Armchair photo tours: Junction City Scandinavian Festival

Photos by Cheryl Landes On the second weekend in August, Junction City, in Oregon's southern Willamette Valley, celebrates its Scandinavian heritage with four days packed with mouth-watering traditional foods, performances by international dance troupes, storytelling, and craft demonstrations. And there are plenty of opportunities to join the dancers onstage. There's also a life-sized Dalecarlian (Dala) … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Junction City Scandinavian Festival

Armchair photo tours: Rock O’ the Range Bridge near Bend, Oregon

Photos by Cheryl Landes Rock O' the Range Bridge is the only covered bridge east of the Oregon Cascades. It was built in 1963, when William Bowen needed an access road across Swalley Canal, north of Bend, to the property he was developing. He decided that the bridge crossing the canal should be covered. Bowen … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Rock O’ the Range Bridge near Bend, Oregon

Armchair photo tours: The world’s tallest barber pole in Forest Grove, Oregon

Photos by Cheryl Landes In 1973, San Antonio, Texas, claimed the world's tallest barber pole at 40 feet. But when Chuck Olson saw it during a barbershop music convention, he knew he could make a bigger one in Oregon. After all, Oregon is famous for its tall trees. The timing was perfect, because a group … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: The world’s tallest barber pole in Forest Grove, Oregon

Armchair photo tours: Rogerson Clematis Gardens in Lake Oswego, Oregon

Photos by Cheryl Landes The Rogerson Clematis Gardens has the most extensive collection of clematis of any other public garden in North America. Nineteen hundred clematis representing more than 850 species grow in this garden behind the historic farmhouse and the greenhouses at Luscher Farm in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Brewster Rogerson started the collection in … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Rogerson Clematis Gardens in Lake Oswego, Oregon

Armchair photo tours: Hughes Water Gardens in Tualatin, Oregon

A lotus flower at the Hughes Water Gardens in Tualatin, Oregon Photos by Cheryl Landes Whether you're looking for garden ideas, ideas to brighten your yard, garden supplies, or you just want to browse the beautiful displays, Hughes Water Gardens is the place to go. The entrance to Hughes Water Gardens in Tualatin, Oregon This … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Hughes Water Gardens in Tualatin, Oregon

Armchair photo tours: Stark’s Vacuum Museum in Portland

Photos by Cheryl Landes Stark's Vacuum Museum is on a wall in the Stark's Vacuums showroom in downtown Portland, Oregon. Twenty-five vacuum cleaners from the late 1800s through the late 1970s are on display. There's also a timeline that covers milestones in vacuum cleaner history and technology, along with old ads and articles published in popular … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Stark’s Vacuum Museum in Portland

Armchair photo tours: Lelooska Museum and living history performance in Ariel, Washington

Photos by Cheryl Landes The Lelooska Foundation and Cultural Center in Ariel, Washington, was founded in 1977 by members of the Kwakwaka'wakw people. The center has a museum, educational programs and classes, and living history performances. The museum's collection includes items from different Native American cultures, such as handwoven baskets, bags made from corn husks, … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Lelooska Museum and living history performance in Ariel, Washington

Armchair photo tours: A hike at the Exit Glacier Visitor Center near Seward

The Exit Glacier Visitor Center near Seward, Alaska Photos by Cheryl Landes During the late Pleistocene era, a sheet of ice 2,500 feet thick filled Resurrection Bay. The ice carved a basin in the ocean floor that extends more than 40 miles into the Gulf of Alaska. Exit Glacier in the Kenai Fjords National Park is … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: A hike at the Exit Glacier Visitor Center near Seward

Armchair photo tours: A drive along the Resurrection River from Seward to the Exit Glacier Visitor Center

A view of the mountains and the Resurrection River during the drive from Seward, Alaska, to the Exit Glacier Visitor Center in Kenai Fjords National Park Photos by Cheryl Landes The 12-mile drive along the Resurrection River from Seward to the Exit Glacier Visitor Center is filled with panoramic views of mountains, water, and forests … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: A drive along the Resurrection River from Seward to the Exit Glacier Visitor Center

Armchair photo tours: Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward

A red-legged kittiwake in the aviary at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward Photos by Cheryl Landes Visiting the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward is a fun educational experience that combines close-up encounters with local marine life and birds, and interactive exhibits describing their habitats, behaviors, and the environmental factors affecting their survival. The Alaska … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward