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08/11/07 - Portland, OR Enjoying the beautiful scenery of the Columbia River Gorge, after a quick lunch-stop in Portland |
(Shutterfly photo album - Columbia River & Utah) |
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After heading east from Florence and the Ocean Breeze Motel to
Eugene and then a brief jaunt up I-5, we were in Portland in
time for a quick stroll-about and a
Whole-Foods-Market-deli-picnic-lunch in the trendy Pearl
District. As we sat on our bench and ate, we noted the
relative lack of urban atmosphere here (in comparison with
Seattle, at least); the neighborhood was definitely upscale, and
pleasantly hip, but it seemed to have a more relaxed,
small-town, earthy sensibility to it. This, combined with
the highly walkable, leafy, tree-lined streets, made for a
pleasant lunch outside the West Elm store (whose merchandise had
only been seen by Caroline in catalogs until now!), as we
watched the locals pass by on their Saturday errands. Next, it was off for a scenic drive down the Historic Columbia River Highway, located just east of Portland and containing 18 miles of short trails leading to numerous beautiful, rushing waterfalls. Nervous of the crowds we were likely to encounter in such a touristy locale on this beautiful, sunny Saturday afternoon in August, we were pleasantly surprised at the relative solitude we found at the first four or five waterfalls we stopped at. The only heavy crowds we experienced were at Multnomah Falls, the most famous and popular of the many falls on this short scenic drive. Still, we braved the throngs of tourists, took our photos and jumped back in the van, traveling on to our last stop in the area, the beautiful and eerily dim and narrow Oneonta Gorge. It was tempting, but Caroline ultimately refused to do the intriguing-seeming hike, as the narrow gorge necessitated hiking over a log-jam and then directly through the river in her expensive (and sand-free) hiking shoes. Maybe next time... Before returning to the outskirts of Portland and to the lovely airport Holiday Inn, our lodging for the night, we took a scenic loop that took us by the area ski resorts, including the historic Timberline Lodge at Mount Hood, where skiing is possible year-round. It was a rewarding, but long and tiring day, and after a mediocre meal at a brew pub in a newly-hip-seeming area near our hotel, we called it a night. Tomorrow, it's on to Idaho!
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