Yesterday, it was 80 in Portland and the pool was delightful. Today, we are in/at Mt. Hood, and have been through oodles of snow and lots of fog. It’s a good afternoon to curl up with a book.
We started at the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden in Portland. Although some of the flowers have already bloomed, it was still nice to see such a beautiful public garden. The lushness of the Oregon growing zone is marvelous to see. Even the ducks were taking slow walks and long looks.
We then headed to the Historic Columbia River Parkway, Route 30. This road was built with enormous foresight and was the first planned scenic roadway in the country, built in 1916 to give those new Model T’s somewhere lovely to drive. And it still accomplishes the same thing today. The Columbia River can be admired from several vistas, including Vista House – part of the original concept – and they are all relatively pristine views. There are several dramatic waterfalls along the way that were worth a stop, particularly the last one – the Multnomah Falls. The snows are melting and the waters are rushing.
We went to lunch in Hood River, a small town with lots of action from tourism after being discovered as a site for world-class windsurfing, and, more recently, kite-boarding. Our drive there took us through what is called the “Fruit Loop,” an endless series of fruit orchards that supply Hood River fruit you may have experienced.
We finally started getting some sightings of Mt. Hood. It was hard to find an unobstructed view, but we would have tried harder had we known what weather awaited us.
Next, you horror film buffs will be jealous to learn that we stopped in to visit the Timberline Lodge, famous for its role in “The Shining.” We had hot chocolate on a cold and foggy day, and admired this Depression-era beauty, where even the furniture was made by the CCC and is still used today. Many a craftsman worked on this huge and lovely place. Not a tinge of horror to be found, and no evocations of Jack Nicholson. In fact, we see that Nora Jane Struthers and the Party Line are playing here in September. We met Nora Jane last fall at the Jonesborough TN Storytelling Festival. Borrow her CD anytime.
