Once seated at Byways, we were enchanted. Clearly Byways has been around a long, long time and little has changed. Black and white checkered linoleum floor. A lunch counter with low red leather covered stools. We sat in a booth and admired the travel memorabilia displayed in glass cases, wooden framed and hanging on the wall. Salt and peppers, little figurines, state named items. Above the window and the back bar were several license plates, not especially old. The place evidenced wear and care (the care based on the cleanliness).
Rog had biscuit (a very LARGE one) and gravy (butter and good sausage evident in abundance and flavor). I had cinnamon challah French bread, pecan butter, maple syrup (the real stuff!), 2 slices of bacon, and one egg. Everything was great. Oh, yes, Roger also had home fries, while good not up to the standard of the rest of the fare.
From there we headed to the Columbia River Valley. Upon landing we knew we were not in familiar territory -- lots of hills and evergreens, not many deciduous trees. Heading north and east only magnified that impression. Everything indicated a temperate rain forest environment. Moss, ferns, lichens, mushrooms growing in profusion on any surface not moving. Tree trunks and branches. Stones, walkways. The trees were incredibly tall, reaching ever upward for what rays of sun the day provided. Clouds hung low on hill tops and in valleys. When the sun would reflect off these wisps, they would glow, the vista ever changing, depending on the winds and whims of weather. The lushness of plant life was impressive. Wild berries, huge flowers.
Our first stop was an overlook of the Columbia River. I can only hope my pictures do it justice. In the distance we could see a fortress or churchlike building. It seemed perfect for the fantasy setting. Little did I know it was our next stop!
Vista House, grand and glorious views. From there we stopped at three or four water falls. Each required a short walk (from half to three quarters of a mile) which allowed us to truly experience the rain forest. The falls were awe-inspiring. Again, I hope the pictures tell an accurate story.
The last falls was the highest and maybe even the best but it was also the one that everyone stopped to see and it required the least amount of walking. It was far too crowded to really enjoy. As we ended our drive on Historic Highway 30, we were both satiated and expectant.
Our next stop was the Columbia River Power House and Fishery. We were able to view salmon and sturgeon making their way up the fish ladder and to learn about how the fish are bred and maintained. Hard to believe someone sits for hour after hour counting the fish as they move through.
Next stop, Hood River, an attractive city located on a hillside nestled in the beauty and grandeur of the region. I pulled out our Frommer's to find a suitable place to have lunch. We chose Double Mountain Brew Pub. We parked four blocks uphill from it. Perhaps not the best plan on our part.
The pub itself was small with a larger outside seating area. Modern in look. We ordered a taster sampler of their beer and a Margherita pizza because the menu indicated a brick oven fired to 700 degrees was used resulting in charring that added to the flavor.
The beer was uniformly good but two stood out -- their IPA and a cherry infused beer served in a wine glass. The IPA was hearty and had the grapefruit aroma and flavor I've come to expect from a good IPA. The cherry had a fruity cherry flavor, light carbonation and a pleasant sourness. The pizza? It was excellent! Not what we had in New York City which is our standard measure but a very fine pizza with a wonderfully thin crunchy, tasty crust, a thin layer of tomato sauce, mozzarella strewn on top - not too much or too little. The basil was fresh and put on at the very last. That pizza totally disappeared! Had we the time, we would have enjoyed exploring this quaint city by the river. As it was, we trudged four blocks uphill, stomachs full, to our car.
Next stop, Mt. Hood. Our chances of seeing this moutain top were pretty slim as it had been raining off and on all day with occasional bursts of sunlight. The drive, however, took us through a fruitful, literally, valley. We saw fields of cabbage, vineyards, and orchards of peach trees (bare of their harvest), and pear trees bending under the weight of fruit ready for picking.
Unfortunately, the closer we came to Mt. Hood, the less we could see, the rainier it was and the colder. At one point I did see patches of snow on a mountain not far from us. On the mountain itself, we couldn't see anything. The sky hung low and gray, the wind picked up, the air filled with moisture, and we were COLD! The lodge was worth the visit though. It exuded history and revealed the labor of men and boys down on their luck during the Depression. That my dad was one such young man back then and stationed nearby in Klamath Falls made it all the more touching to me.
After Mt. Hood, we hightailed it for Astoria, the northern most city in Oregon on the coast. The western side of Oregon is much different in terrain and look from what we saw in the Columbia Valley. A kind of variation on a theme. We managed to arrive in Astoria a little after 7:00 pm, check into our hotel and then head for a bit to eat, a questionable activity at that hour on Sunday.
We found a nice restaurant on Main Street, had potato soup and salad and went home to bed but not until after we had identified a breakfast place, The Blue Sorcerer, where I sit now writing. We also saw enough of the city to know it has antique stores of interest, a theater that looks restored, an old hotel with a wonderful neon light. All in all, with the ocean within calling distance, the river opening onto it like a multi-lane highway parallel to the road, the town presents as a river town for tourist and merchants alike.
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