Month: August 2015

Thursday, August 6th

We had an unplanned day on our hands.   Kate did arrange to take a day off from work after all and was willing to be our guide once again.   After much indecision on how to spend our last day, we finally all agreed that a trip to the Oregon coast might be fun!   Kate thought it was about an hour and forty minute drive without traffic congestion.   So off we went.

The beach was Oceanside not far from the town of  Tillamook.   We strolled the beach.  While it was not crowded, there were others walking and sitting on the beach.  Some children were building castles and forts.  Interestingly, the several kids were playing in water that formed a pond on the beach.   It probably was much warmer there than in the ocean itself.  Here are some scenes from our walk.

Oceanside is a small town with a  population of 361.   There were a lot of rental properties.   We had lunch at one of the two cafes we saw.  It was Roseanna’s Cafe.   Picking a table overlooking the ocean, we were able to have a very enjoyable lunch with a great view.  After watching that seagull devour a crab, both Kate and I wanted seafood.  We both chose a bowl of seafood chowder that was full of crab and clams. Yummy! For dessert, I ordered a marionberry cobbler.  A marionberry is an indigenous blackberry found in this area.   It looked a lot like raspberries and was very tart.

Before heading back to Portland, Kate took us to Cape Meares State Park.   This park is located on a scenic overlook above Oceanside Beach.  There is a lighthouse on the point that was built in 1889.  The light today is automated.

Ever heard of an octopus tree? Well, there was a sign in the parking lot  that pointed us to the “Octopus Tree.”   We followed it to a huge tree that did indeed look like an octopus.   It is a gigantic Sitka spruce that had a 50 foot base. The sign said no one is really sure how it got its shape.  Legend has it that the Native American Tillamook tribe used it for special ceremonies since it could hold cedar canoes and other ritual objects.  The tree is both a historical sight and a curiosity.

We headed back to Portland.  Since we were back in town during rush hour, traffic was not good.  I was glad Kate was driving and I know Frank was too!

Our time in Portland and the northwest was coming to a close.   Our flight back home was  tomorrow at 7 am and we needed to get the rental car back around 5.    We programmed our GPS for the Thrifty Car Rental which is an off airport site.  Before going to sleep, we bid farewell to Kate’s feline companions, Freddy and Scarfy.   Kate’s  roommate’s cat, Grady,  took a real shine to Frank  so he got a few scratches under his chin as well.   But most of all we are sad to say goodbye to our daughter, thru-hiker Drop-n-roll.  Thanks, Kate,  for a being a great tour guide and hostess.  We loved hiking the PCT with you, even if it only was for two miles!

Wednesday, August 5th

Staying last night in Hood River, we decided to take the Hood River Scenic Train which would take as for a four and a half hour ride to  Parksdale, a small town at the base of Mt. Hood.   Having a little time to kill, we walked to the riverfront area of Hood River.  Prevailing strong winds throughout the Columbia River Gorge makes this town a popular spot for windsurfing and kiteboarding.   We sat and watched all the action.  At one point we counted over 15  kiteboarders in the river.  We marveled at the strength and skill it takes for these sports.

Our train started boarding at 10:30 and left at 11:00.  We splurged and got tickets in the dome car.  It included lunch as well – pork BBQ’s.   In the dome car, we sat up pretty high and it was great to see the scenery.   At first, it was along a river and forests.  As time went on, it mostly was orchards – pear orchards. This area is the biggest pear growing area in the USA.

Next on our agenda was the Columbia River Gorge Interpretive Center in Stevenson, Washington which is right across the Columbia from Cascade Locks.  We crossed the Columbia on the Bridge of the Gods to get to the museum.   There was an interesting film about how the Gorge was formed.  It amazes me how the scientists and geologists have learned that ice age flooding long ago formed the Gorge we see today.

There was a  37 foot high full scale replica of a 19th century fish wheel that was used to catch salmon on the Columbia River.  It was basically a wheel that scooped up the salmon as they journey upstream to spawn and then sent them to canneries.  You can imagine how this affected the future of the salmon.  The fish wheels were outlawed by Washington and Oregon in the 20’s and 30’s .

