• Discover Oregon

    11/23/200710:16:20 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment


    DISCOVER OREGON


     

     

    While the “Cast of Thousands” went to the Northeast this fall we decided to go in the opposite direction and head to the Great Northwest. We took advantage of Southwest Airlines $99 each way fares & struck out for Portland, Oregon, the City of Roses. Our first leg of the flight was Little Rock to Las Vegas (2 ½ hrs.). Now, admittedly, transferring in Las Vegas can be hard on your trip money if you are not careful! We left Little Rock at 4:35 pm which left us with plenty of light when we were flying over the Grand Canyon—a most spectacular sight (included in the $99!). When we arrived at the Las Vegas airport it was 6pm and we had plenty of time during our connection, that we were able to freshen up and have dinner. There are the usual suspects for food choices, (Burger King, etc.). Because we had the time, we opted for a great little TexMex restaurant, “Tequileria”, the Nachos Mexicanos is wonderful.

     

    We landed in Portland at 10:30 pm (Pacific Time), and went to collect our pre reserved rental car. Since we were about the last flight of the day, they didn’t have the car type we had reserved (full size), so the only option was to take our pick of the 3 cars left on the lot (mini vans). See guys, it happens to travel agents too! It reminded us of the Seinfeld episode where this same thing happened to him—“Oh, I see, you people can MAKE the reservation, you just can’t HOLD the reservation”! I digress.

     

    AVALON HOTEL & SPA

     

    Thankfully our hotel DID hold the reservation. We checked into the Avalon Hotel & Spa. After the flight travel & rental car hassles this hotel was like entering into a peaceful, tranquil, oasis. We were most welcomed guests. This is a small boutique hotel in a quiet location yet not far from a freeway and bridge access over the Willamette River. It is a sophisticated contemporary style hotel. You will think you are in Europe, especially when you see their complimentary “town car” for guests—it is a shiny black London Cab. This hotel will actually give you a ride to & from downtown Portland as a guest service. There is also a daily complimentary Continental breakfast included that is delivered near the elevators of each floor (and they provide lush bathrobes to use while you make a quick dash to that plate of scones!).

     

    Guests of the Avalon have access to the Spa & Fitness facility as well. The men & women have separate changing, sauna, steam and whirlpool rooms. You can make an appointment for a massage, manicure, or pedicure.  The fitness room is well outfitted with a variety of machines. If you are at the Avalon on a Tuesday or Thursday you can take advantage of a one hour Callanetics class www.callaneticsportland.com that will refresh and strengthen you for your journey in and around Portland.

     

    DAY 1

     

    We made our way to Tryon Creek Park www.oregonstateparks.org and had a lovely walk through the dense forest. There are easy walking paths and it is a quiet place to think and reflect on the absolute beauty of nature. Sturdy walking shoes are a must in Portland because of all the opportunities to hike in these lovely parks. For lunch we took a 2 hour lunch cruise up and down the Willamette River (for more information go to www.portlandspirit.com. It was a wonderful way to see Portland’s architecture and get our bearings. The city is known as the City of Roses, but the locals rightly nickname it the City of Bridges.  There are 7 in town bridges spanning the Willamette. Next, we made our way up to Council Crest Park; where on a clear day you can see Mt. St. Helen’s, Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainer, Mt. Jefferson & Mt. Adams all at once!

     

    Another great place to go that will give you fantastic views is Rocky Butte Overlook in the Mt. Tabor area.

     

    DAY 2

     

    Today is a day trip out of Portland. The destination is Astoria, Oregon near the Pacific coast. We drove out of Portland taking Hwy 26 and connecting to Hwy 202, which is a 2 lane road that is very scenic (and curvy). It is flanked on each side of the black top road with majestic Douglas Firs and 4 foot wood ferns that serve as ground cover for these towering trees. The beauty is breathtaking. There were not many other cars, so we felt that this was our own private viewing of the Great Northwest Fall Fest. We were driving right through the Clatsop State Forest and it was a treat!

     

    Astoria is a charming little historic town on the mighty Columbia River. There are B&B’s everywhere. Be sure to drive up to the highest spot in town, which is the Astoria Column, for views not to be missed! You can look across the broad mouth of the Columbia River toward the Pacific Ocean. The Astoria Column is a tower that was built in 1926 and has 164 steps winding to the top. The little gift shop there will sell you a little balsa wood glider that you can carry up and set sail off the top of the tower, however that wasn’t enough of a motivator to get me to climb the 164 steps.

     

    Instead, we headed off to the waterfront and had lunch at Baked Alaska, a little restaurant over the water with views of the passing fishing boats and the occasional harbor seal trolling the water for his food. We saw 2 very large harbor seals during lunch!

     

    After lunch we drove across the river to Cape Disappointment to visit the Information Center that has a wonderful exhibition on Lewis & Clark. Next we drove to Ft. Clatsop to see the replica of the fort that Lewis & Clark built at the end of their year and a half expedition to the Pacific. A side note here—at age 62 you are able to buy a lifetime pass for all of the national parks in the US. for only $10. This will save you hundreds of dollars. You can buy this pass online from the National Parks Service.

     

    We continued on down Hwy 101 for about 20 more miles to our next stop of the day—Seaside, Oregon. This is a little tourist town that has many shops and restaurants. The best way to get here off Hwy. 101 is to turn right when you come to Broadway and find a parking spot and then you can walk the shops all the way to the beach. 

