Hanging Out in Hood River

For our vacation this year we went to Hood River, Oregon. We had originally planned to go to Jasper, Alberta, but to stay in a hotel you need to book many months in advance. Maybe next year! A mom of one of C's friends recommended Hood River (along the Columbia River) to me. Hood River is an hour east of Portland.

The weather was pretty hot. Over 90 every day. There was no humidity so that helped. We stayed cool with the pool, the river, and air conditioning.

We stayed at the Best Western which was very conveniently located. There is an outdoor pool with a view of the river and we were pleasantly surprised that they provided breakfast vouchers for the restaurant. The photo at the top was taken at breakfast. Our only complaint was our room location which was a very long walk to the pool.

Since we recently acquired a bike rack for our car, we brought the boys' bikes along with us for the first time on a vacation. They were able to have some independence which they appreciated.

Monday morning we left home. We went through Portland. A stop at Powell Books was important to me. It is the world's largest bookstore. It is four storeys tall and covers an entire city block.

As we drove along the Columbia River, we stopped at Vista House at Crown Point.

I asked the ranger at the info desk why the building was created. He said in short, "it is the world's most expensive restroom."  It was built in 1916 as a rest stop observatory for travelers on the old Columbia River Gorge Highway.

The view of Columbia Gorge from Crown Point:

If I return to the area, I'd like to stop at the "Portland Women's Forum" viewpoint where you can see Vista House in the distance. It is an iconic view of the Columbia Gorge.

Tuesday morning, the boys biked along the waterfront while J and I walked the path. In the afternoon, we rented a stand up paddle board (SUP) for A to try out. There is a cove that is perfect for playing in the water.

J used our inflatable and paddled around. I sat on the sandbar and read a book.

On Wednesday, we went on a short hike in the morning. Tom McCall Nature preserve. It was a 2 mile hike with no elevation change. It was 80 degrees while we were there. The views were fantastic.

We spend the afternoon by the pool. We were told at the visitor centre that Panorama Point was a good place to see Mt. Hood. We drove there shortly after 6 pm. The park was closed at 6 pm. Strange. There was so much haze/smoke that we couldn't see Mt. Hood.

We watched kite boarders that evening.

On Thursday we went on a sternwheeler sightseeing cruise.

The above photo is a photo I took of the photo they took of us, therefore the quality is bad. The boat is completely powered by the paddle wheel.

It was a very nice trip. We started out at Cascade Locks (a town west of Hood River) and went east for about 30 minutes, returned, and then went west, underneath the Bridge of the Gods

and turned around just outside of the Bonneville dam. We saw lots of wildlife. There are osprey nests on all the navigation posts.

We also saw a very fat sea lion near the Bonneville dam.

We also saw native American fishing platforms on the shore.

Our river cruise was two hours long. Friday morning we left Hood River for home. Our only excursion that day was Beacon Rock which is on the Washington side of the Columbia River.

A said to me "there is no way you are getting to the top." Ha ha! He and I made it to the top. Photos to prove it:

J and C went about 1/3 of the way up and stayed there.

It was pretty disconcerting if you looked down.

There are 53 switchbacks on the trail.

On our return home we got stuck in some nasty traffic south of Tacoma. J and I would like to return to Hood River.

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Seattle Stairways

There are hundreds of public stairways in Seattle. A majority of them are in the Queen Anne neighbourhood which is a hilly area just north of downtown. I wanted to find some stairways and take the boys along. I read this book and used it as a guide.

I chose the southwest area of Queen Anne. We parked just down the street from Marshall park on 7th avenue.

We found the Willcox Walls first.

I did a little research and found out that:

Construction of the Willcox Walls began in 1913, and they substantially completed that year with plants and other final touches along both sides of the street finished by January 1916. The Willcox Walls, including the design of their ornamental balustrades, lighting, and public stairways, are the work of Walter Ross Baume Willcox. He was personally acquainted with Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, and their philosophies influenced his designs and thinking. The Willcox Walls were designated a City Landmark in 1976, recognized for their structural detail, brick work, exterior appearance, and lighting fixtures.


This is Lee street which is all stairs. You can see the Magnolia bridge in the distance.

We came back up more stairs and walked through Parsons park.

I call this one Climbing the Stairway to Heaven.

Walking, more stairs and then we went to Bayview-Kinnear park. It has a cool metal slide built into a hill.

Kerry Park has the quintessential view of Seattle.

We saw this balcony off a house and we decided these people have the best view in the city!

After a few blocks uphill we walked along Galer street and stopped for lunch (but no donuts) at Top Pot Donuts. I liked the wall of bookcases filled with vintage books.

I'm drawn to houses that look like old fashioned doll houses.

After we returned to the car we drove around the north end of Queen Anne and went on the road that goes under the Aurora bridge. We drove by Seattle Pacific University which has a pretty campus.

There is a website that maps the stairs of Queen Anne. http://qastairs.com/map.html

I'd like to go back and find more stairways in Queen Anne. It is a very pleasant area to hang out in. Historic homes and beautiful gardens plus a workout.


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