Portland
Ships Parade & Hotel Benson
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Ships Parade
Our DIL invited us to join them to see the 68th Christmas Ships Parade in Portland on the Willamette River on December 20, 2022. Despite the rain, many people were interested in seeing the ships decorated for Christmas.
The event was organized and paid for by ship owners in the area. Many skippers didn’t sail out this evening due to the stormy weather.
Our son and DIL arrived after the last boat sailed towards Milwaukee, OR. While the visitors left, we waited until the ships returned.
Meanwhile, we also enjoyed Portland’s Downtown Skyline with all the sparkling lights. I should have brought my tripod for better-quality pictures!
Hotel Benson
My DIL and I met at The Palm Court at the Hotel Benson in Portland on the shortest day of the year for lunch, to see the gingerbread display, and to stroll downtown. The historic hotel opened in 1913 and still reflects a golden era, like the lavish Palm Court restaurant in the lobby.
The Gingerbread Display
The annual gingerbread display is a 50-year Portland holiday tradition. Pastry chef David Diffendorfer has been creating gingerbread pieces for decades. This year, his gingerbread masterpiece showed Multnomah Falls, the tallest waterfall in Oregon. He used “150 pounds of house-made gingerbread, 50 pounds of marzipan, 20 pounds of chocolate, and 10 pounds of Rice Krispies treats”.
Since it was so cold and windy, we skipped the walk downtown and walked to a different restaurant for coffee and soup. Afterward, we took the Max Light Rail back home, each in opposite directions. This enjoyable afternoon will definitely be repeated!
Date
12/20/2022,
12/21/2022
Distance
2 miles
2 miles
Moving Time
40 minutes
40 minutes
Weather
wind, clouds,
freezing cold