We tend to stay home on weekends -- letting the people who have to work during the week have their space! We can always go outside to play. But Saturday was so beautiful, I couldn't resist. It was a perfect day for a visit to the Rose Garden.
We've had a mix of rainy and super-hot days lately, so I was pleased that there were still many perfect blooms.
I started the walk from the Greenway Bike Bridge over the Willamette River. This is kind of in our neighborhood -- just a couple of miles -- so could have walked here from home, but I'm a little out of shape lately from not doing much of anything. I didn't want to be too tired to continue to the Rose Garden on the foot path.
This foot and bike bridge starts just behind the parking lot for Valley River Center, the largest shopping mall in our county. The mall has re-opened, but from the looks of the parking lot it did not appear to be very busy on Saturday morning. (I had no intention of checking it out for myself.)
I turned left at the end of the bridge and meandered along the walking/bike path. The River is on one side of the path and on the other it goes by open space, a couple of community gardens and a Park and Recreation building (where River sports are taught in better times). There were more people out and about on this lovely day than I've seen on neighborhood walks for a while. I'd say about half were masked and everyone seemed to be maintaining social distance. It felt completely safe.
The bike path continues but I veered off at the Rose Garden. (My phone app told me I'd walked a little fewer than 2000 steps at this point.) Paths within the Garden are for walking only ...
...which is a good thing, as I wasn't the only one who kept stopping suddenly to take a picture -- or just to ooh and aah. It's not a place to hurry through.
The Owen Cherry Tree is a centerpiece of the Gardens. It was planted in 1847 by Eugene Skinner, the City's founder. George Owen, for whom the park is named, later acquired the property and eventually donated it to the City.
I walked further on the bike path after a couple of circuits around the Gardens and then back-tracked to the bridge, certainly more than doubling the number of steps it took to get there.
The partial picture of a map at the bridge shows a few of the trails that start in our neighborhood. I'm grateful for the many beautiful and accessible parks and walking paths in our City and County.
Here's a whole bouquet of perfection from the Garden.
LINKING THIS WEEK to the following sharing opportunities: Thank you to the hosts.
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Looks like my kind of walk. I love the roses and other shots. We've also had a mix of rain and extra hot days but I'm guessing the heat is unusual where you live. My daughter moved to Seattle from Maryland in March and she doesn't have A.C. which is normally fine there but they had a stretch of hot days too. It's cooled off there recently which is a relief for her.
Posted by: Carver | July 11, 2020 at 11:30 AM
looks like a lovely place to walk and what an amazing (ancient!) cherry tree
Posted by: craftygreenpoet | July 08, 2020 at 11:58 PM
beautiful flowers and lovely garden to walk
Posted by: Tanza Erlambang | July 08, 2020 at 06:27 PM
How beautiful...I only have the one rose bush, but we have friends whose entire yard is roses and roses and they need a lot of work to keep beautiful.....
Posted by: Michelle Banks | July 06, 2020 at 10:01 PM
Lovely walk.
Posted by: Lisa at Greenbow | July 06, 2020 at 04:40 AM
When I see roses I always think about the amount of time that must have been used to foster all the different colours and shapes. My Mum (Mom!) had a special fondness for roses, although we never had a garden for flowers.
Hope all is well - Stewart M - Melbourne
Posted by: Stewart M | July 05, 2020 at 12:34 AM
we have the same habit, stay close to home on the weekend and go out and about during the week. unless there is a good festival or fair on the weekend, but we don't have to worry about that right now!!
the roses are gorgeous, i love rose gardens and seeing all the variety of rose colors!!!
Posted by: Debbie | July 04, 2020 at 03:28 PM
Good to see those CANADA Geese there, Sallie! Make sure you take good care of them!
Posted by: David Gascoigne | July 04, 2020 at 02:51 AM
Those are beautiful roses and a lovely place to walk. I enjoyed learning about the Owen Tree and the story behind it, and I liked looking at the map. Comforting to hear that people were behaving sensibly and that you felt safe. Thank you for another lovely post Sallie :) Have a great weekend!
Posted by: DeniseinVA | July 03, 2020 at 03:05 PM
Amazing to think that the cherry tree is so old - surely deserves its center piece in the gardens. Wow, what roses - I especially love that peach colored rose - so beautiful. Thank you Sallie for taking me along - wishing a lovely weekend.
Posted by: riitta k | July 03, 2020 at 08:23 AM
Beautiful flowers! I also avoid popular places on weekends. Sometimes I feel like I'm playing PacMan with the virus.
Posted by: Linda Walcroft | July 02, 2020 at 09:10 PM
Beautiful roses! And I enjoyed seeing your other photos, too.
Posted by: Lea's Menagerie | July 02, 2020 at 01:47 PM
That really is a bouquet of perfection! Beautiful photos. I really like the huge cherry tree.
Posted by: Peter B. | July 02, 2020 at 01:00 PM
A beautiful walk and nice roses!
