Oregon

Initially, Oregon wasn’t even on our itinerary. I had planned a two-week vacation in the Pacific Northwest, focusing on Washington State. Our first two days were supposed to be spent driving the North Cascade Loop, but a recent wildfire near Winthrop evacuated the area – including our hotel. So the new plan (made the week before) was to do a whirlwind tour of Oregon, cramming in the key scenic areas like the Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood, Portland, and its coast.

I-5 REST AREA
After the 2.5 hour flight to Seattle, we had another 3 hours of mindless interstate driving before reaching our first destination. The first moment David and I really felt like we were in the Pacific NW was a rest area just outside of Oregon. There was a cluster of giant red cedar and pine trees towering over a small hut run by a lovely elderly couple who served free coffee and snacks.

MULTNOMAH FALLS
The famous waterfall that comes up in every Oregon google search – and it was as beautiful in real life as it was in the photos. It is the tallest waterfall in Oregon, and the second tallest year-round waterfall in the U.S. We ate lunch at the Lodge – their atrium-style dining room shielded us from the short rain shower outside. And the food was surprisingly delicious for being such a major tourist attraction. We then hiked up to the bridge to get a better view of the cascading waterfall before continuing our way through the lush river gorge.

ONEONTA GORGE
This is what we’ve been looking forward to all day – hiking to Oneonta Falls. There really wasn’t a trail per-se… the creek flowing from the waterfall was the trail. After maneuvering through a large logjam at the start of the gorge, we had to wade through ankle to shin deep water for about half a mile. Luckily there were a few rock beaches to thaw our feet from the cold water, and really take in where we were – the narrow, moss-covered gorge was absolutely incredible.

We were thrilled to see a tiny sliver of the waterfall peak out from around the corner. Our excitement however was short lived, we knew we were approaching the infamous deep section when the few people who were in the gorge with us stopped and turned back. We hugged the rock wall for as far as we could go before the inevitable had to happen. David held our backpack above his head, and we plunged into the river. We were chest-deep in the freezing cold water, concentrating on getting to the other side. But the payoff was worth it. David and I just stood in awe. The waterfall was breath taking. We were so glad we pushed forward; it was truly one of the best experiences we’ve ever had.

MOUNT HOOD
Our final destination of the day was Timberline Lodge, a historic landmark located on the south slope of Mt. Hood. The lodge is also known for serving as the exterior of the hotel in The Shining. Climbing up the six-mile road to the hotel, we slowly drove through some thick fog until rounding a corner and stopping in our tracks. We were suddenly face to face with Mt. Hood. We felt so small as we stood there watching the setting sun light up the clouds surrounding the massive 11,200-foot volcano.

At the hotel we were a bit shocked stepping out of the car – it was in the 30’s! The temperature had dropped at least 20 degrees driving from the Columbia River Gorge. We checked in, ate dinner at the Rams Head Bar, and walked around. The lodge felt exactly like how a national park lodge should feel – warmth coming from a large wood burning fire in the lobby, and hand-made wooden beams and structures with rustic decor. We retreated to our cozy room, curled up next to the fire, and while David napped, I wrote about our adventure-filled day – a perfect way to end the night.

We woke up bright and early the next morning to make our way back up to Seattle. There were a few more stops in Oregon on the itinerary, and we wanted to give ourselves ample time to see them all. It was lightly snowing as we packed up our car. Mt. Hood was also more visible, occasionally peaking through the patches of clouds passing over.

WILDWOOD RECREATION SITE
Located along the Mt. Hood Scenic Byway, this natural recreation area encompasses 550 acres of old growth forest with five miles of trails running through it. David and I walked the short paved path to the Cascade Streamwatch, an underwater viewing window of the Salmon River. It was a peaceful walk, strolling under the trees’ shadows with the sun occasionally breaking through.

PORTLAND
We arrived in Portland around 11:30am, and grabbed breakfast at the St. Honoré Bakery along SE Division Street in the heart of Portland’s restaurant row. The weather was so nice (considering we just came from a light snow storm) that we ate our pastries in their outdoor courtyard. Salt and Straw, an ice cream shop recommended by David’s older brother, happened to be a few doors down. The store had so many weird and creative flavors that somehow worked perfectly together – giving our beloved Sweet Cow back in Colorado a run for its money. David couldn’t decide between the fennel & maple and the pear & blue cheese so he got both, and I was boring and ordered the chocolate gooey brownie.

Our next stop in Portland was Washington Park to see its International Rose Test Garden. This was not your average rose garden; there were over 7,000 rose plants of nearly 550 varieties. We could have spent all day wandering the endless rows of uniquely colored roses, but it was time to make our way out to the coast.

OREGON’S COAST
There are entire guidebooks dedicated to exploring Oregon’s beautiful coastline. Its sandy beaches backed by rugged cliffs and cute seaside towns lure people in. Having a very limited amount of time to see the coast, we each selected one spot to visit. David chose Hug Point. Giant sandstone bluffs ran along most of the secluded beach, with a small waterfall spilling over the cliff into the Pacific Ocean. After exploring some of the sea caves carved out by the crashing waves, we headed north to my pick, Cannon Beach.

Cannon Beach is famous for Haystack Rock, a towering 235-foot sea stack off the edge of the shoreline. It was a pretty beach, but a complete contrast to Hug Point with a line of condos and resorts backing up to it. The rest of the evening was spent making our way back to Seattle to resume what was originally planned on our itinerary. We drove through Astoria (where the movie The Goonies was filmed), over the four-mile long Astoria-Megler Bridge back into Washington, and ended the night at our hotel in Seattle. Tomorrow – Mount Rainier!