Sunday
October 17
We were the early risers at the Grandview B&B, and were the only ones being served at the 7 am breakfast sitting. There was a small breakfast "nook" framed by a bay of windows in the old Victorian kitchen with room for only one table, and our "cook" had it arranged just for us. Nancy whispered to me that she had hoped we would be able to sit there, rather than in the dining room! Our breakfast host was a long time local, who since we were her only customers that early in the morning, not only provided great service, but also had the time to chat about Old Astoria, and give us some of the history of the town while she was making our breakfast at the stove.
The breakfast was good, as was the conversation, and I left her a nice tip as we left the kitchen to head back to the room to pack our bags and head east along the river to Portland. By the time we were dragging our bags down the stairs, the 8 am crowd filled the dining room, and on the way out I took the time to snap a couple pictures of our breakfast hosts and the festivities!
While the coffee had been adequate for me, Nancy still was craving her double cappachino and told me to be on the lookout for a suitable coffee house. Alas, Astoria seemed to be the one place in our journey where we failed to find the "best" coffeehouse before we were out of town. As we drove along the divided highway I continued to search for an espresso sign to no avail, and after an hour's drive it looked like Portland might be a necessary stop, if for nothing else, to quell the caffiene craving Nancy would have by the time we got there!
It is interesting that "Port"land, is actually a port! The Columbia river is so large that some ocean going vessels seem to still make their way up and down the river with cargo. Some of the small cities on either side of the river still exist because of the mills and other businesses that have the ability to directly load up ships with their output and send it off to ports in other parts of the world. As we drove on the Oregon side, it appeared that there was more commerce on the Washington state side of the river, but maybe that was because Portland sucked it up on the Oregon side.
As we neared Portland, the road improved, and the countryside became less rural and more cluttered. After living in the sprawl of Southern California, Portland appeared as a fairly small city. It seemed to me that we could have zoomed by it on the freeway in about 5 minutes. My first impression of Portland was of railroad yards. The freeway headed right into the downtown area, so Nancy looked at the map in her guidebook and picked a likely exit which would take us into the heart of the downtown area. We had decided that we ought to at least stop and take the pulse of Portland, even though it was a Sunday morning. Plus there was the matter of the double cappachino which had not yet been resolved!
Our target was Union Square. We drove around the center of the city and finally found a centrally located parking ramp near the square. Since Portland is Oregon's largest city, it is also the most cosmopolitan, and that was reflected in all the upscales shops and department stores in the main shopping district. Suprisingly, there was alot of activity for Sunday morning with some of the stores all ready open for shopping and people downtown pushing strollers filled with kids, and walking around with Starbucks coffee cups. There was a big Starbucks right on Union Square. Nancy will only do Starbucks in an emergency, preferring the smaller independant caffiene perveyors. Luckily the Portland Coffee House was just down a block and looked like just the place. I bought a Sunday paper at a stand outside and in we went! They had very comfortable seating arrangements in a living room setting--the double cappachino was adequate, so all was well! And that was it for Portland!
We headed east on I-84 along the river towards the National Scenic River Route along the Gorge, and about 15-20 miles out of Portland took the exit which put us on the scenic road which was built back in the early 20th century. We wound up the bluffs to near the top of the gorge and stopped at the Crown Point Vista House. It was a small stone visitor center and observation area built about the time the road was completed. Because it was the off season, the structure was closed and undergoing some refurbishment. But the views of the river far below, both to the east and the west, were spectacular, even though the day was grey and misty and visability was limited to maybe 5-10 miles. There was a small "trailer" that subsituted as a visitor center that was open and manned by some docent volunteers. It was a bit cold in the wind, so we walked in and looked at some of the handouts, and got warmed a bit before we got back in the car and started back down the winding road.
The primary scenic stop along the route is Multnoma Falls, a beautiful 300 ft falls, which is on land which was given to the government by a Portland Lumber baron back in the late 19th century. In fact, when the railroad along the river was finished, the falls was a favorite tourist stop on the railroad before a road was even built through the gorge. A large visitor's center and lodge was built which still is in service today. There are 5 -6 very scenic falls that are accessable from the scenic road today, but it was Multnoma that really put the Gorge on the map as a scenic destination. I took lots of pictures of Nancy standing in front of all the various water falls we encountered. She may not be recognizable because of the rain gear and hood pulled up tight to ward off the wonderful Oregon weather. But if the Rain gear is blue, it's her!