Posted by: Maje | July 02, 2020 at 12:40 PM
Oh my , so lovely..I don't blame you for getting out there and enjoying the scenery.
Stay safe...my son is an ER nurse at Salem General...he says please wear your mask and stay your distance too.
Sue
Posted by: Suzan Batz | July 02, 2020 at 11:14 AM
Beautiful and memorable trip you can find beautiful flowers. I am glad to see it.
Have a nice week and greetings :)
Posted by: Himawan Sant | July 02, 2020 at 12:10 AM
Such a lovely combination of walks along the river and through the gardens. Love your photos of the roses.
Posted by: Gaelyn | July 01, 2020 at 07:56 PM
Beautiful shots.
Posted by: Jim, Sydney, Australia | July 01, 2020 at 05:41 PM
My, what stunning scenes! I would take forever to get through the walk--and hold up traffic, too, I bet!
We tend to do our 'tourist' visits during the week, too. We don't play well with others :)
'My Corner of the World' is happy to see you this week! Thanks for linking.
Posted by: betty - NZ | July 01, 2020 at 04:20 PM
My gosh, Sallie, what an incredible area. Those roses are so very special!
Posted by: Hootin Anni | July 01, 2020 at 10:16 AM
...we stay at home most days, but if we go out it's during the week. Those roses sure brightened up my day. Thanks Sallie for joining in today!
Posted by: tomthebackroadstraveller | July 01, 2020 at 09:03 AM
We stay home on weekends and get our jaunts in during the week, less people.
Lots of things still closed here which is fine by me.
Posted by: Jackie | July 01, 2020 at 05:03 AM
:-) Nice of you to give others room, but I reckon they´d rather love to have you around, you seem to be really nice guys :-)
Posted by: Iris Flavia | July 01, 2020 at 01:08 AM
What a great walk and such beautiful roses.
We a very small Rose garden in Perth.
Posted by: Sami Veloso | July 01, 2020 at 12:12 AM
Oh, I enjoyed this. Is there anything more perfect than a rose garden in June?
Amalia
xo
Posted by: handmade by amalia | June 30, 2020 at 10:05 PM
Lovely roses. I just planted mine into a pot on our deck outside. You said the mall was quiet, do you think people are wary of being out around others?
Posted by: Amy Franks | June 30, 2020 at 07:36 PM
There are so many beautiful places to see in Oregon--- dramatic beaches, lighthouses, rivers, mountains, and of course roses! Thank you for sharing photos from your rose garden walk.
Posted by: Sandra Nachlinger | June 30, 2020 at 04:32 PM
Such a magnificent tree and rose garden. Glad you could be out to get all those steps. Looks like a wonderful neighborhood to live in and enjoy.
Posted by: ellen b. | June 30, 2020 at 02:13 PM
Just look at all those beautiful roses! So pretty.
Posted by: Kara | June 30, 2020 at 01:40 PM
I love areas with a variety of trails and paths and your park certainly fits the bill. Smart to get people to walk their bikes, otherwise their would be a few that would fly through.
Posted by: Alan Bates | June 30, 2020 at 12:38 PM
What a beautiful place to walk and explore. Love all the colourful flowers. Have a wonderful week, Sallie.
Posted by: bill burke | June 30, 2020 at 12:37 PM
Wow! I'd be in front of those roses clicking away all day! Fabulous!
We hope you're not missing our 98 F temps and 98 % humidity too much!
Have a terrific week, Sallie.
Posted by: Wally Jones | June 30, 2020 at 12:24 PM
I so enjoyed this virtual walk with you, only wish I could have smelt the roses 😊 Stay safe and keep well, Diane
Posted by: Diane | June 30, 2020 at 10:50 AM
What a beautiful walk. I love the roses.
Posted by: Fun60 | June 30, 2020 at 10:47 AM
I love the color extravaganza of those roses. I wish I had some in my yard. Right now, we have berries. Lots of yummy berries.
Posted by: Sharon Wagner | June 30, 2020 at 08:24 AM
How nice to have a river walk so close at hand...and the roses are lovely...I stopped doing malls years ago, and have no plans to ever enter one again, Im doing the same thing doing my errands on weekdays and not weekends!! Have a great week.
Posted by: Sondra | June 30, 2020 at 06:03 AM
beautiful rose garden
Posted by: Tanza Erlambang | June 30, 2020 at 04:53 AM
Nice to get out and about! Those roses are fabulous.
Posted by: Lady Fi | June 29, 2020 at 11:14 PM
Loved you showed rose -land to us at All Seasons. As far as I know they end to stay up better than some other flowers with hot weather. Am amazed at the variety and colors (can you tell roses are my number one flower, am gaga over them and painted several of them!) Many thanks for sharing Sallie, and am happy you felt safe during this endeavor:) Have a lovely rosy week, Jesh
Posted by: junieper/jes | June 29, 2020 at 09:24 PM
What a beautiful garden, Sallie!
