We ended up getting up, eating, and out around 10 or 10:30 am and headed south into Portland, Oregon via an impressive steel girder bridge. At first traffic on I-5 wasn’t so bad but eventually it ground to a halt just as we turned on to I-405 as it turned out that I-5 was closed from that point on and detoured everyone else onto I-405 as well.
We exited on route 26 intending to go to Washington Park and the International Test Rose Garden. This actually went well until I accidentally led us out of the park and, in an almost comical string of bad navigation decisions, on all of the roads on the ridge housing the park. Did see a Viper, though, so it wasn’t a total loss. Finally got back into the park from the north, right where the rose garden is, and found a parking spot.
What a beautiful place the rose garden was! Even the restrooms were nifty. We bought a couple of magnets and proceeded to walk around the grounds. The weather was perfect — partly cloudy, breezy, and in the upper-60s to low-70s. Perfect. We admired bed after bed of roses as well as the statues and fountains scattered about.
Rose Garden restroom, Portland, Oregon
Fountain at the Rose Garden
The garden is on multiple terraces spilling down the ridge to the west of Portland (“Rose City”, appropriately enough), affording wonderful views of the city as well as Mount Hood beyond. There were different areas, an area dedicated to queens of some rose event they had, an area listing all of the “Royal Rosarians” that serve as official greeters to Portland and apparently dress in all white with a hat, and a Shakespeare Garden, though I had no idea what it had to do with The Bard. There were several groups having couples pictures taken throughout the garden, including some in traditional cultural garb. One lady was clutching a handful of roses — not sure that is allowed…
Purple roses in the Rose Garden
Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon
We managed to see them all, or at least I think we did, over the course of an hour or hour and a half. Michelle liked the orange and yellow ones, I favored purple as did Genetta, and Addison was excitedly talking about how we needed a rose garden at home and wanting to draw plans for it.
Left the rose garden and tried to find route 30 to Astoria. We ended up confused in Portland’s Alphabet District where the streets proceed alphabetically. We passed Flanders without me realizing anything, but then Lovejoy passed and I remembered — the guy who created the Simpsons, Matt Groening, used the street names for some of his characters on the show. So by the time we passed Quimby I was ready and snapped a pic.
"Chow-dah!"
So it was a happy accident that we were lost and fumbling about trying to get to route 30 as I had totally forgotten about the Simpsons’ ties to Portland. Portland is a neat city but the roads are a bit confusing, lots of one ways and such and the area near the ridge just complicates things.
We finally got on to route 30 and hugged the south bank of the Columbia River roughly to Astoria, a bit over an hour away. We tried to go to a couple of restaurants only to find them closed down — seems the economy has hit pretty hard here as well, likely. We ended up at a Burgerville in Saint Helens. Wasn’t bad for fast food and they had a decent mocha shake so that was awesome. Along the drive I could swear we saw Mount Saint Helen, Mount Adams, and Mount Hood (though faint).
Once in Astoria we quickly checked into our hotel (which was trivial to find — right under the huge Astoria-Megler Bridge) and immediately headed out across the bridge and back into Washington state. We headed to Cape Disappointment’s Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center. Unfortunately the day pass dispenser was busted so we just ran in, found out that they couldn’t sell day passes there and it wasn’t worth checking out the center as it closed in fifteen minutes. So we just took some pictures of the lighthouse at Cape Disappointment and continued driving along the loop road.
Astoria-Megler Bridge between Oregon and Washington
Cape Disappointment lighthouse standing watch
We got out at Beards Hollow to enjoy the view. Turns out that a large mass of rock with trees on it, standing above the other trees below, used to be a rock in the ocean, with the water coming in a good one-quarter mile beyond it! The whole hollow silted up as a result of the jetties that protect the Columbia shipping channel being installed.
Beards Hollow, Cape Disappointment, Washington
Returned back over the bridge (which was sadly under construction, making it not look quite as impressive) and into Astoria, this time going up the central ridge in town (a very steep grade, good practice for San Francisco next week I guess) to the Astoria Column. The column was built in 1926 and had many of the cities major events depicted on it. The 125 foot tower (a tiring journey up a 164-step spiral staircase within) offered a wonderful, if a bit chilly due to the breeze, 360 degree view of Astoria’s surroundings: the Columbia River with Cape Disappointment and Washington to the north, down the river to the east, Youngs Bay and Saddle Mountain to the south, and the Oregon beaches, including Fort Clatsop (where Lewis & Clark wintered), to the west. The column was partially financed by Vincent Astor, great-grandson of John Jacob Astor, who funded the Astor Expedition of 1810 – 1812 that founded Fort Astoria (and hence, the town) in 1811.
Astoria Column in Astoria, Oregon
Astoria and the Astoria-Megler Bridge from the top of Astoria Column. Astoria!
Youngs (yay!) River from atop Astoria Column
There were some kids throwing super bouncy balls off the top, their initial bounces went at least 20 to 30 feet high. Not sure it was the smartest thing in the world for them to be doing but the parents didn’t seem to mind (and we actually watched the father climb and descend that tower three times retrieving and delivering balls — that’s dedication.
Michelle and Genetta (who was not feeling well) didn’t make the trip up the tower, but Addison did join me which was awesome. Having our fill we descended then headed into town to look for food. The first restaurant we looked at, Baked Alaska, looked really fancy and only had two non-seafood dishes so got knocked out. Same with the Silver Salmon up on Commercial Street.
Adjacent to that, and recommended, was Urban Cafe. It was a bit on the pricey side but very good. I had beef stroganoff, Addison some ribs that fell off the bone instantly, Genetta a chicken sandwich, and Michelle some chipolte prawns that were a tad spicy. Genetta had an excellent green apple pie with caramel for dessert while I took home a lemon pie with raspberry sauce. While looking for the restaurants we managed to see some pilot boats and a historic theater.
Columbia River pilot boats
Astoria's historic Liberty Theater
Headed back to the hotel where I blogged while they watched the Olympics. Again.
Sunset over the Columbia River
Route for Saturday, July 28, 2012