Portland, Oregon Temple

Temple #33

Portland, Oregon 

May 14, 2015

 

     Oregon was our next stop on our road trip in the Pacific Northwest, and we were loving it! We started off the day by driving down the Columbia River Gorge. This is by far one of the prettiest places in Washington and Oregon. It is the border between the two states, and is breathtaking. 

     On our drive through the massive gorge we saw many small waterfalls that covered the area. The river was beautiful, and the mountains and hills surrounding it were luscious and green. 

 

     We made two stops on our way down the gorge. One was at a hike to a small double waterfall hidden in a canyon. The trail followed a small stream, and was canopied by trees thick with moss. The waterfall was beautiful and it was a fun little hike. 

     The next stop was at the famous Multnomah Falls, which was amazing. It's a 620 foot waterfall, with a picturesque bridge spanning before it. There is a hike to the top which we did as well, and gave an awesome view. 

 

     The gorge was gorgeous, (pun intended), to say the least. It was a wonderful drive and we were sad when it ended, yet we were excited to soon be to Portland. 

     We eventually made it to Portland that day, and went straight to the Temple. The Portland Temple is quite an amazing one. When you first drive to it, it appears massive and brilliant on a hill, right next to the freeway. It's impossible to miss, and was a great way to first see it. 

     We found parking, and walked around the temple. The temple grounds were gorgeous as well, with many tall trees and plants covering the hill and grounds. 

     We took our photos at the front of the temple, where a small reflection pool was. There is also a fountain on the other side of the temple. The temple was massive, and hard to fit into the picture. It stands at a height of 181 feet, with the main spire stretching high with the Angel Moroni statue. 

     It's a beautiful, six spires temple, with a floor plan similar to the Las Vegas Temple. We went inside, and were again blown away. It's a large temple inside and out, and just breathtaking. The Celestial room was amazing, with a grand staircase in the tall room. Even with all the pretty views and sights we've seen, the Celestial room was one of the most beautiful, and definitely the most peaceful. 

     We all loved the Portland Temple. It felt like a massive castle on a hill, placed in a colorful forest of trees and flowers. It was spiritual and wonderful. 

     We then went on to Portland, where we drove through downtown, which was clean and nice. We continued on, planning on going to the Seattle Temple next, but making a detour to the beach. 

     The drive to the ocean was pretty and green. We drove through some nice towns, and pretty areas, including Astoria where The Goonies was filmed. At one point we were even able to drive on the beach, which was a fun experience, although Darcy and Vera had some disagreements on the idea, especially in a rental car. 

 

     We then headed to our hotel, which was a Best Western. A good recommendation on traveling is if you want to be cheap, and get a good breakfast with your stay, Best Westerns and Best Western Plus’ are the best. 

     We tried finding the hostel, which we thought was in Olympia, but found out was far away in a completely different city than we expected, in Auburn. It all worked out though, because we found a delicious Thai restaurant. 

     We were pretty much the only people in the restaurant, but it was extremely tasty. We all loved it, and it was Vera’s birthday the next day so it was her choice. We talked to the couple who owned the restaurant, and they were the kindest Thai couple ever. They wished and sung Vera happy birthday, offered her a beer, (which she kindly denied), and then left us with hugs. 

     When we got in the car, we were so happy and uplifted by the kind Thai couple and their delicious food that we wanted to do something for them. We always carry a Book of Mormon with us when traveling, hoping to give it to someone. I had the strongest urge to give it to this couple, and so we flipped around on the road and drove back to the Thai restaurant.

     Ivy and I went inside and gave the couple the book. They were excited and pleased with the gift, and gave us both hugs. They said they would read it, and then the wife gave us her Facebook information, and we soon after added her. We still stay in contact with her, and although they may not be baptized or anything, they still have the Book of Mormon and say they read it every once in awhile. 

     With a combination of the the beauty of nature, the breathtaking Portland Temple, and giving away a Book of Mormon, it was a terrific day.