Honeymoon Day Eleven - Art, Fireworks and Electro

As usual at the Ace Hotel, we started off the morning with coffee and fresh squeezed OJ from Stumptown Coffee on the first floor. After a small breakfast and a relaxed start to the sunny day, we walked around downtown to find some lunch. We walked by a handful of restaurants and eventually decided on Isabel's in the Pearl District, not far from our hotel.

Isabel's is housed within a contemporary concrete building with large window/doors that are operated by large turn wheels on the interior of the restaurant (video below). Stacy had a sandwich/soup combo and Jed had a sandwich/salad combo, both of which were very tasty. The interior was minimal and sleek and all of the doors were open halfway, allowing a nice breeze into the restaurant.

After lunch, we walked around the Pearl District up to 21st Street where we popped into a couple of shops and both got a quick hair trim. After our hair trim we found a very eclectic art gallery called Cannibals that sold everything from altered taxidermy (video below), chandaliers made of vintage eyeglasses, George Bush zero cent stamps, to wire wrapped robots and animals. It was a very cool gallery, each piece of art as interesting as the next.

After perusing the avant garde art, we heading to the closest streetcar stop to ride it (for the first time) down to the southwest part of the water front. There we would take the newest transport in town, the aerial tram, up the hill. The aerial tram is a very well designed tram service that connects the Southwestern waterfront with the OSHU Center for Health and Healing on Marquam Hill. From the ride up the hill you can see Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, all of downtown, and as far as the eye can see in all directions (videos below). One of the most expansive and beautiful views in town.

We took the aerial tram back down to the waterfront and the streetcar back to our hotel. After relaxing for a while in the hotel room, we walked just north of Burnside to see the Go Tell Mama (unoffficial Obama Art Show) at Art 323, a new gallery in Portland. Go Tell Mama was in Raleigh a month or so ago and Stacy was unable to catch it, so it was good we were able to see it again here (video below). We chatted with the artist, Ray Noland, and looked at the artwork for a bit before heading out to dinner.

We walked to Burnside after the art show and caught a cab to the southeast part of town for dinner at Biwa. Biwa is a Japanese tapas place that is located below ground in a space that used to house the grunge venue in the 90s called La Luna. Biwa is noted as the only Ramen Noodle restaurant in town. Stacy had a combo plate of pork fried rice, pot stickers, soup and asparagus. Jed had one of the chicken ramen noodles. Both were very delicious and we had more food than we knew how to eat.

After dinner, we stopped into a recommended local bar for drinks before heading to Rotture for music. The bar is called East End and was only a couple of blocks from Biwa. We had a drink in the dark back corner and plotted our newest idea for a business in Raleigh, Joystick, an all day arcade bar that hosts bands and serves alcohol at night (a mix of Ground Kontrol here in Portland and Kings Barcade). We drafted some logo and t-shirt ideas and think it would be perfectly located in one of the brick warehouses in downtown. If done right, it would be a hit. We also saw a Birds of Avalon poster in both bathrooms at East End which reminded us fondly of home.

After East End, we headed to Rotture for the Future Arts Festival featuring lots of DJs, Fleshtone, Mute Era and Chromatics. We were a bit early, so we bounced around to different spots checking out the crowd before the music began. We were able to see the fireworks that are part of the Rose Festival from the outdoor balcony of Rotture (video below). After the fireworks, the music started downstairs with Fleshtone who were very entertaining and got the crowd dancing to start the evening.

After Fleshtone, Mute Era peformed more of a sporatic grunge verion of the White Stripes. They were followed by a dance routine which Stacy said "look like a television ad for American Apparel". We were able to see the practice run of the dance earlier in the evening downstairs but it was cool to see them interacting with the crowd (which was a packed house by night's end).

After the dance number, Chromatics took the stage wth their low lights, fog machine and "noir disco" (as the press is calling it). They started with a cover of Springsteen's "I'm on Fire" and ended with Kate Bush's "Running up that Hill", with a handful of their foot tapping groovy songs in between. Overall, they created a nice moody music evening and delivered well on what we had only heard previously on computer. All proceeds from the evening went to fund a music fest in portland that will occur in a couple of months. Too bad we won't be here for it.

