Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland

November 17, 2024

Japanese Maples Fall Color

'Skeeter's Broom' is the most colorful maple in our garden. I have just returned from a 2-week trip to Japan. This was my first ever trip outside the United States. It was an amazing experience and one I will never forget. Japan was wonderful - they really have their act together and I think the U.S. could learn a few things from them. There was one disappointment on the trip - the fall color had barely begun there and was really just beginning as we left. That is okay because the gardens were still spectacular, and I got a nice shot of fall color when I got back. 'Ryusen' I missed a few things - our ginkgo had just turned a glorious color the day before I left, and the leaves were gone by the time I got back. 'Sango-Kaku' I came home to many leaves on the ground but still a lot on the trees. 'Osakazuki', a beautiful red maple always changed color very late and therefore doesn't usually last long. When I left there was no color but a few remaini

Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, Oregon

The Tom McCall Waterfront Park (named for a former Oregon governor), stretches along the western side of the Willamette River. At the southern tip is a harbor, restaurants (we ate at a good seafood restaurant here) and an amazing garden filled with ornamental grasses and other plants. This is where these photographs were taken.

If you head north, you approach a walking area (you can see it in the bottom photograph, next to the seafood restaurant), that extends all the way up to Naito Parkway and the downtown area where our condo was located. This area is popular with joggers, bikers, people walking their pets, etc. The space was once a freeway. It was torn down in 1975 and this park was created. It opened to the public in 1978.