The roses are so pretty!
Posted by: Veronica Lee | June 29, 2020 at 08:36 PM
I have been to this rose garden and they do have pretty nice collection. I enjoy the history of the cherry tree.
Posted by: Emma and Buster | June 29, 2020 at 05:02 PM
Glorious flowers!
I love me a good park!
Happy trails.
Posted by: Jennifer Jilks | June 29, 2020 at 03:58 PM
So beautiful, Sallie! I don't know why, but roses this summer seem to be more prolific than ever before! Both my daughter and I have more roses in our gardens than ever before.
Posted by: Pat | June 29, 2020 at 03:36 PM
Beautiful array of nature, love them.
Posted by: Bob Bushell | June 29, 2020 at 02:22 PM
What a fantastic park and lovely roses. I do the same, walk and take pictures plus check my step count. What did we do before phones? LOL
Dawn aka Spatulas On Parade
Posted by: Dawn aka Spatulas On Parade | June 29, 2020 at 10:52 AM
Thank you for the bouquet of roses, they quite made my day! Well done on getting out into the fresh air and staying away from the Mall. I'm trying to up my daily step rate too but with the rain we've had this past week I have been staying indoors way too much.
Happy MM
Posted by: Maggie Bryant | June 29, 2020 at 10:19 AM
A great walk, thanks for taking us along. The roses are gorgeous!
Posted by: Karen, Pixel Posts | June 29, 2020 at 07:53 AM
What a lovely stroll through the rose garden! I too would have wanted to stop and admire the blooms and enjoy their fragrance. The weather here has been changeable. Last week we were able to spend a lot of time in the garden, but the weekend has turned wet so a walk will have to wait. Take care Sallie. Have a good week.
Posted by: Linda P | June 29, 2020 at 07:33 AM
In Thailand, We are all pretty good about wearing our masks at all times. This looks a perfect summers afternoon walk - there is nothing better than a rose garden ...well maybe an orchid farm! Have a lovely week!
Wren x
Posted by: Little Wandering Wren | June 29, 2020 at 06:43 AM
It really is nice to have some trails open to walking only. I want to drive over to a botanical garden this week...maybe one morning! Love the rose blooms and I love maps and enjoyed seeing the map of the trail. Let's see...where should we meet? At the viewing platform? Hugs!
Posted by: Lavender Dreams | June 29, 2020 at 05:40 AM
Hello, Sallie,
What a beautiful walk, the roses and scenery are lovely.
Hubby and I try to visit most places during week, the weekend are usually too crowded. Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy new week!
Posted by: EileeninMD | June 29, 2020 at 04:39 AM
Good morning, dear Sallie... it's time between the birthday Breakfast and lunch to visit other Blogs. My husband, the silver surfer has Birthday today.
Your walk looks perfect. A wonderful area. The roses are fantastisc. Thank you for sharing this lovely captures. Giving tips around.
...
I answered to your comments by the way
Thank you Sallie for your good inspiration, the visit and the experience with Amish Country. I agree, any travel let us learn of each other - it's a good definition.
We have no caravan, but we travel around with the Honda Goldwing. Stay healthy.
Happy MosaicMonday
Posted by: // Heidrun | June 28, 2020 at 11:49 PM
So beautiful roses! I'd like to smell them.
And I love that old cherry tree! Really an impressive centerpiece!
Posted by: Calendula | June 28, 2020 at 10:41 PM
Oh, Sallie, we were on the same page this week - roses, roses and more roses. A beautiful bouquet indeed!!! Isn't it wonderful to get outside? I feel that summer has finally arrived. How considerate of you to (usually) let the workers have public spaces on the weekends. Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday!
Posted by: Angie | June 28, 2020 at 09:54 PM
Mmmmm, delicate and fragrant. Your walk is my kind of walk, Sallie. Back in the late 1980s, I walked once along the Willamette in Eugene. The footbridge sparked the memory box. Cheers, Sallie!
Posted by: Su-sieee! Mac | June 28, 2020 at 07:05 PM
When we were looking for a place to park the RV to go to Oregon softball games, we considered the Valley River Center. I also read at one of the apps that they allow you to park overnight, but don't know if that is still the case. We ended up parking at a Safeway (after shopping) and took and Uber to campus. We stayed at Armitage Regional Park, a spot we really like for games, and travel north and south to California. - Margy
Posted by: Margy | June 28, 2020 at 05:28 PM
Sallie, What a great walk with such lovely scenery. We've learned not to go on popular trails on the weekends! Breckenridge is busy again with tourists. Masks are supposed to be mandatory, but of course there is no enforcement, so many go without.I haven't seen any roses at high altitude, so your post is a real treat for me. Stay well!
Posted by: Barb | June 28, 2020 at 05:21 PM
ah I do love roses!
Posted by: Carol | June 28, 2020 at 03:50 PM