Roll-up Doors at Isabel's



Taxidermy Art



View of Downtown Portland from Aerial Tram



Aerial Tram Leaving Station



Go Tell Mama Art Show



Fireworks



Balloons and Fleshtone



Chromatics - I'm on Fire (Springsteen Cover)



Chromatics - I Want Your Love

Honeymoon Day Ten - Back to the City

We woke up and hung out in the room for awhile, having been granted a late checkout as usual. We watched a bit of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert (cable, ahh, we remember you) and packed our bags. We hit the road and headed north to finish our stint on Hwy 101. We had a delicious lunch at the Pacific Way Cafe in the charming town of Gearhart. Next we went to Seaside with the intention of going to the Seaside Aquarium which has been in operation since the 1930's. However, upon peering in from the entrance we quickly changed our minds. It looked very depressing and the poor sea lions on display at the front of the building were tightly enclosed in a white cement box. No thanks. This aquarium is in need of some serious updating and attention to animal welfare.

Back on the road, we hit Astoria (the oldest, continuously inhabited town west of the Mississippi) and drove through downtown to get a feel for the city. Then we drove over the famous Astoria-Megler Bridge into Washington. (It is the longest continuous truss bridge in North America.) We took the road along the Columbia River and looked across to admire Oregon and reflect on our adventures.

When we got back to Portland, we checked into our hotel (the Ace again, 'cuz we like it) and turned in our rental car. (Fuel cost us twice as much as the weekly rental rate from Enterprise. Ouch. This was a good riddance.) We started our evening by watching a dance performance in the Cleaners art gallery next door (see video below). Then we ate ANOTHER Thai dinner and headed to the Living Room Theaters across the street from our hotel to watch a movie. This was a great place, and kinda reminded us of the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin. We enjoyed the comfty seats and our cocktails as we watched The Band's Visit (Great film! Go see it.)

Next we experienced a white version of Soul Train at the Crystal Ballroom. It was 70's VJ night and people danced to various Jackson 5, Earth Wind & Fire and Stevie Wonder songs with the white man's overbite in full effect. We wrapped up the night with a game of Snatch in our hotel room. Jed won handily which annoyed Stacy to no end. Nice to be back in the city and back at the Ace with no need to wake up early and get on the road!

2008 Smith Gant Scrabble Championships



We Got Cheese Onion Bread!



Drums and Dancing at the Cleaners Art Gallery



Bike Sculpture



Dinner @ Thai Peacock



The Living Room Theatres



70's VJ Night at The Crystal Ballroom

Honeymoon Day Nine - Trees, Cheese, Wine and Beer

The day started with a soak in the hot tub at the Surfrider Resort. A warm way to start a cold and rainy day (or as they call it here "Oregon Sunshine.") Before leaving the hotel, we consulted the guide book and asked for recommendations for lunch in Lincoln City and on both lists was Kyllo's Seafood and Grill. Stacy had crab cakes and Jed had Mahi Mahi Tacos. Both were delicious and Kyllo's goes down as one of the best meals we've had on our honeymoon.

After lunch we headed up the coast to see Three Archs State Park and Cape Meares, which included the Octopus Tree, The Cape Meares Light (the smallest lighthouse in Oregon) and a dense old growth Spruce forest. We spent a good amount of time exploring Cape Meares Park and all of its viewpoints and wildlife. After climbing to the top of the lighthouse, we jumped back in the car to drive north. After a couple of stops at viewpoints along Hwy 101, we stopped into the Tillamook Cheese Factory. The factory offered a self-guided tour that leads you to the 2nd floor that overlooks the factory where you can watch both the processing and the packaging of the cheese (no cows in sight, however.) Check of the video to see the assembly line process, very interesting and kinda weird to watch from behind windows. After the factory tour, we went downstairs to taste their cheese varieties. (The extra sharp cheddar was tasty, but the curds were strange tasting and very squeaky.) We bought some sample packets and hit the road.