     

    Our last stop of the day is about 4 miles further down 101—Cannon Beach. We liked this better than Seaside. It seemed less touristy and not so crowed with shops & people. The beach is great and the scenery is just not to be missed! Here you will see the famous Haystack Rock just off shore. This beach is ranked #7 of the “World’s Best Beaches” by the Travel Channel. You can also see Tillamook Rock Lighthouse 1 mile out to sea. If you have seen pictures of the Oregon Coast chances are the pictures were taken at this beach. If you only have time to visit one beach it should be Cannon Beach.

     

    The day was drawing to a close and it was time to have dinner and head back to Portland. We chose to duck into Morris’ Fireside Restaurant. It is a very welcoming log cabin building about 4 blocks off the beach. The large center fireplace is just what you need to warm you after your long walk on the beach. We recommend the Beer Battered Halibut and the Black Forest grilled Ham & Cheese sandwich!

     

    DAY 3

     

    Today is the day we head to Mt. Hood. It is about 50 miles from Portland. We heard on the news that there was a pretty hefty snow there the day before and we can’t wait to go see it. On the way we veered off to catch site of the crashing Multnomah Falls along the Columbia Gorge between Portland and Mt. Hood. Check out www.multnomahfalls.org to see this beauty of nature. It is a moderate walk up a paved path to a bridge overlooking the falls. Definitely worth the stop!

     

    Final destination—Mt. Hood. This is the tallest mountain in Oregon (over 11,000 ft.), it has 12 glaciers and is considered the Oregon volcano most likely to erupt (odds are low, though). As we neared the mountain we could see the snow on the trees and the ground. As we climbed higher the snow got deeper and more beautiful as only new snow can be. We arrived at the wonderful Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood, the name comes from the fact that it is at the elevation where the timber stops growing and the world-class skiing begins. This lodge was built in 1936-1938 by the WPA during the great depression. It has intricate carvings on the banisters around the hotel. The 1st and 2nd floors have seating areas around massive open center fireplaces. In 1980 aerial shots were made for the opening scene of “The Shining”. This lodge is a favorite ski and weekend retreat for many people during all of the seasons. There are 2 restaurants to choose from, one a bit more formal than the other. We chose to chill out and have a light lunch near a large window in the casual Ram’s Head. We had a wonderful view of the large evergreen trees draped in the new snow of the season and occasionally the massive mountain would present itself when the clouds lifted enough. This is a place that we could spend a few days, to say the least. See this wonderful lodge for yourself at www.timberlinelodge.com.

     

    DAY 4

     

    Today we drove into the downtown area of Portland and walked around the Pearl District. This is a trendy part of town that has been brought back from decay and is alive with restaurants and wonderful shops. There is no sales tax in Oregon so the price you see is the price you pay. From antiques to western wear, you can find it here. You can take a coffee break on just about any corner and take in the laid-back bustle of this city.   Also, don’t miss Chinatown. A wonderful surprise awaits you at the Chinese Garden with its winding walkways, a bridged lake and open pavilions. Everything is authentic; even 500 tons of stone were shipped from Suzhou, China for this garden. Have tea in the beautiful ceremonial tea house.

     

    About 20 miles from Portland is Oregon City, where you will find the very end of the Oregon Trail. There is a wonderful place to end the day with dinner at the Stone Cliff Inn restaurant www.stonecliffinn.com. It looks like a massive log style home and overlooks the Clackamas River. The food, views, and ambiance is wonderful—well worth the short drive.

     

    DAY 5

     

    The morning was spent at the exquisite Japanese Garden (our favorite!). When the former Ambassador of Japan to the United States visited the Portland Japanese Garden, he proclaimed it to be “the most beautiful and authentic Japanese garden in the world outside of Japan”. It truly is a haven of tranquility and stunning beauty with acres of separate garden styles, a Japanese Tea House, meandering streams, and a spectacular view of Mt. Hood.

     

    Next was a visit to the historic Pittock Mansion overlooking Portland. It was built by Henry Pittock who acquired a humble newspaper in 1860, The Oregonian, still published today. The planning and design of this house began in 1909 and was completed in 1914. It has stunningly progressive features including a central vacuum system, intercoms, and indirect lighting. It is situated on 46 acres of land almost 1,000 feet above downtown Portland. Definitely worth a visit.

     

    The afternoon is the perfect time to visit the Portland International Rose Garden. Who could visit the City of Roses and not take a moment to see one of the largest rose gardens in the nation? It features over 6,800 rose bushes and 557 varieties. We had a delightful chat with a couple from Italy—international indeed!

     

    This delightful day was completed by enjoying a sumptuous dinner at the Avalon Hotel’s Aquariva restaurant. It is a spacious and elegant Italian restaurant and wine bar overlooking the Willamette River.

     

    DAY 6

     

    Regrettably we left this beautiful city behind and made our way homeward. We will miss the crisp cool air, the many, many walking paths winding through the deep forests, the waterfalls and the spectacular hills and mountains that had so enthralled us for these few days. New England indeed has its special charm, but Oregon is willing to go toe to toe in a match for Fall Splendor!

     

     


    For information on this trip or any other destination, contact:

    Pam Cameron

    501-690-8521

    pam@globestartravel.com


     

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