The Road to Portland

The drive to Portland from Pendleton reminded us somewhat of Idaho, in that the hillsides we very brown.  Except for that big river just to the right of he road.  Wow!  It is huge.

Although we wanted to stop at the John Day Fossil Beds, the John Day Dam, and the Bonneville Dam, we only stopped at a rest area to look.  While there, however, we were privileged to talk with a member of the Yakima tribe who was taking his net out of the water after trying to do some netting.  He said he usually does better at night, but it did not matter to us.  It was just interesting to talk with him.

Coming down the Columbia River Gorge, we suddenly came upon this view.

Mount Hood stately sits right in the middle of the horizon, all by itself.  Because of numerous fires, the air was hazy and smoky, which dimmed the view.  Unfortunate, but still gorgeous.

After arriving at our camp and setting up, we went to the hotel to meet up with Kathleen and Betsy.  Kathy arrived not much later, and we talked and talked.  Before dinner, the five of us went to downtown Portland. We went to dinner with Kenneth and Melinda, while the three of them ate and wandered around the area.  

Portland downtown is a moving place.  We loved the trolley that is pedaled by those on board . . . while they are imbibing.  It was very funny, and it frankly looked like a lot of fun, even for the non-drinker.

By the time the evening was over, we were ready for bed.  It was a long, but fun, day!