We left the cheese factory and were only 20 miles from our destination, Cannon Beach. It was only about 4:30, so we took our time on this leg of driving. We stopped by a floating hotel in Nehalem Bay that we had read about in the guide book. There were different boat houses you could stay in, including a converted tug boat and a barge. Very kitchy but the hotel had a great view and a sauna (which Stacy liked.) We considered staying in one for the evening but already had a reservation in Cannon Beach.

We then stopped into the Nehalem Bay Winery to try some wine. The building was originally an old creamery (we just left a creamery?) and the woman pouring the wine was very helpful in describing the types we were tasting. We started with red, going up dry chart and then moved to whites, following the same process. The Cabernet and Chardonnay were our favorites, despite the fact that Pinot Noir is what Oregon is known for. After buying a bottle of Chardonnay, we hit the road with wine and cheese in hand. Nice combo!

We usually arrive at our hotels around 9pm and are pressed to have dinner before restaurants close but tonight we arrived around 6 o'clock and had lots of time to spare. Cannon Beach is a very cute beach town. Our hotel, The Waves Motel, was right in the middle of downtown, and it was only a short walk to all the shops and restaurants. Considering we had seafood three of the past four meals, we decided to have dinner at Bill's Tavern and Brewhouse. Stacy stuck with fish and had a tuna sandwich while Jed had one of their "famous" cheeseburgers (with Tillamook cheddar!) Both were tasty as were the two Ambers we drank along with them. (Most of their home brews weren't available due to a busy Memorial Day weekend.)

We ended the evening by doing laundry, taking a dip in the jacuzzi and playing a game of scrabble (Stacy won by 30+ points). Today we head to Seaside for a walk on the promenade, a trip to the aquarium and then possibly into Washington and back down to Portland by night's end. Lots of videos of Wednesday below.

Drive-Up Espresso and Smoothie



I will squish you, rock



Foggy Road Drive



Octopus Tree



Three Archs View from Cape Meares



Red Lighthouse



Cows Make Cheese, Not Me



Pretending to sing Pretend Love



Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach



Cheese Also

Honeymoon Day Eight - Sand, Sunshine and Sea Lions

We woke up on Tuesday to sunshine and a beautiful view of the Bandon harbor. We packed our bags and grabbed breakfast at a locals favorite, the Minute Cafe. After breakfast, we walked around the town of Bandon and visited several shops to buy locally-made fudge, some funky earrings and postcards. We also drove down to the beach to see Table Rock and Face Rock, which has an Indian legend associated with its formation.

Leaving Bandon, we headed north on Hwy 101 to see the Oregon Dunes! To get our caffeine fix before our ride, we stopped by one of the many drive thru coffee stands that are scattered along the Oregon roads and highways. The Human Bean looked like our best option and Stacy had a latte and Jed a Strawberry smoothie. (These drive thru coffee shops are an excellent idea and we are plotting where to put one in Raleigh!)

The weather was perfect, the sun was shining and the sky was blue. A perfect day for a dune buggy ride on the sand dunes. Neither of us had been on an ATV in the sand so we decided to have someone drive us around and show us the area. Our Spinreel tour guide was a lifetime Oregonian named Art Bell who knew a lot about the history of the dunes and the local floura & fauna. Art drove us around the dunes, the beach and other in-between areas - all the while teaching us about the landscape and telling stories of legendary characters like Jedediah Smith ("Old Jed" Smith). Not all of the tour was educational. Art also got our hearts racing by drving up and over some of the bigger dunes. A fun and beautiful ride.

Then we continued north on Hwy 101, stoppping by a Jedediah Smith monument, the world's largest sea lion caves, Devil's Punchbowl State Park, the Rogue Brew Pub in Newport and the most exciting of all, Cape Perpetua. (Phew!) From Cape Perpetua, we had a fantastic view of forest, rocky coastline and ocean. And we could see a good amount of the southern portion of 101 that we had driven so far. We also spotted five bald eagles circling around the cape, and we were both excited as this was our first sighting of these birds "in the wild."

Driving further north, we reached our hotel for the evening, The Surfrider Resort. It was oceanfront, just off Hwy 101 and had a pool, spa, restaurant, and bar on the premises. We stuck with seafood for dinner again, and we selected different halibut dishes. Afterwards we relaxed in the room with a movie and had the last of our Rogue beers including a Chipotle Ale (spicy!) Today was a good day!

