Oregon!

January 15 started EARLY! Grandma and I left Tucson around 4:30 am. We stopped at Tim's who drove us to the airport where we met Dad and Aunt Louise. Today we are flying to Portland! Joyell Farler is getting married and we are all going for it. It is a grand adventure for me because I have never been to Oregon and have always wanted to.

First we flew from Phoenix to San Francisco. Then from San Francisco to Portland, during this flight I had a window seat and was able to see (and take pictures) of some awesome landmarks.

The airport was right along the Columbia River.

We met Rachel at the airport, got our rental car, found our motel, got something to eat, visited Bill and Bea Parker (they have been in Portland with Bea's mother - but she passed away recently).

January 16, 2009

Woke up and drove to the temple for the wedding. Rachel and I took some picture while everyone was in the temple, but soon had to retreat into the lobby because it was freezing cold outside!

While waiting at the temple Noell and Jenell told us of a drive they had taken the day before up the Columbia River Gorge. So between the luncheon and the reception we took the drive. It was beautiful - but freezing! Randomly we saw this cabbage patch! How cute is that?

Grandma and Aunt Louise were content to take pictures from the car most of the time (smart girls)!

Rachel shows the wind with her scarf while dad and I take pictures from a wall. Little did we know that this wind was nothing to what was coming up.

This observation vista was beautiful but crazy windy, This isn't the best picture but you can see the struggle Rachel is having to stay on the stairs and not get blown off!

View from the top was amazing, but my camera had trouble focusing because it was being thrown around so much by the wind.

I took about twenty pictures of this tugboat and about half of them didn't even have the boat in it because the wind.

Latourell Falls was our first waterfall stop.

After Wahkeena we stopped at Multnomah Falls.

I ran up to the bridge and Rachel took my picture - I am the little dot. Notice the smile holding a dSLR will give someone!

Rachel at the bridge.

I put more pictures on the other blog of the waterfalls.

January 17, 2009

We got up early and drove north to Washington. All we had to do is cross the Columbia River. Once there we drove along it through fog and frost. Rachel and I made sure we stopped at a Walgreen's for magnets and postcards, having never been in Washington before. We weren't there long, we only got a few pictures that dad took out the window as we went. This one shows you how cold it was.

Back across the river in Oregon we stopped at an observation tower along the river piers in Astoria, I am impressed that everyone stayed on their feet the wind was so strong!

But no matter how strong the wind we all posed for pictures.

Grandma

Me and Rachel

Aunt Louise and Grandma make a hasty exit to the car - they were the smart ones.

After a little shopping in Astoria we drove to Fort Clatsop - the winter fort that the Lewis and Clark expedition built and wintered in 1805 I think. In this area of the Columbia is where they first saw the Pacific Ocean. Rachel had to study them extensively in high school and was really excited to see some of the places she read about.

Grandma, Aunt Louise, Dad and Rachel inside the fort.

These huge trees completely covered in moss were very definitely not from Arizona!

Inside the forest and the cabin the wind wasn't so bad!

After the fort we headed on down the coast to Cannon Beach. We ate lunch at a cute little fish market/restaurant were they catch 'most' of their own fish.

Grandma and Aunt Louise had crab cakes and shrimp salads- ummm not for me.

Dad had the captain's platter with shrimp, salmon, cod and fries. I wasn't sure which fish I liked better, I obviously am lacking in my fish intake, so I ordered salmon since we were off the coast of Washington and Oregon. It was all fried and I am sure terrible for me - but it was good. Side note I found that I really like cod.

People probably thought we were crazy tourist taking pictures of our food - they were right!

Rachel doesn't really go in for food that once lived underwater - so she got a good old fashioned hamburger. It looks delicious!

After we ate we walked down the street, stopping at a few shops on the way, and walked out on the beach. We found that to get to the waves you had to cross a river that cut across the entire beach. Grandma, Aunt Louise and Dad watched as...

Rachel and I forded the stream. It wasn't too deep but it was cold, we did see snow this morning!

A really great picture Aunt Louise took of Grandma while they were down by the beach.

For pictures of the beach see my camera crazy blog.

Heading south again we stopped at a few pull outs to see the coast. It was beautiful!

Rachel, Grandma and Aunt Louise check out the info board.

Dad takes a minute to rest.
Then pose for a quick picture with Aunt Louise - what a great backdrop.

Dad and Rachel do a little physics experiment to find the distance down, but lose track of their rocks. Oh well, it makes for a great picture!

Someone is taking pictures of me taking pictures.

Our last and most tasty stop of the day was at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.

Since it was Saturday evening there wasn't much going on in the factory, but these huge blocks of cheese being wrapped. The exciting part was down at the fresh creamery where I got some of the richest, creamiest ice cream I have ever eaten! Randomly we saw Aunt Janet and Uncle Loyell getting ice cream too. They had been driving around taking it easy now that the wedding was done - what timing!

After we were stuffed with ice cream (great dinner) and had grocory sacks of cheese we headed east to Portland, completely ready to go to bed. Especially since we had to get up and leave for the airport at four the next morning.