School field trip to one of my favorite parks in Portland: Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden.  The morning was cloudy but not a drop of rain and it was a perfect 60 degrees. I love Portland!

Today we took our students on a short walk through the newly opened Orenco Woods Park…

The route finally meets with the Rock Creek Trail, making for a extended walk for next time

Loop trail

In progress art installation

After almost two years of visiting over fifty McMenamins properties and collecting stamps from all the venues, we have successfully completed the McMenamins Passport program!  We received our final stamp yesterday at the Cornelius Pass Roadhouse and then drove out to the Grand Lodge to validate our passports and receive our prizes:

• Cosmic Tripster t-shirt
• Key Chain (they were out)
• Drinks at happy hour prices Sunday-Thursday
• Pair of concert tickets or movie tickets
• Three overnight stays at any of their hotels — valid for two years
• Cosmic Tripster party

The prizes are valued at over $500, and it only costed us $30 each.  We enjoyed exploring all the properties and will definitely get another passport to complete for the future.  Between the both of us, we have a total of SIX free nights to stay at their hotels and although there are blackout dates, we are very excited to start planning for our staycations.  Hooray for McMenamins Passport!