DAY 22- Portland to Timberline Lodge

I got up early and figured I better get in a bit of cycling to work off that wonderful dessert I had the night before.  I put on my bike gear, grabbed my bike, and I was off to the bike path.  There seemed to be more commuter traffic at this time of the day.  It was chilly and there were a lot of them with bright yellow rain jackets zipped up.  I did pass a young girl that was wearing just a sweatshirt and a pair of what looked like short running shorts while commuting on her bike.  Brrr-rr-rrr!  I was barely keeping my teeth from chattering and was glad I wore my capris and my arm warmers.  I ended up just going in to Portland to a main bridge area and then I turned around.  It gave me about 13 miles but I tried to do it at a brisk pace; so I figured I might have started to burn off that amazing dessert I had last night.

I shower, changed, packed up, checked my email, and then I was off on the road.  It was about 11am.  Next I needed to fill up the gas in the car.  It’s against the law for you to fuel up your own car in the city limits of Portland; one of several strange laws that I learned on the Free Walking tour yesterday.  The first gas station that I went to wouldn’t take credit cards; debit cards only I was told in barely understandable English.  I will warn you that most of the northwest has been hit hard by the economy and as such a great deal the businesses out of necessity have gone to a cash only basis. 

So off I went to another station where they would take a credit card.  I told the guy to top it off after I asked about credit cards.  He told me that he couldn’t do that because it was a crime in Oregon and a $10,000 fine too.  He said he didn’t know how it was in Utah but they didn’t do stuff like THAT here in Oregon.  Okay, I said let me use another phrase… Filler up please!  Okay, little lady I can do that!  He then was also very helpful about giving me directions to get on the 205 freeway too.  I will say that in general I found Portlander’s very friendly and helpful if I was lost.

Photo- One of the first falls I came to along the Historic Hwy 30.

Next I was heading east along Columbia River to the gorge area.  Once in the Gorge area which was labeled with a sign on the side of the road; I took a turn off onto the Historic 30 Scenic highway.  The first section that I came upon of the Historic 30 was closed so I kept on the interstate 84 until the second section.  Off of this scenic by way there are several waterfalls that you can see.  Two of them are just off the side of the road and can easily be viewed then there are 3 others where a little hiking in is entailed.  I managed to see three of them along this section.

Photo- Bonneville Dam in background with a fish spill way in the foreground.

Then there was the Bonneville Lock and Dam that came up next.  I took the turn off and headed toward the visitor’s center.  Just before getting to the visitor’s center there’s a security check point.  The guard asked me if I had any guns and then asked to search my vehicle.  Meanwhile in my head, I’m thinking search my vehicle?  THAT could take hours dude!  I opened the back of my station wagon and went on to explain that I was sightseeing the entire country and had a lot of clothes, camping gear, and my bicycle with me.  He looked at me quizzically and then said,” Okay you can proceed ahead, ma’am. No backpacks or large purses in the visitor’s center.”  Off I went at the 15 mph speed limit driving right next to the Lock part on a narrow road with railroad tracks right down the center. 

The visitor’s center is between the lock and the dam.  I went in to the center expecting armed guards or something after the security guard at the booth but it looked like a crew of retired citizens were manning the center.  The building is labeled Army Corp of Engineers.  I watched a 5 min. video about how boats used the lock and looked around at diagrams of how the dam proceeded from a WPA program in the 1930’s to a more recent addition in 1993 because the need for more power was needed.  It was also interesting on how they designed the dam so that the salmon and other fish could still swim up the river and spawn.  I then walked around and looked at parts of the dam near the visitor’s center.  There were quite a few areas where it was authorized personnel only.

Photo- Even the Bridge of the Gods had a bit of construction.
Makes you wonder what the God's have been up to....hmmm

Next I crossed into Washington State over the Bridge of the Gods.  It only cost me a $1.  Toll bridges seem to be common in between the state of Oregon and Washington.  I drove along the two lane highway 14 and went through the town of Stevenson.  Yes, Ron I drove through your hometown.  I continued on the wonderfully scenic route until I got to the toll bridge that went across to Hood River; which is another toll bridge.  I got out two dollars and told the gal at the booth that the additional dollar was for the vehicle behind me.  I went rather slowly across the bridge; it felt strange driving my car on the metal grated surface of the bridge.  I figured it was a way to thank the car behind me for putting up with my slow driving.

