We all want what we can’t have, right? I live a beautiful place.  I get the mild Southern California weather, and I am close to the beach (though not close enough to pay and arm and a leg for it).  Yet occasionally, I need a change of pace, and the Pacific Northwest is just what the doctor ordered. It has everything I love: the mountains, the water, and GREEN (which we are severely lacking)

My friend and I decided to explore Oregon, specifically, the local waterfalls along the Columbia River Gorge and the State Park south of Portland.  We only had four days, and with all that we wanted to see, it was a little ambitious as none of the waterfalls were close to Portland: everything was a drive!

I have to say though, the hardest part is probably getting to the first waterfall, because all the waterfalls are relatively close to each other after that.  I think my favorite spot of the spots we did get to see was Silver Falls State Park, which is south of Portland.  That little park itself contains a loop of multiple falls, so I think it may be the most worthwhile excursion if you are looking for quantity.

Unfortunately, due to time restraints, we could not see all the falls, but we did get to see two beautiful falls.  This one below is probably my favorite of the two, due to the sheer fact that no one else was there and we got the entire place to ourselves.  That truly is the best part of being in nature though, to get to enjoy it without the distractions of other people.

Note to self: I need more practice on how to trigger my camera with a remote while giving myself enough time to pose! I suppose the alternative is having someone actually press the shutter for me, but that option is not always available.