner, Don McCLure led us through the offerings. The entry level red, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, is light-bodied, but deceptively rich with flavors that linger on the palette. The upper level Ribbon Ridge and Pioneer are fuller and are excellent examples of fine Oregon Pinot. We took home 2 bottle of each red.



Pinot Noir Grapes at Ayres Vineyard

After the tasting, we looked out over the vineyard. For late August, the grapes had not turned color yet, which meant it might a record late date for veraison. While the lateness could lead to a dicey season with not a lot of fruit, the slow maturity can also lead to complex flavors and 2011 might be an exceptional vintage for Willamette wines.



Adelsheim Logo

Our next stop was Adelsheim Vineyard, a recommendation from the owner of the Wine Chap, the retail wine shop we visit in Tennessee. Established in 1971, the winery is one of Oregon's oldest and largest producers. They are also very forward-thinking with a tasting room that is located in an eco-friendly building (low volume toliets, etc.). Adelsheim makes a variety of whites and reds across various price points. Sandra and I thought the Pinot Blanc was a nice racy offering. For the reds, the winery was sampling high end selections . At $50 and $60 a bottle, we can't afford a lot of wine at that price, though we did find the Bryan Creek Vineyard wine worth a little overindulgence.


Vines from the Adelsheim Patio

Afterwards, Ron drove into Newberg for lunch at Recipe, a fairly new restaurant in wine country. It was good to relax outside and enjoy a well-prepared meal.


Sandra Studies the Outdoor Seating at Recipe

Recharged, we now made our way along some backroads on the western side of the valley. I was glad that Ron was doing the driving. I was also glad when we arrived at Lange Winery.



Lange Estate and the Valley

I used to sell Lange wines when I worked for a small distributor, Wine-O-Rama, in Chicago, so I wanted to see the land from where those wines originated. The tasting room is substantially above the valley floor, and the area offers majestic views. Like Adelsheim, Lange is one of the older producers with a significant production. Also like at the previously visted winery, we tasted whites and reds. Again, the Pinot Noirs focused on more expensive single vineyard selections. The barrel-aged Pinot Gris Reserve found our shopping cart, or in this case, wine box, as did the exquisitive Lange Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir.



One More Look at the Willamette Valley

Perched on the hillside, Ron showed us our last destination, his recommendation of Anderson Family Vineyards, on the valley floor. From the heights of Lange, Anderson Family appeared flat. Arriving, I realized that it was an illusion as their vineyard hugs an unsually steep and large hill. This terrain can be ideal for drainage and producing flavorful grapes.

Winemaker Jonathan Riekert greeted us. Anderson Valley does tastings by appointment only. It was a special treat to talk with the winemaker and to taste a vertical selection, 2007 and 2008, of their Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir.



Wine in the Making at Anderson Family Vineyard

Sandra and I spent a long time tasting and discussing wines with Jonathan. He also showed us some of the vineyard from the hilltop. Farming the terrain is very labor-intensive, but the efforts show in the bottle. Sandra was impressed and joined the wine club.



Vines at Anderson Family

Overall, it was a great day of seeing the Willamette Valley and tasting great wine. Ron Burke of Oregon Wine Tours was a knowledgable and excellent guide. His two recommendations, Ayres and Anderson Family, were the highlights of the tour. If you want to spend some extra money and not worry about drinking and driving from winery to winery, I would suggest his services. He will bring you to places you probably wouldn't discover on your own.

For lovers of wine, particularly Pinot Noir, the Willamette Valley is a wonderful place.

...and the scenery isn't too bad either...
check this Mount Hood Peering Above the Ridge.

The Grotto, Upper Level

Rising over a hundred feet, the elevator brings you to the top of the cliff and its views. To the left built along the bluff's edge is the Meditation Chapel, which offers a quiet space to reflect and absorb the stunning panorama of Portland's northeast neighborhoods and international airport. In the distance, stretch the Cascades, most notably Mount Saint Helens. On a clear day, like the day Sandra and I visited, you can even make out the peak of Mount Rainier.

Perched on the cliffside, I could sit and see the streams of afternoon traffic on the interstate. People have to be places. Yet, there I was sitting. Off in the distance, mountains stood. The view's juxtaposition of nature and civilization does lead you to think about your place in the world.

I didn't take any photos initially because I didn't want to intrude in the reflections of the other guests. The Grotto's website has 2 excellent photos: Views of the Chapel.



Sandra Along the Path

A path winds along lawns and gardens and through mature trees. From small brightly hued flowers to the long vertical lines of bark which rise to leaves and greenness, the scale impresses. It's living, wild and manicured.



A Fern


Petals of Blue

Built in 1936 and renovated in 1985, the Monastery, home to Servite friars, combines with a rose garden to give a very Old World charm to a section of the Upper Level.



The Monastery

Much like the Portland's International Rose Test Garden, I could easily take hundreds of Grotto images in a matter of hours and fill the blog. You can see more of the flower images uploaded on Image Shack by clicking:
Rose at the Rose Garden
Again in Blue
Ahead on the Path

I won't say that the photos capture all the beauty or even a tenth of the serenity. Those aspects of moments need to be experienced and discovered. Though, sometimes, the angle of sunlight and a water sprinkler combine to leave an impression which a camera can catch.



Water's Prism

A pond, a walking labyrinth, shrines inspired by cultural heritages--these too create what is the Grotto's Upper Level.



Falling into a Late Afternoon Pond

Completing the trails, we visited the Meditation Chapel one more time. I stitched this composite of the viewing windows.



Planes of View from The Grotto's Meditation Chapel

Please click on the above link to see a larger image. The breadth of the scene is indelible. I would gladly visit the place again.

For more images and information, please check The Grotto's website.

Simply...
Yes, I would gladly return.

Morning Walk

This morning at the bus stop, we caught a flock of turkey grazing in a clearing several hundred yards away. Wild turkey isn't a particularly unusual species for Tennessee. Regularly at the golf driving range, Sandra and I would spot a group of the birds grazing. Though today, they numbered over a dozen and that's something you don't see every day in the city.

Blog Update

With the semester winding down, I should be catching up with the blog. Over the next couple of days, I should finish the Portland posts and move on to more recent activities...of course, they are a few weeks old now too... :)

Interesting Link

I found this interesting article on Yahoo: Tsunami Clouds in Alabama.

Wild...

The Grotto

Green Space

It's not quite a secret, since thousands visit. But compared to other Portland attractions, The Grotto is quite a hidden gem. The site was bought in 1923 and building work began shortly afterwards. Among the first things constructed was the opening in the side of the bluff where an altar was built for outdoor services.


Altar

Formally known as The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, the Grotto is home to the Servite order of the Catholic Church, but welcomes "people from around the world, people of all faiths and no faith" to visit. Harmonious and living, the sense of sanctuary permeates the 62 acres.



Berries in August


A Spider's Home

Though a more traditional Church stands on the site, the open air area for services dominates the lower level. With the cliffside altar and a statue of Mary overlooking the clearing from above, the setting forces the concept of religion to be part of the world.



A Statue of Mary Looks Over the Grotto

The lower level by itself would be considered a sanctuary, though the Grotto offers more along the top of the bluff.



Elevator to the Top