There was also a replica of a fishing platform used by the Native Americans who fished in the river,  just like the real ones we saw on the river at the fish hatcheries.

Multnomah Falls was our last stop of the day.  It is the second highest year-round falls in the U.S. with a drop of 620 feet.  It really is a double falls.  While it was pretty, this was a low snow year for this area and the flow of water was significantly less than I remembered the last time we saw it.  We had dinner on the patio of the Multnomah Lodge with a great view of the falls.

After walking to the bridge to view the upper falls, we headed back to Portland which was about a half hour drive to Kate’s house.  Since it was almost 8:00 p.m. the traffic was minimal and our GPS took us without a problem to 1439 NE Mason Street.

Later I suggested we take a walk to get  ice cream.   We headed for Alberta Street to a place Kate told us was quite popular here in Portland.   It is called Salt and Straw.  There was quite a line inside and outside of the store.   Kate explained “You have to be ready to try several kinds. They’ll give you samples to taste.”   I tried the sea salt ice cream with caramel ribbons and the snickerdoodle something or other.  I did not like them.

This ice cream place was very different.  But then, that is so “Portland”.   I read in a travel book that the locals pride themselves in being weird.  I think this ice cream store fits right in.   Just like Voodoo Doughnuts with their unusual doughnuts like the Voodoo Doll doughnut and the Bacon Maple Bar doughnut.   Weird works here in Portland.

More adventures tomorrow!   Thanks for following along on our travels!

Tuesday, August 4th Ever hear of an Alphorn?   I saw in a brochure that a Alphorn player performed from a balcony at a hotel down the street from ours at 9:15.    After breakfast we walked several blocks to catch his concert.  Since we watched from across Highway 2, it was hard to hear the horn over the traffic.  But it was free, and it was the first time I had ever heard one.  Pretty cool!

The Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery just two miles out of town was our next stop.  In the Visitor Center there was display showing the life cycle of the spring Chinook salmon.  When the Grand Coolee Dam was built on the Columbia River in the 1930’s, migration of the salmon above the dam came to a halt.  The federal government established fisheries to help the salmon of the Colombia River.  We took a self guided tour and saw fingerlings which were about 4-5 inches and adult salmon just about ready to spawn.  Here at the hatchery they have naturalists who know when the salmon are mature and collect the eggs and sperm and fertilize them in buckets.    A truck from another hatchery was picking up fingerlings to take to their facility.   With the hot temperatures they are having trouble keeping the fingerlings in the cool 60 degree water they need for survival.  The sad part is that in spite of all these efforts through these hatcheries, the spring Chinook salmon is an endangered species. There was also a nature trail at the hatchery.  While on the trail, Frank said “There’s something moving over there in the woods.”  We watched. It was black and big.  “It’s a black bear!”  Frank whispered.   We froze and watched as the bear continued to eat.   I tried to get a picture, but was afraid to move closer.   He left, but we were able to catch another glimpse of him as we walked a bit farther on the trail. The bear lifted his face and looked straight at us.  He was too quick to get a picture.

In the picture above you can see the fish ladder the salmon must swim to get to the holding pond at the hatchery.  They swim this journey from May to July.   The wood platforms by the bank of the Icicle River are Native American fishing platforms.  From a treaty in 1855 they have the rights to continue  their tribal traditons of hunting for salmon which is their primary source of food.  Wish we had been visiting when they were actively fishing. Chelan and Stehekin were to be our next stops.    Stehekin is a remote town in the Northern Cascade National Park and a resupply town for thru-hikers on the PCT.  Unfortunately we had to change our plans because of a wildfire that was causing hazardous air conditions and evacuations in the Lake Chelan area. We headed south on route 97 to the Columbia Gorge area,  The Columbia River is the border between Washington and Oregon.  We stopped at Stonehedge which is located on a cliff by the Columbia near Maryhill. It is a full-scale concrete reproduction of the famous one in England.  It was built in 1918 as a memorial to the men from Klickitat County who lost their lives in WWI.  The founder of the town of Maryhill, Samuel Hill,  built this monument and he is also buried nearby. This area has a lote of wind turbines.  The hills by the river were full of them. Gotta get some rest for more adventures in the Gorge area tomorrow.  Goodnight!

