Treehouse Trails: All the Way to the Top

Tucked away in the midst of the busy streets of Portland, Oregon is a sanctuary of both beauty and reverence.

On the ledge of the upper grounds of The Grotto, this bronze casting of the Pieta sculpture by Michelangelo is one of only twelve that the Vatican allowed to be made.

Backed by enormous glass windows overlooking the city, it is not only a tranquil shrine to reflect and pray in, but also a gathering place for old friends, new friends, and strangers.

"To see friends, work, tango!"

"Some days because I have to, other times because it is beautiful outside and I want to see it and be in it. And because a cat really wants me to."

"I am happy to be able to move my body."

Take a walk through their beautiful gardens and Stations of the Cross and enjoy the smell of freshly mowed (yes, mowed in February!) grass and step inside the St. Anne Chapel! (St. Anne is Sarah's Confirmation Saint!

Pulling into the parking lot of Multnomah Falls, no sooner had we gotten out of the car, when we heard someone yelling at us. “Whoa! Whoa! You guys from Indiana?! Man! That’s like 3,000 miles from here. We’re from Chicago! You, you drove here all the way from Indiana?! Sweet ride.”
Well random stranger from Chicago, why thanks, we think our Yoda is pretty swell ourselves.

The chilly mist from the falls was all that was needed to convince us we should get a warm mocha! A local coffee blend, it was one of the best mocha's that we’ve had yet!

"To see friends, family, meet new people, to go to school, and work."

"I have to get up because I don't want my wife 'grumpy' to wake up before me."

"Because Jesus loves me."

Feeling fit? Don’t just walk across the bridge, keep going and take the mile up hike to the top of the Falls!

You’re probably thinking, “One mile? Pssh. No problem.” And that’s what we were thinking too. That is, until we realized that when they say one mile up, they mean that you will literally be walking straight up the mountainside.