Post - The Hopeful Life

Oregon was beautiful! Being from the flattest state ever (Delaware), I was very excited to see the mountanous terrain of the Pacific North West. After taking care of all of the trailer business, Wes and I were able to really get out and explore the Bend and Portland areas. We drove to Smith Rock State Park to hike the Misery Ridge Trail. Daunting name. We were obviously a little skeptical since our luck so far had not been great, but it turned out to be an amazing day with beautiful weather. The hike, although steep, was a fairly short ascent, and provided some incredible views along the way.

There were also plenty of trails at the park that were not as steep as Misery Ridge, if only we had more time. It was definitely an adventure park. I wouldn’t mind mountain biking on some of the lower trails or even climbing on some of the lower rock formations, but some of these guys were nuts in my opinion. I wish I was that brave. We watched the skilled climbers with our feet safely on the ground.

Wes watching in awe as a climber ascends Monkey Face.

Mt. Hood was our next stop where we checked out the Timberline Lodge. I feel like I actually used my history degree for a half a second, and learned a little bit too. FDR dedicated the Lodge in 1937 when it first opened. Lots of cool history there. We cruised back down the mountain and stopped for a couple beers at Mt. Hood Brewing. Nice, cozy feel to the place and the beer wasn’t too bad either.

Portland was the last stop in Oregon. We met up with our friend, Kelly, there. Her cousin took us to this place called McMenamins Edgefield aka Disneyland for Adults. It is this magical place where you wander around on the extensive property with your beer and stumble upon at least five or so different pubs and bars, including a Jerry Garcia themed one. There is also a small winery. It is awesome. I didn’t take any photos because we were too busy drinking while running around like kids on Christmas. I think they had a golf course too.

Multnomah Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Wes, Kelly, and I took a quick day trip to Multnomah Falls just outside of Portland. It was a really pretty drive with tons of waterfalls along the way and there was a short trail to walk from one to the other. We even saw a woman walking with her rabbit wrapped in blankets like an infant. Guess the rabbit told her that he wanted to go for a hike that day. I hope he enjoyed it.

Pok Pok. If you don’t know, now you know. Probably the best Thai food we’ve ever had. I had the privilege of dining at the Brooklyn, NY location a few years ago and visiting Chef/Owner Andy Ricker’s original location in Portland was top of my list. It’s sooooo delicious. I cannot say any more about it. Get the fish sauce wings!

The best part about Oregon was getting to meet up with old friends from Hawaii! It was great to spend a day with Adam and Jess in Bend. We hadn’t seen Adam in four years, but it was like we didn’t skip a beat! Although a quick visit with Sandra, it was great to see her and catch up on things. Wes and I were lucky to meet some friends of Kelly’s while in Portland as well, which only made our trip greater. We are definitely lucky to have amazing friends all over the place that we can visit on our journey. Now, off to Washington!