We got back on I-84 and headed east again at freeway speed (70+) Our stop for the night was to be Hood River, Oregon which wasn't far at 70+! Nancy checked her guidebook and we decided that we would stop at the Hood River Hotel and check it out. We made a pit stop at a shopping center on the outskirts of Hood River, bought a cheap bottle of wine and some bottled water, and 30 minutes later were standing at the check-in desk at the hotel. The hotel was originally built in 1902, and was on the national register of historic buildings. It had been refurbished, but had an elevator that must have been from the 1930's, with a sliding barred gate and everything. It would have been a good candidate for a movie set!! Our room was okay with a window we could open, a TV that worked, and a queen sized bed. So I was happy, and I uncorked the wine and poured a goodly amount in both of the plastic glasses from the small 1902 remodeled bathroom.
After a steady diet of expensive "tourist" dinners, we decided that we would go "hometown" for dinner, and find pizza!! And, just around the corner there was a big pizza place with a games arcade and lots of kids running around like wild indians. We ordered a large half Nancy's veggie, and half my sausage, a couple of soft drinks, and picked a table where we could watch the big TV! The game machines in the Arcade were going "ding-ding" and "beep-beep, the TV was on some sporting event, and some of the kids running around I found were in fact local Indians!
Very Homey!! The pizza was pretty good!! We later found that perhaps the best pizza in town was across the street from the hotel, instead of around the corner. But it was OK and I got change back from a $20 bill instead of having to leave it just as a tip!!
We wandered the streets a bit and checked out all the coffee houses in the four block downtown area. Nancy decided that the Dog River Coffee house looked like the best bet for her morning caffiene stop. Right accross the street was Bette's cafe which looked like a pretty good breakfast pick for me if I got up early. So we were set with a plan for the morning.
Hood River is best known as a recreational spot along the Columbia. For some reason, the winds and the river combine to make it a great sailboarding location. It was a bit weird to see about 3-4 surfshops in town specializing in wind surfing gear and boards. And there we were 100 miles inland!
We put in a bit of TV time, but as usual I fell asleep early while Nancy was still watching something soapy! Our next day we would be past the Cascade range and heading south towards Bend, where we planned to sit for three nights!
October 17
We were the early risers at the Grandview B&B, and were the only ones being served at the 7 am breakfast sitting. There was a small breakfast "nook" framed by a bay of windows in the old Victorian kitchen with room for only one table, and our "cook" had it arranged just for us. Nancy whispered to me that she had hoped we would be able to sit there, rather than in the dining room! Our breakfast host was a long time local, who since we were her only customers that early in the morning, not only provided great service, but also had the time to chat about Old Astoria, and give us some of the history of the town while she was making our breakfast at the stove.
The breakfast was good, as was the conversation, and I left her a nice tip as we left the kitchen to head back to the room to pack our bags and head east along the river to Portland. By the time we were dragging our bags down the stairs, the 8 am crowd filled the dining room, and on the way out I took the time to snap a couple pictures of our breakfast hosts and the festivities!
While the coffee had been adequate for me, Nancy still was craving her double cappachino and told me to be on the lookout for a suitable coffee house. Alas, Astoria seemed to be the one place in our journey where we failed to find the "best" coffeehouse before we were out of town. As we drove along the divided highway I continued to search for an espresso sign to no avail, and after an hour's drive it looked like Portland might be a necessary stop, if for nothing else, to quell the caffiene craving Nancy would have by the time we got there!
It is interesting that "Port"land, is actually a port! The Columbia river is so large that some ocean going vessels seem to still make their way up and down the river with cargo. Some of the small cities on either side of the river still exist because of the mills and other businesses that have the ability to directly load up ships with their output and send it off to ports in other parts of the world. As we drove on the Oregon side, it appeared that there was more commerce on the Washington state side of the river, but maybe that was because Portland sucked it up on the Oregon side.
As we neared Portland, the road improved, and the countryside became less rural and more cluttered. After living in the sprawl of Southern California, Portland appeared as a fairly small city. It seemed to me that we could have zoomed by it on the freeway in about 5 minutes. My first impression of Portland was of railroad yards. The freeway headed right into the downtown area, so Nancy looked at the map in her guidebook and picked a likely exit which would take us into the heart of the downtown area. We had decided that we ought to at least stop and take the pulse of Portland, even though it was a Sunday morning. Plus there was the matter of the double cappachino which had not yet been resolved!
