Silverton 15 October 2017

We drove up to Silver Falls State Park, the crown jewel in a stunning collection of Oregon State Parks, first to return the mortal remains (ashes) of our beloved brother Michael Elkan to the stream he lived and worked beside for most of his best years...

...and then to take the long (Parks says 4.3 miles, we say more like 6) walk from North Falls (right below which we scattered the ashes in the stream) down past four lovely waterfalls (see below), then back up past three more. 

One of the special things about this amazing concentration of waterfalls is that you can (or must) walk behind four of them. The roar of the water striking the rocks and pool below, the screen of falling water between you and the rest of the world, is a very special experience.

Many folks focus on the falling water – as a display, it's the equal of Plitviçka in Croatia – but for me, the Oregon foliage, moisture augmented by the falls, is the main event.

We're all wiped out from our walk, but we have enough energy to go out to dinner at Silver Grille, Silverton's finest. How fine is that? Delicious! A superb "Naughty Librarian" salad with chunks of pear and gorgonzola – Oregonzola! – and a perfectly sauced pork loin, followed by a bombe of chocolate mousse covered with raspberry mousse, and a nice glass of porto. Chuck is now a believer.