Then, I did a typical Utah U-turn as I accidently drove past the turn off to the town of Hood River.  I proceed to have an Oregon driver that made me feel right at home by flipping me off and honking; almost felt like I was back driving in SLC.  I drove around for a bit in Hood River and looked over the river area hoping to see someone wind sailing but I’m guessing that they were all home having dinner as it was shortly after 5pm.  I pushed on for the Timberline Lodge where I would be spending the next two nights.

There was a bit of construction on the drive to Timberline Lodge but overall it wasn’t too bad and it was a very scenic climbing drive.  There were fruit orchards, farms, and vineyards along the way before you reach the Mt Hood National Forest.  It was a paradise in green.  Then, you are driving through evergreen forest.  I took the turn off for Timberline Lodge where it’s a 6 mile road where in winds and turns as it climbs up to the 6000 ft. where the lodge sits.  The lodge is right at the tree line area of Mt Hood.  Mt Hood is situated in Timberline Lodge’s back yard.

The building of the Lodge is just amazing!  It was built as part of a WPA program in 1936 and 1937; all using construction supplies from the local area.  It’s just mind boggling that it was built with such craftsmanship before so much of the tools were readily available. 

I quickly got checked into my bunkhouse like room and went to find a place to eat.  I was hungry!  I ended up having dinner on the upper floor area of the Timberline Lodge’s Octagon mezzanine area where I ended up being joined by a Canadian woman named Mavis for dinner.  She saw that I was sitting alone and I was at a table with a view.  She asked if she could join and I said sure.

Photo- Mavis my fun dinner companion at Timberline Lodge.

 We chatted along as we ate and I learned that she was a tiller for a boat team of an event that took place in Portland.  Her team had taken the gold medal for the category that they were in and she had decided to do a bit of sightseeing while she was in the area.  She was staying in Portland and it’s a short drive from there.  I told her about me taking the longer way along the Columbia River and sightseeing.  After dinner, we did a bit of sightseeing together in and around the lodge.  We exchanged email addresses and I gave her the link to my blog.  It was fun and she was fun to hang out with. Thanks Mavis!

Photo- The back of the Timberline Lodge as the sun is starting to set.
A very peaceful place I sat for just a bit.

Next, I went and did a bit more exploring around the Lodge and later on ended up in the bar area of the Mezzanine.  I enjoyed a hot buttered rum as I chatted with a couple that was visiting from New York.  After they left, I met some more New Yorkers (Was it New Yorker’s week and I didn’t get the memo?) and ended up talking about music.  When asked about what song I remember being a moment I told them it was Comfortable Numb by Pink Floyd and I was watching the Wall at a theater in which we were inhaling some good stuff.  Later, I discovered that they worked for a pharmaceutical company and I think that they were all on a retreat.  They were a bit off-ish after that.  Go figure!

DAY 19- Longview to Longbeach & Plenty of Cars...

I left the crummy Econolodge rather early.  The weather was cloudy, overcast and looked as though it could rain at any time.  I did a quick look at the Econolodge’s  “Continental Breakfast” and opted to just have coffee.  Nothing looked good and I questioned how fresh everything was.  I drove along the Columbia River on Hwy 4, a pretty drive.  I tasted the coffee after a while and OMG; can you say bad coffee?  The person who made it must not have been a coffee drinker at all.  It was that bad!

Photo- The drive along the Columbia River on Hwy 4.

I ended up stopping at a General Store in the hamlet of Skamokawa (please don’t ask me to pronounce this name!) It was right next to a little two room post office.  I thought while I was getting a coffee I would mail a couple of postcards too.  I tried the post office and it was locked.  So I went to the General Store and talked with the clerk as I got a cup of good coffee.  I guess that the postmistress had left out on her run and would be back later in the afternoon.  I guess I’d wait on the postcards.