Windmills at Bandon



Wind Chimes at Bandon



Face Rock (Lobster) - Can You Spot the Face?



Little Dune Buggy!



Up the Dunes



Dunes Tour Guide and View



Jedidiah Smith Gant Reads Jedediah Smith Monument



Sea Lion Caves



Cape Perpetua Scenic Viewpoint



1, 2, 3, 4, 5! Five Bald Eagles!



Rogue Beer Pub

Honeymoon Day Seven - Pacific Ocean Bound

We started off Monday morning in Eugene, walking downtown to the Zenon Cafe for lunch. Next we walked over to the courthouse which was designed by Morphosis. We walked around the building a took lots of photos and videos. Watch them to see a great contemporary building that shows what can happen when money is dedicated to design. The city of Eugene (and Oregon in general) seems to have a certain respect for modern and contemporary design.

After leaving Eugene, we headed south on I-5 before exiting onto Highway 38. The drive was very nice and just before jumping onto Hwy 101, we stopped at the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area to see lots of elk on the horizon as well as several bird species. At the intersection of Hwy 38 and 101 (in Winchester Bay) we stopped at the Oregon Dunes Information Center to find out more about the coastal drive, the state parks and the dunes. We grabbed a handful or booklets and brochures and headed south towards Bandon, where we had reserved a room for the evening.

On our drive down, Stacy raised the idea of not going to San Francisco and heading north up the Pacific Coast Highway towards Washington - arriving back in Portland sooner than originally planned. We decided we would weigh the pros and cons of these two options over dinner and make a decision then.

Our first stop on our drive south was the Umpqua State Park Lighthouse. This would be the first time that the two of us had seen the Pacific Ocean together. It was a nice view, but not nearly as good as many to come. Next up was a stop to play in the dunes in Lakeside where we signed up for a guided tour on Tuesday afternoon. We jumped back in the car and got our gambling fix with a visit to the Mills Casino in North Bend (and didn't waste time loosing a few bucks at a Texas Hold 'Em table and a couple of Blackjack slot machines.)

The final scenic stop on our southern route was Capa Arago and we checked out many viewpoints along the winding road that headed up to the tip of the peninsula. One of the highlights along the way was an overlook that allowed us to see hundreds of sea lions on various rocks about a half mile out into the ocean. They were quite noisy as the video should reveal. A very cool, unexpected experience.

After Arago, we headed to Bandon. It is touted as an artist community with a cute downtown. We had a room reserved at the Sea Star Guest House, which looked out on the harbor (and ocean beyond). We checked into our room and headed to dinner at The Wheelhouse which was only a block away. We went to the upstairs lounge and had two different fresh snapper dishes along with some good local brews. It was a delicious meal.

During dinner we discussed the pros and cons of heading south vs. north for the next couple of (San Fran vs. Portland.) It was a great discussion, with each option having a long list of pros and cons. But....in the end, Oregon won. We decided to drive north up 101 towards the Washington border and head back into Portland for the last few days of our trip.

Morphosis Courthouse Walk



Petting the Elk



Running Down the Dunes



Casino Dollar



Spotting a Sea Lion

Honeymoon Day Six - From Ice Storms to Hot Spings

We started the day trying to find breakfast and gas in La Pine. After attempting to pump our own gas and finding out that it's the law in Oregon for an attendant to pump it for you, we grabbed some breakfast at the La Pine Inn Restaurant. We then headed south on 197 towards Crater Lake.

(Click image for our day journey or click here for the interactive version.)

The initial road we had intended to take to Crater Lake was located on the north side of the Lake. As we approached the road, all we could see in front of us was a long shute of snow, a closed gate, and another group of travelers next to their car pondering what to do next. We knew there was another entrance to the Lake area, but it was 45 miles away. Crater Lake was our goal and Crater Lake we would see. After driving up through the mountains to the south entrance, we were greeted by a long line of vehicles full of anxious travelers, looking to see this natural wonder.

