An Oregon Road Trip

For Memorial Day weekend, Jane and I decided to explore Oregon. Neither of us had ever been before but have heard many good things. Southwest was offering a deal at the end of 2017 to California residents where they gave you free Companion Pass for 2018 if you signed up for a Southwest credit card. For those who don't know, Companion pass is basically buy one, get one free on all Southwest flights... amazing, I know! We are trying to maximize the pass as much as we can this year and the three day weekend was a perfect opportunity to explore a new area.

We got in late Friday night and went right to sleep so we could get an early start on Saturday. Our first stop was the Japanese Garden which is located right in the middle of the city. The whole state is very green and lush during the spring but these gardens are on a whole other level. There were infinite shades of green, countless tree varieties, and flowering plants. 

The garden opened at 10:00am and we were the first ones in line so we could beat the crowds. We were able to slowly stroll around and enjoy everything without seeing many other people. It was a very relaxing start to our trip.

Next, we hit the road and headed south towards Eugene, Oregon. Lavelle Vinyards is a beautiful winery just outside the city that was perfect for lunch and a wine tasting. The wine and on site food truck were both top notch! After a stroll around the grounds, we hopped back in the car and headed out west towards the coast. 

The Oregon coast reminded me a lot of the California coast in some areas but also had some unique stretches that were unlike anything I had seen before. All of if was beautiful and a day driving on an open coastal road beats sitting in city traffic every time.

While driving up the 101 we saw a sign for glass blowing and pottery down a side road. Since we weren't on a schedule, we decided to take a little detour and check it out. The glass shop is a family run business that has been there for over 40 years. They have a house on the property and walk across their yard to the store everyday for work. The owner still blows all the pieces himself. While we were there, he was making a new piece and walked us through the process step by step. It is always a treat to watch artists create.

We drove north until we got to Tillamook and then headed back east towards Portland. We took the Wilson River Highway (Route 6) which made for a beautiful drive through the Tillamook State Forest.The road crosses back and forth over several different rivers and winds through the trees for a solid hour. It's roads like that that make you remember that cars aren't just for commuting to work.

As we got closer to Portland, we were able to get our first clear views of Mt. Hood. The mountain is only 11,250 ft. (which is not huge as mountains go) but because it is the only one in the area, it soars above everything else and looms large over the city and surrounding area. Because it is a dormant volcano, the mountain has the perfect classic cone shape. With a lot of snow still at the higher elevations, it was a stunning sight from all angles.

We found a great little Air BnB in Troutdale which is about 25 minutes east of Portland. It was an old caboose from the B&O railroad that the owners converted into a guest house. The area is full of farm land and rolling hills so it felt very remote considering its proximity to a major city. It was also perfect for us because it was very close to the Colombia River Gorge and a few of the water falls in the area we wanted to see.

The only downside to this location was that there weren't many food options close by. We found a country market right along the Old Scenic Hwy so decided to stop in and check it out. We ended up splitting an order of ribs and mac and cheese that was served in a Styrofoam box and cost $8. I wasn't expecting much but the meat fell off the bone and the mac and cheese tasted like it was a generations-old family recipe that had been perfected over time. Sometimes it is the little finds like this that turn out to be the best meals of the trip. 

I woke up at 5:00am on Memorial day (Monday) to catch the sunrise over the river. Like usual, I was a little slow moving to start but didn't regret my decision once the sun poked up over the mountains and turned the river gold with the first rays of light. I then made my way to Multnomah falls and had the place to myself from 6:00am to 6:30am. It was so peaceful being able to take pictures and enjoy the scene without any other people there.

Unfortunately some of the waterfalls we wanted to see along the Colombia River are still closed because of the Eagle Creek fire that happened last year. The fire damaged the trails and made them unsafe to hike. We will have to go back to see more.

The last stop on our trip was Ramona Falls. It is located near the base of Mt. Hood and is accessed by a 7 mile loop trail. The trail requires you to cross a river which could have been a problem if the water was higher. Fortunately for us, it was relatively low and there were a lot of downed trees to choose from as make-shift bridges. 

The falls were every bit as mesmerizing as I imagined them to be. I spent about 45 minutes taking pictures and directing my favorite model where to stand. It was a little crowded since it was a holiday but we were still able to find a few breaks in the crowds to get some good shots. 

I highly recommend Oregon to anyone who hasn't been. We saw a lot on our first trip there but already have places on our list for the next time we visit!