Photo- The General Store where I got some good coffee and directions!

I continued to talk with the clerk and discovered a cover bridge near Hwy 4 that I was on.  She gave me directions to the turn off and said that it then again looped back into Hwy 4.  It sounded great to me.  She also told me of a couple other places to check out too while in Longbeach and later in Astoria all that were on my planned route of the day.

Photo- The covered bridge.

Photo- Signage for the Covered Bridge.

I found the turn off for the covered bridge and drove 2 miles to it on a winding country two lane highway.  It was fun driving across the covered bridge.  It was dark and had a distinct nose as you drive the car over the wood planking of the bridge.  It was one of another first for me; the first time I had driven a car over a covered wooden bridge. 

It was as I was trying to get back to Hwy 4 that I ended up getting a bit lost or so it seemed.  I ended up asking a farmer that was out by the road with his pit bull mixed dog named Spud.  I thought the farmer had said Bud, when I asked the dog’s name as I went to pet it.  The farmer corrected me twice and said that his name was Spud.  The farmer had a bit of a lisp.  “Oh,” I said, “like the potato!”  The farmer just looked at me like I had two heads.  I thanked him and continued on following his directions.  I ended up back on Hwy 4.

Photos- Art along the Art Interpretive Trail at Willapa National Wildlife Refuge. 

Next I stopped off at the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge just off of Hwy 4.It is tooted as being one of the most pristine estuaries in the U.S. and has over 260 square miles of water surface within its boundaries.  It has several bird and fish species; as well as Roosevelt elk, deer, river otters, bobcats, porcupines, raccoons, and black bear. I took the two hikes they have at the Headquarters: the Art Interpretive; a ¼ mile boardwalk with art displays, and the Cut Throat Climb; 2/3 mile that climbs up and down in a valley area next to a ridge.  It was a wonderful hike and just amazing that it was such a short distance from the road but you felt like it was miles.

Photo- The Cut Throat Climb Trail at Willapa National Wildlife Refuge.

Then, I got out to the stretch of land that had Longbeach on it and just wandered around.  I happened to stumble into the middle of the 29^th Annual Rod Run to the End of the End of the World.  I drove by the fairgrounds area and there was a sea of fancy cars parked out on display.  There were tons of people and the road was backed up in both directions.

Photo- Backed up traffic and classic cars.

As I’m driving along, cars of all shapes and sizes are coming up in the other direction.  There were classic cars, old cars, Model T varieties, sports cars, and muscle cars; just anything you could imagine was there.  It was pretty amazing but what I thought was even more fun was watching the people on the side of the roads.  They were in chairs; whole families with their dog and kids in tow camped out with coolers and snacks.  The whole atmosphere was like the circus had come to town.  There was also a large abundance of misc. cars in all kinds of conditions that were parked along the road with for sale signs on them.

Photos- Car, car, and more cars!

I parked on a side street a couple of blocks over and I grabbed lunch; a bowl of delicious crab chowder at Captain Bob’s.  I sat down outside on a bench while I ate and also people watched.  It was all so fascinating.

Photo- Cape Disappointment.

Then, I swung by the beach for a bit.  After all, it's the longest beach being Longbeach.  Then, I moved onto Cape Disappointment about 4 miles from Longbeach.  It’s the lighthouse that served the area where the Columbia River goes into the Ocean a very treacherous area of water to navigate.  It was a short hike of ¾ mile out to the lighthouse.  I took a few pictures but now was getting to a point where I had enough sightseeing for the day. 

It was time to head on.  Off to Hwy 401, to the 5 mile bridge that crosses the Columbia River and also serves as a go between the state of Washington and Oregon.  About 2 miles out of the Washington side is when you are actually crossing into Oregon.  They have a sign above as you go through on the bridge.  Goodbye Washington and Hello Oregon!  And thus, I’ve finished one state of the lower 48.  I might need to pick up my pace a little bit now; but we’ll see.

Photo- Hello Oregon!