I always love having the ability to gain another view of a city. Sometimes it’s when you take an airplane somewhere – I always enjoyed the excitement of recognizing landmarks from the air. And sometimes, it’s having the ability to hike to a great vantage point and soak in the landscape.It started long before I ever played Sim City, but the fascination has increased since then. Sim City is creating and managing a city so it gives you a unique perspective looking down at what city planners have decided on. That curvy road? Oh the traffic! They put a TV antenna there? I bet that went over well with the citizens. 
A few weekends ago, it was a beautiful sunny clear day and we decided to take advantage and gain some perspective on Portland from above. The perfect spot to do this? Mt Tabor Park.
Portland Skyline From Mt. Tabor
Mt. Tabor is different from many other parks that we’ve been to, as it is a park on a volcanic cinder cone. Parking wasn’t super plentiful, but we lucked out and found a spot on the street.
Right by one of the water retention areas gave a beautiful view of Portland and the Willamette River. We hike up the road all the way to the top of the park and because of the clear day, got treated to a beautiful view of Mt. Hood. Continue around the top and an even more fabulous view of the city of Portland, surrounding by mountains. What a seriously perfect setting for a city to be located in.
As we traveled back down the mountain, we took the wooded trails and came across some fabulous picnic areas, kids play areas, along with large green expanses perfect for soaking up the rare Portland sun.
Wooded Path on Mt. Tabor
While I may not post about every park we visit here in Portland, occasionally a park is unique enough for a shout out, and Mt. Tabor fits the bill.
Glad to see you guys are still getting out and enjoying your surroundings. We have to work on that more when we are home.
Brenda recently posted..Whitewater Rafting Down The Hudson In The Adirondacks
It can be hard to do when you are focused on other things – plus I think it’s easy to take for granted what is nearby. It’s been a joy not owning a home & having the time on the weekend to get out & explore without a huge list of projects that might bog us down.:)