Traveling Oregon 2008

On July 12, my husband Jimmy and I left LA (lower Alabama) and flew to Portland, Oregon for a road trip. We had never been there before and had heard about the wonderful scenic drives in the state. After arriving in Portland on Saturday, we rested at our hotel in Vancouver, Washington and got ready for a trip to the Columbia River Gorge on Sunday. We drove for about 50 miles of the gorge admiring the beautiful waterfalls all along the way and soaking in the beautiful scenery along the Columbia River. The fall pictured above is the grandaddy of all the falls in the Gorge. It is Multnomah Falls, which is the third highest in North America. We ended our view of the gorge at Hood River and then headed south to Mt. Hood

Mt. Hood is open year round to snowskiers. After driving 6 miles upward we arrived at the Timberline Lodge where we saw snowboarders and people skiing. What amazed us was that we were in shorts, it was very warm, and the snow was not melting!We then headed back to Portland crossing over the Sandy River several times. It winds back and forth for several miles. One thing we discovered on the way back was that in Oregon you are not allowed to pump your own gas. We would not know how to act in Alabama if someone pumped our gas for us.

On Monday we headed out along the West Cascades Scenic Byway along the Clackamas River toward Sisters and Bend. We took the Santiam Pass Byway into Sisters. Sisters is a quaint town with a western ambiance and a triving arts scene. We had lunch at a sandwich shop before heading south to view the Three Sisters peaks-Faith, Hope, and Charity. From there it was on to Bend where we would stay overnight.

Tuesday morning we ventured along the Cascade Lakes Byway. As we began the drive and rounded a bend we saw Mount Bachelor looming larger than life. As we traveled we saw sparkling lakes, snowcapped peaks and unique volcanic strata. The lake pictured here is Devils Lake which treats travelers to an eerie optical illusion: crystal clear water and a shallow white pumice bottom that makes it seem as if boats on the surface are floating in midair. We passed along the shores of the Deschutes River and at least a dozen lakes.

Our next stop was Crater Lake. As we were entering the park, we noticed numerous black vehicles as well as police cars entering ahead of us. We gathered that there must be someone important coming to the lake. After driving the rim and viewing the lake we decided to go have lunch at the Crater Lake Lodge. Little did we know, until we arrived, that the King of Jordan and his son were dining there. Someone working in the lodge secretly told us who it was and sure enough, there in the dining room with the secret service and police was the King. We could not believe we were in the same room as King Abdullah Hussein of Jordan. Crater Lake is a beautiful place, but our view was not a clear one because of a local forest fire creating a haze. We then headed for Klamath Falls where we would stay overnight.

On Wednesday, we left Klamath Falls and headed for Coos Bay. Little did we know that we would meet up again with the King of Jordan and his son. We had planned to have lunch in Medford, but somehow bypassed the town. So around two o'clock our stomachs told us we must stop and supply it with some food. We were passing through Myrtle Point when I saw a place called Kozy Kitchen. We pulled over to eat and when we did we saw the black cars again and a host of motorcycles pulled up by the restaurant. We had been reading in the newspaper on the way about the King having his Harley shipped to the US so he could ride his bike here in Oregon. We could not believe it when we accidentally went in the back door and saw the same group from yesterday dining in the Kozy Kitchen. We then realized we should not have entered through this door, so we immediately did an about face and ushered ourselves out quickly and quietly. We went into the front of the restaurant to eat and Jimmy decided to go talk to the secret service. After sitting there by myself for a few minutes, I then left out and we stood outside until the King finished eating and came out to get his bike to head out of town. We could not believe that two days in a row we dined with King Abdullah.

After staying overnight in Coos Bay on the coast, we headed north up the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway. The Highway 101 brought us to the sea and away again, winding past marshes, seaside cliffs, lush agricultural valleys, and wind-sculptured dunes. We were amazed at the rocky coasts and beaches. These were definitely not what we see in the panhandle of Florida and along the gulf of Alabama. We saw some beautiful lighthouses all along the way. This scenic route took us to Seaside, a popular beach resort known for its promenade. Here we also saw a statue of Lewis and Clark to commemorate the western terminus of their great adventure from Missouri. It was misting rain, but we enjoyed seeing the beach there and comparing it to our own beaches.

As we traveled along Highway 101, we came to the town of Tillamook. Off to the right about 1/2 mile off the road we saw a huge hangar and on it were the words AIRMUSEUM. We were very curious and decided to see what this was all about. I flipped out my AAA book and read where it was used in WWII to house an enormous blimp. Now, it is a museum with about 40 or 50 kinds of aircraft that were used in WWII. Of course Jimmy wanted to go in and view them. He took lots of pictures of the aircraft while I amused myself in the gift shop.

We headed for Astoria where we stayed overnight. The next two days of our trip were spent in downtown Portland. We shopped, ate in some great places, saw the sights and even observed a sand sculpturing event being held right in the middle of town. Jimmy enjoyed shopping at the Columbia store purchasing clothes that he badly needed. (Ha Ha!) We flew home on Sunday with wonderful memories of the great state of Oregon.