Our target was Union Square. We drove around the center of the city and finally found a centrally located parking ramp near the square. Since Portland is Oregon's largest city, it is also the most cosmopolitan, and that was reflected in all the upscales shops and department stores in the main shopping district. Suprisingly, there was alot of activity for Sunday morning with some of the stores all ready open for shopping and people downtown pushing strollers filled with kids, and walking around with Starbucks coffee cups. There was a big Starbucks right on Union Square. Nancy will only do Starbucks in an emergency, preferring the smaller independant caffiene perveyors. Luckily the Portland Coffee House was just down a block and looked like just the place. I bought a Sunday paper at a stand outside and in we went! They had very comfortable seating arrangements in a living room setting--the double cappachino was adequate, so all was well! And that was it for Portland!
We headed east on I-84 along the river towards the National Scenic River Route along the Gorge, and about 15-20 miles out of Portland took the exit which put us on the scenic road which was built back in the early 20th century. We wound up the bluffs to near the top of the gorge and stopped at the Crown Point Vista House. It was a small stone visitor center and observation area built about the time the road was completed. Because it was the off season, the structure was closed and undergoing some refurbishment. But the views of the river far below, both to the east and the west, were spectacular, even though the day was grey and misty and visability was limited to maybe 5-10 miles. There was a small "trailer" that subsituted as a visitor center that was open and manned by some docent volunteers. It was a bit cold in the wind, so we walked in and looked at some of the handouts, and got warmed a bit before we got back in the car and started back down the winding road.
The primary scenic stop along the route is Multnoma Falls, a beautiful 300 ft falls, which is on land which was given to the government by a Portland Lumber baron back in the late 19th century. In fact, when the railroad along the river was finished, the falls was a favorite tourist stop on the railroad before a road was even built through the gorge. A large visitor's center and lodge was built which still is in service today. There are 5 -6 very scenic falls that are accessable from the scenic road today, but it was Multnoma that really put the Gorge on the map as a scenic destination. I took lots of pictures of Nancy standing in front of all the various water falls we encountered. She may not be recognizable because of the rain gear and hood pulled up tight to ward off the wonderful Oregon weather. But if the Rain gear is blue, it's her!
We got back on I-84 and headed east again at freeway speed (70+) Our stop for the night was to be Hood River, Oregon which wasn't far at 70+! Nancy checked her guidebook and we decided that we would stop at the Hood River Hotel and check it out. We made a pit stop at a shopping center on the outskirts of Hood River, bought a cheap bottle of wine and some bottled water, and 30 minutes later were standing at the check-in desk at the hotel. The hotel was originally built in 1902, and was on the national register of historic buildings. It had been refurbished, but had an elevator that must have been from the 1930's, with a sliding barred gate and everything. It would have been a good candidate for a movie set!! Our room was okay with a window we could open, a TV that worked, and a queen sized bed. So I was happy, and I uncorked the wine and poured a goodly amount in both of the plastic glasses from the small 1902 remodeled bathroom.
After a steady diet of expensive "tourist" dinners, we decided that we would go "hometown" for dinner, and find pizza!! And, just around the corner there was a big pizza place with a games arcade and lots of kids running around like wild indians. We ordered a large half Nancy's veggie, and half my sausage, a couple of soft drinks, and picked a table where we could watch the big TV! The game machines in the Arcade were going "ding-ding" and "beep-beep, the TV was on some sporting event, and some of the kids running around I found were in fact local Indians!
Very Homey!! The pizza was pretty good!! We later found that perhaps the best pizza in town was across the street from the hotel, instead of around the corner. But it was OK and I got change back from a $20 bill instead of having to leave it just as a tip!!
We wandered the streets a bit and checked out all the coffee houses in the four block downtown area. Nancy decided that the Dog River Coffee house looked like the best bet for her morning caffiene stop. Right accross the street was Bette's cafe which looked like a pretty good breakfast pick for me if I got up early. So we were set with a plan for the morning.
Hood River is best known as a recreational spot along the Columbia. For some reason, the winds and the river combine to make it a great sailboarding location. It was a bit weird to see about 3-4 surfshops in town specializing in wind surfing gear and boards. And there we were 100 miles inland!
We put in a bit of TV time, but as usual I fell asleep early while Nancy was still watching something soapy! Our next day we would be past the Cascade range and heading south towards Bend, where we planned to sit for three nights!
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