I've said it before, and I'll say it again: we are lucky to live in Oregon. Because of the climate, the scenery--all the beauty that surrounds us in this state.

And, because of Ramona.

And Henry and Ribsy and Beezus and all the other characters that make Beverly Cleary's books real masterpieces of childhood fiction. The kids in Beverly Cleary's books remain realistic, relatable and funny even decades after they were first written. And--here's where the Oregon part comes in--many of them are set in Portland, in the neighborhood that Cleary herself lived in for many years. That means that Klickitat Street is real--and last week I took my kids to visit it.


There's no sign or anything. No plaque dedicating the street to Ramona. Although a neighbor did point out a house to me that was supposedly "Henry Huggins' house." I don't know how she knew that, considering Henry is a fictional character, but I went along with it. But just walking down the sidewalk and telling my kids that this was where Ramona lived, that that elementary school is the one she probably went to, was thrilling for them. And--I'll admit it--for me too. Introducing my kids to authors like Beverly Cleary and Laura Ingalls Wilder means that I get to re-experience my childhood favorites too. And that's one of the most pleasant parts of parenthood, isn't it? Watching your own joy in a good story or a fascinating game, magnified and reflected in your own child's face?

Grant Park nearby does have a collection of statues and plaques commemorating Cleary's characters.




We visited all of them. We took pictures.





I made them take pictures of me, because, as I've said, this trip was as much for my benefit as for theirs.






They played on the playground for awhile--Ramona's playground! And slid down the slide--Ramona's slide!

And then, true to Portland form, it started to rain, and we splashed back to the car, tiptoeing in Ramona's footsteps all the way.