I know that the northeast part of the United States is well-known for autumn colors, but I’d like to help put the Pacific Northwest on the map for it too!

On the most perfect day in October, we got outside and took the Willamette (pronounced Will-Am-It) Greenway multi-use path that follows Portland’s South Waterfront.

We started at Willamette Park (the one in Portland, not West Linn–for you Portlanders out there), and traveled north on the trail.

As we rounded the corner near the Sailing Club’s outpost we were shocked to see sailboats in the water and races going on!

A few additional things about the trail:

• It’s a pay-to-park situation at Willamette Park, but it’s only $1 per hour for cars without trailers, so not too bad!
• The trail is just over 2.5 miles from one end to the other, we stopped just before the Ross Island Bridge.

• Parts of the trail are not open yet because of construction. At this point you jaunt through the Old Spaghetti Factory parking lot and head north about a block before you meet up with the walkway to take you back to the main trail.
• Plan to see many people. It’s popular for runners, walkers, and bicyclists, especially on a beautiful day.

Extra trail bonus: Because it ends in the heart of the South Waterfront, there’s plenty of coffee shops and eateries that you can grab and go from, and then find a bench to enjoy the view of the river, colorful trees, and sunshine (when it’s not pouring rain).