We paid the entrance fee and drove 7 miles up to the rim of the crater (the rest of the park roads are still closed for winter.) Snow was piled on both sides of the narrow road and when we reached the top, there was nothing but snow covering the ground. The weather there varied from sunny, to rainy to icy (video below). The lake is the deepest lake in the US and one of the deepest in the world. A gorgeous view in all directions, we walked through the snow to various viewing points to marvel at the size of the lake and the surrounding peaks. We stopped by the 100 year old lodge at the edge of Crater Lake for a pint and a bit of history about the lake and the lodge's construction. The drive back down the hill was much quicker and we left the lake with awe and wonderment.

After all the snow, we stopped by McCredie Hot Springs for a warm soak on our way to Eugene. The guidebook said it was a usually a party at McCredie and it was correct. There was a group of high school students and a handful of other visitors soaking in the various pools that were situated along the river. Lots of colorful conversations around us. Each pool had differing temperatures and we floated between the hottest one and the comfortable one, allowing water from the two to mix. After a nice bath in the mineral spring, we continued to Eugene where we found a cheap, yet quaint hotel in the downtown area. Dinner at a Mexican restaurant and a movie in the room followed.

Tomorrow we will explore downtown Eugene for a bit. Jed spotted a famous building downtown that we plan on looking at and hopefully some of the local shops will be open on Memorial Day. Then we shall head for the coast to check out the dunes!

Snowball Fight



Slip and Slide in the Snow



Ice Storm at Crater Lake



Walking in the Snow



Crater Lake Panorama



Foggy Drive



McCredie Hot Springs



Visit from a local Ground Squirrel



Big Ole Mountain



Denied Entrace at Crater Lake

Honeymoon Day Five - Driving on 197

We began our day by driving into downtown Gresham and having a tasty Italian meal. Some fellow diners recommended that we take the Historic Columbia River Highway on our trip out to see the gorge. We took their advice and loved the drive -- the road twisted and turned and afforded us many fantastic views of waterfalls, rolling hills, and snow-capped moutains across the river (Mt. Shasta, we think.) This small highway eventually led to I-84 which moved much faster, but we still had lots to see. We drove along the gorge and looked across the river at the changing landscape. (This area is parceled off into various National Scenic Areas, State Parks, etc.) After an hour or so driving east, we headed south on 197 with the intent on landing in Bend for the night.

Most of the view along 197 was of rolling hills (often with cultivated grasses and other crops) as far as the eye could see. We had panoramic views and an almost constant look at Mt. Hood off to the west. We stopped at a couple of scenic overlooks and finally at Smith Rock before arriving in Bend. (See the Smith Rock video. This is a very cool spot and we could have spent hours exploring the hiking trails but sunlight was fading and we needed to continue south.)

Arriving in downtown Bend, we agreed that this town appeared to be right up our alley. Jed went into a record shop to ask for recommendations for a hotel, dinner, and nightlife options. We found out that The Decemberists and Death Cab for Cutie were playing at the local amphitheatre. Bend seemed to be a much cooler town than we originally thought.

But our first task was to find a place to stay. Checking out the two places that were recommended, we found out that neither had a vacancy. Stacy was given a list of all the hotels in town and after phone calls to all 15, there were no hotel rooms in Bend or in the next closest town, Redmond. Seriously? Our phones were dying and we were getting hungry but had no place to stay. Finally, someone recommended a small motel in La Pine, 30 miles south of Bend. A phone call revealed that they had ONE non-smoking room left and despite our lack of knowledge about the conditions of the place, we begged them to hold it for us. We had another Thai dinner and had to laugh at our second night in a row of scrapping for a place to stay. One night we couldn't find a hotel and then the next night, we couldn't find one with a vacancy.

After dinner we drove south through the fog and arrived at the Timbercrest Inn at around 10pm. The place was great and even had wifi (hence this posting.) The bed was nice and comfy, causing us to oversleep! After getting packed and ready in 30 mintues, we headed out to Crater Lake!

Map Route through Oregon



Waterfall



180 Panorama, No Cars in Sight



Landscape Speeding By



Gorge-ous View



Smith Rock Panorama



Jed Running at Smith Rock

Honeymoon Day Four - Oregon Triangle Part 02

A couple more videos from our drive into the Cascades yesterday. These two were before the lostcapade.