Shiro's Travels

A photo blog of this bear's adventures

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Hello friends!

This bear would like to share their many adventures, past and future, and wishes you safe travels on your own adventures.

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Reconnecting with old friends, The Three Otters by Georgia Gerber (2011] in Port Townsend.

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This bear recently visited Port Townsend, Washington. There are so many wonderful things to see, including public art like the Courting Pigeon Guillemots statue by Tony Angell (2014). The sea birds didn't let a sea bear's shenanigans intrude on their romance.

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This bear visited Lake Quinault in the Quinault Rainforest in the Olympic National Park. Some of the local residents include cougars and bears. While this bear was diaappointed to not see any relatives, my photographer seemed strangely relieved. After a rainy walk, we warmed up by the fireplace at Lake Quinault Lodgewhich was built in 1926.

The lake and lodge are on Quinault Indian Nation land.

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This bear visited Nijo-jo Castle in Kyoto, Japan. The castle was built in 1624 by the Tokugawa Shogunate and was recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994.

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This bear visited the tea fields on the Makinohara Plateau in Shimada, Shizuoka.

The Makinohara Plateau is the largest tea growing region in Japan and one of the largest in Asia at over 12,000 acres (5,000 hectares) in size, producing significantly more tea than one bear can consume.

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This bear had a great time inside the holiday yurt at Swanson's Nursery. Many cozy spots by the fire = many bear naps acquired.

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Happy Holidays from this bear to you!

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This bear visited Ruby Beach and the Kalaloch Big Cedar in the Olympic National Park.

Ruby Beach is adjacent to several sea stacks that are slightly larger than a bear.

The Sitka cedar is believed to be over 1,000 years old and is the third largest of its kind, standing 175 feet tall which is significantly bigger than a bear. Though it was split nearly in half during a storm in 2014, it continues to survive.

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This bear recently visited Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood. The snow is a welcome relief when one is covered in (luxurious) thick fur all year 'round.

The lodge was built in 1936-1938 and is a designated National Historic Landmark. It may look familar as it was used for exterior shots of the Overlook Hotel in The Shining.

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This bear visited Crater Lake and Crater Lake Lodge. The snow was still deep so a thick, luxurious coat of winter fur came in handy until we could warm up by the fire.

Crater Lake formed in the caldera of Mount Mazama when it collapsed 7, 700 years ago, filling with only rain and snow. It is the deepest lake in the United States, measuring 1,949 feet (594 m) deep.

Crater Lake Lodge was built in 1915 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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This bear recently visited Tualatin Hills Nature Park, a 222-acre wildlife preserve in Beaverton, Oregon. There weren't any other bears there that day, though the other woodland residents seemed friendly enough.

There were a lot of bridges and boardwalks along the way so we took photos to compare.

This bridge is one (1) bear long.

This boardwalk is three (3) very lengthy bears long.

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Recently, this bear visited the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden in Federal Way, Washington. Over 700 species of rhododendrons from around the world are on display here with many in bloom between March and May.

The garden is 22 acres in native forest, so it felt like a bear's paradise.

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This bear recently visited Newport, Oregon. It was nice to see the sights and exchange dining tips with the local fish connoisseurs who are almost as large and at least twice as soggy as a bear.

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This bear recently visited Newport, Oregon's historic Nye Beach neighborhood where you can find the beautiful Ambassador's Portal sculpture by Ken McCall.

The sculpture was installed in 2023 and is a tribute to The Ambassador, a beloved sculpture that was too ravaged by the coastal weather to be restored. You can see The Ambassador in the center of the arch on Ambassador's Portal.

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This bear got a window seat on the shinkansen to Shizuoka, but the window was too high up.

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This bear visited Nakamise-dori in Asakusa, Tokyo, the world-famous shopping street which leads directly to Sensōji temple. The entrance, Kaminarimon Gate features a giant red lantern which is one of the most popular photo locations in Tokyo.

This bear's photographer took a few photos of Nakamise-dori before the morning rush.