July 7-19, 2007 - We turned the corner on the Oregon Coast at
Astoria and said our goodbyes to the wilds of the ocean. We
arrived in Scappoose, Oregon, a small town northwest of Portland,
and settled into the city park for a few days. While exploring the
town of St. Helens we found a truck that we knew would pull the
buggy well, a Dodge Ram 3500 single rear wheel diesel. We
spent some extra time in the area upgrading to the new truck.
One of the many charms of Oregon is its love affair with good
coffee. There are little espresso huts everywhere.
It's also a very lush area, and we explored some of the back roads.
The Columbia River was the "great northwest river" that Lewis and
Clark explored in 1805, opening the west to expansion and the
arrival of the pioneers. They traveled the river by barge, taking
the wheels off their covered wagons and placing them on barges.
Later roads and railroads were built along the river's edge. Today
the historic Columbia River Highway has been rebuilt as a
beautiful bike path along the river.
A paddle boat "Columbia River" out of Cascade Locks provides
river cruises. The highway and train tracks run right alongside
the river. While we stayed in the city park in Cascade Locks we
were constantly awakened by the trains. They passed within
100 feet of our rig, and sometimes they would arrive in the wee
hours and sit still, trembling slightly, long waves of thunderous
noise rippling up and down their many-car length.
There are many waterfalls
along the Columbia River
Historic Highway.
The Mt. Hood Scenic Byway is a glorious drive through the lush
orchard-filled valleys around Mt. Hood. At one corner of the
drive is the funky-trendy town of Mt. Hood, home of the Full
Sail Brewery and a windsurfing mecca. We happened to be
wearing our Full Sail cycling jerseys that day and stopped in at
the brewery pub for a pint.
High up on the mountain we discovered the Timberline Lodge.
It is a lovely old stone ski lodge. When we arrived there were
crowds of young kids carrying snowboards heading up the chair
lifts for a day of summertime snowboard racing.
One of our favorite discoveries in Oregon was marionberry pie.
Marionberries are a cross between blackberries and raspberries
developed at the University of Oregon. The pie is to die for. The
best one we found was at a bakery in LaGrande, Oregon.
We wandered over the river into southern Washington and along
the Washington coast as well, discovering the beauty and power of
both the towering mountains and the severe coastline.