Back from Oregon

[buzz]

MEGA Review V's Epic Road Trip was a huge success even though we had to cut it short due to low funds (we didn't count on so much delicious beer available for purchase). Despite mrtr33's constant attempt to buy everything for us, we will need to postpone the remainder of ERT until my hand-modeling paychecks come in. 1 ERT stop down, 14 to go... Vancouver Mark you are officially on notice.

We stayed in a beach house for a few days on the coast, driving up and down from Astoria to Florence - hiking, taking pictures, seeing tourist attractions, etc. We stayed a night in Seaside, checked out Fort Clatsop, Portland, Cannon Beach, Tillamook, Lincoln City, Salem, Depoe Bay, Newport, Eugene, and more that I can't remember. It was a little rainy on some days and chilly, but we welcomed the change from Tucson's current 105. We hopped over the Cascades to Bend and spent the remainder of our vacation with Mark and his beautiful family.

Bend was a very cool town and we will definitely be back... Alina will probably be able to convince me to move there (she totally loved Bend). We walked all around down town, little hike along the river, visited some local breweries, did the tour of Deschutes Brewery, ate some fantastic food including some delicious Mark beer crepes (Alina is bugging me... PM will be sent shortly to obtain the recipe), and got to see a bird's eye of the town from Pilot Butte. Even got to enjoy a nice cigar in Mark's backyard.

It's cool how you can join an online community like this and then go stay a couple nights with someone you've never officially met before - and it's as though you've been good friends for a decade. Mark and his wife are awesome. Their daughter Ruth is absolutely adorable. I mean adorable. We already miss you guys, thanks so much for your hospitality and for showing us around town! We hope to see you guys real soon. In the meantime I'll be practicing drawing frogs.

Some waterfall pics:








(notice the double water falls and the double murse)






(that gray spec to the left of the water fall is me)


Drift Creek Falls suspension bridge:







(Alina wasn't happy about that)



Some elk/deer pics:




(herd of around 30 elk)


Astoria Column (125 ft):


(164 steps, Alina wasn't too happy about being up there)


View of the Columbia river from the top of the column:

[buzz]

Me on a log (why not?):





Fort Clatsop:





Alina doing some pretty sketchy off-path rock climbing:





Miscellaneous Pics:

















Squirrel!

[Cody44]

I love the Pacific Northwest. Sounds like you got to see a nice portion of Oregon. It really is beautiful here.

[cinda]

Hey flipper welcome back! Looks and sounds like you had a great time. Good for you guys!

[kevin7]

Damn those were some great pics

[VancouverMark]

I seem to have lost your itinerary Buzz, but I will be in Whistler this weekend.

[CptnBlues63]

Nice pic's Buzz.....thanks for sharing.

My wife is from the US and was living near Coeur d'Alene, ID before moving up here to live with me. Her daughter lives in Portland, OR and her mom and dad on Long Beach Peninsula, WA and her older sister near CdA, ID. Every second year we do a round trip with our travel trailer and visit everybody. I love the pacific northwest in the US and BC in Canada. That's some of tbe most beautiful country in the world.

We've been to several of the places you mention (we always stop at the big Tillamook Dairy plant for cheese and ice cream and other stuff) and we camped at Fort Steven's last time and Cape Disappointment the time before that. Astoria is a very pretty little town and I love driving over that bridge across the mouth of the Colombia.

Your pictures make me wish this year was "trip to the US" year but that'll be next year since we only do that ever second year.

If you can get up to Whistler with Mark you should go. That drive up from Vancouver is beautiful and if you like rock climbing that's some of the best country for it. If I'm not mistaken, you can ski Blackcomb in the summer.

[Roger]

I just got back from Newport this week. (yesterday). Nice pics Buzz... I sure wish I could have joined you guys. Oh well there it is! It looks like you enjoyed some nice hiking at dizzying heights. This fat man would have fell off! LOL We will have to try to get an Oregon herf going someplace for a day or two. Perhaps on the coast.

[buzz]

We will have to try to get an Oregon herf going someplace for a day or two. Perhaps on the coast.

Alina and I will definitely be up for an OR herf in the future.

[nhcigarfan]

Great Pics. Sounds like a good trip.