Ron & Bev Noble joined Jeanette and I on this bike ride and picnic to Willamette Mission State Park. Good weather usually means the wind is from the north, so cycling north in the morning and returning with a tailwind is always a good plan. From our home is Salem it was 14 miles to Willamette Mission Park, site of the original Willamette Mission, founded in 1834 by Rev. Jason Lee.

For our picnic lunch site we stopped to sit beneath the Willamette Mission Cottonwood, the nation's largest Black Cottonwood. This huge tree, 250 years old, was growing here 100 years before Jason Lee arrived.

Our return route took us west through Brooks and south past E.Z. Orchards where we stopped for strawberry shortcake and coffee. A perfect day!