Since we did not hike much today,   Frank and I counted today as a zero day.  In the hiker world, that means a zero miles of hiking day set aside for resupplying, etc.  For us, it mostly was a day to relax and give our sore leg muscles some rest.

The Bavarian Inn is a very nice hotel.   Our complimentary hot breakfast buffet was one of the best ones we’ve ever had.   In our customary fashion, Frank chose assorted goodies including biscuits and gravy, while I opted for fruit, yogurt and cold cereal.

Next we decided to rent bikes.   They were real clunkers with coaster brakes; we really missed our own ten-speeds. There is a bridge in Waterfront Park that leads to nature trails on 15 acre Blackbird Island.  In spite of the challenge of riding the rented antiques, we had fun exploring this area along the Wenatchee  River.

After an afternoon at the hot tub and pool, we decided we would try a German restaurant.  There were six to choose from, all within easy walking distance from the Bavarian Lodge.  We choose the Bavarian Bistro on Front Street.   Frank had weiner schnitzel  which is breaded veal and I had jaegar ( pronounced yager ) schnitzel which is breaded pork with a mushroom sauce, red cabbage and spaetzle ( a kind of noodle) pictured below.

Below are a few scenes  around town; a few show the mountains in the background.  All in all, Leavenworth is a really unique place to visit.   As Frank put it “Now who in the world would have thought to make a Bavarian alpine village in the middle of Washington state!”  Obviously those wise businessmen of Leavenworth fifty some years ago!

Saturday, August 1st, 2015

This morning we were up and out of our cabln before 8 am.   Kate had some hiking planned for us when we got to the Visitor’s Center at Mt. Rainier.   Even though our cabin is right near the entrance, it still took quite a while to travel the windy roads to the Paradise Lodge and Visitors’ Center.    It was cool this morning and I wasn’t sure whether I was going to need a sweatshirt, but as we hiked, believe you me, I did not need one.   Altogether we hiked about five miles stopping often for water breaks and for Frank and me to catch our breath.   Kate was very patient with her senior cititzen hiker companions.

It was a clear day and views of Mt. Rainier were magnificent.  We had been here in 2002, but that day it had been cloudy and we never saw the mountain.   We saw a deer and a marmot, like a groundhog back home only cuter.   I think I will just have to let the pictures speak for themselves.   It got to be about 83 degrees today.   In the sun it seemed hotter and of course the ascent was far worse than the descent.

When we finished the trail we had lunch at the Paradise Inn. The inn was built in 1917 and was one of the first national park lodges that many others have been modeled after.   As we sat in the cathedral ceiling room with its tall log supports and rafters, the setting was indeed a pleasant one to enjoy my Coors Light and food after our strenuous workout.

It was very crowded at the Visitor’s Center.   After watching the 20 minute film about Mt. Rainier we left and headed back to our cabin to rest up.   I don’t think Frank and I will be taking on any long distance hiking any time soon.

It spite of the crowds, we saw beautiful scenes today on our hike.   Thank you, Kate, for being a very patient tour guide!

Friday, August 31st

On the road again.   Last night Frank and I flew to Portland to visit daughter Kate and do some touring as well.   Kate just recently got home from a trip to Iceland, so she really couldn’t take time off from work.   The plan is that she will spend the weekend with us and will return to Portland on Sunday night. We have a rental car and will do some more sightseeing and will return to Portland Thursday for our flight home on Friday.

Since it was sunny and 102 today in Portland, Frank and I opted to stay close to Kate’s  town house apartment while

she was at work. Kate lives in the Northeast section of Portland.   The houses are wood frame and  look to have been built in the 1950’s. The houses and lawn are so different than backhome. It was fascinating to get my 10,000 steps today!

Kate got off work a little earlier than expected. After a late lunch in her neighborhood, we headed for Ashford, Washington where I had reserved a cabin for us to spend the weekend exploring Mt. Raineer.