Three Week Road Trip - Third Leg to Columbia River Gorge/Mt. Hood, OR, September 25, 2013

Oh, it's raining in Oregon.  Big shock!  Downstairs for a quick BW breakfast (these are getting old fast), and packing the car up for our trip to the Columbia River.

More of the same on the road; small towns, fields of trees (unidentifiable), lots of sheep, cows and horses.  But so lush, green and beautiful.  We passed many fields of solid green; it looked just like grass.  And then we passed a sign that said we were in grass seed country.  Who knew there was a grass seed country!  And, thanks to the farmer who identified his hazelnut trees.  

Off the freeway in Eugene for a quick lunch at BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse.  I wanted someplace local, not a chain, but there wasn't anything on Around Me, and we weren't in the mood to look around for a place in the pouring rain.  Their menu is quite large, and I knew both Stan and I would find something we liked.  I settled on teriyaki chicken with rice and veggies, and Stan got....a burger!!!  Both were good, the teriyaki a little sweet for me, but the chicken was cooked just right and the veggies were crisp-tender.  Stan liked his burger with bacon on the side; it was cooked the way he ordered it.  

When I told my sister, Carolyn, that we were going to the Columbia River, she told me to talk to her husband, Scott, and that he would give us some pointers about where to go.  He mentioned a place called Silver Falls, which is on the way from Grant's Pass to Troutdale, our next stop near the Columbia River Gorge.  We followed directions from Siri on the iPhone, who promptly got us lost, but that allowed us to meander around the fields near Silverton and the Silver Falls Tour Route.  Along with the many acres of grass that are grown in the area, Christmas trees are a huge crop.  It is like Napa Valley, but instead of grapevines, there are Christmas trees everywhere!

Fields of grass and Christmas trees.

Christmas trees - a bumper crop.

We bumped along a gravel road for what seemed like forever with nary a car in sight.  I felt that if there were no other cars in the lot once we arrived at the falls, I wouldn't be getting out of the car.  I was having a "Deliverance" moment.  Stan finally figured out where we were and set us on the right path.  We made it to the Silver Falls South Falls parking lot, got out of the car, and, within five minutes, we were gawking at the beautiful river and the falls tumbling into it.

Stan on the way to the falls.

The South Falls at Silver Falls.

The Silver Falls area is a rain forest with a primeval feel.  There is moss and lichen on almost every tree, mushrooms sprouting here and there, and we were essentially alone while on our hike down to a lesser fall, about a 2.8 mile trip.  It wasn't too terribly difficult, some stairs and the usual ups and downs, but we made it even though I got my feet wet crossing a big puddle as we went behind another, smaller fall.

 We crossed the bridge over the river and went back to the car, and were very happy we had made this side trip to a special and extremely beautiful place.  As we were driving, we saw a parking lot for the North Falls, got out, made a quick stop to see the second largest fall in the park.  

An hour and a half later, after driving through several little towns, including a Danish town that had nothing on Solvang, we arrived at Bumper's Grill and Bar for dinner.  Bumper's Grill and Bar  There wasn't much near the Best Western Plus Cascade Inn and Suites, so we drove right down the street and there was Bumper's. 

The ambiance at Bumper's was super.  There was a large aquarium separating the bar from the dining area, dark wood, comfortable booths, good service.  I ordered the hazelnut encrusted halibut, switched the shoestrings out for mashed, and fresh veggies.  The fish was rather dry, the veggies were cold and undercooked, and the potatoes were also a little cold.  Tasty, though.  Stan was very, very happy with his french dip.  He had hoped that the roll was crustier and wasn't crazy about the waffle fries, but was happy overall. 

We're here in Troutdale for two days.  I feel like we're staying here a lifetime.  I'll unpack a little and look forward to tomorrow where we may play 9 holes and see Mt Hood and Multnomah Falls.

Three Week Road Trip - Second Leg to Grants Pass/Rogue River, OR, September 24, 2013

Morning broke bright and beautiful in Petaluma.  We spent a somewhat leisurely morning catching up on emails and having a basic Best Western breakfast.  We knew we would probably be driving into rain up in Oregon, so there wasn't a rush to get up there for golf.  

The drive from Petaluma to the Oregon border, driving from the 80 to the 505, connecting to the 5 is one of orchards and agriculture with smaller towns dotting the landscape along with the cows, horses and sheep.  There were three alpacas in there for good measure.  You know you're in the middle of nowhere (but a beautiful nowhere I have to say), when you're on the 505, a freeway I never knew existed, and the turnoff is for Road 12A. 

Attention farmers:  I have a complaint.  When I'm driving past miles and miles of orchards and fields, I am constantly wondering what crop it is I'm looking at.  How about a sign or two letting us know what we're driving by?  The one tree I could identify was the olive tree, and there were scores of them.  Little did I know we were fast approaching Corning, California, otherwise known as Olive City, home of the Queen Olive.  Being the olive-lover that I am, we had to stop and visit The Olive Pit where we browsed and bought some olive oil and two jars of olives, Mediterranean Mixed and Castelvetrano Italian Whole Green Olives (so tasty!).  The Olive Pit
 
Hungry for lunch, we used our Around Me app to find Fat Daddy's BBQ in Redding, CA.  Boy did we get lucky!  I was unable to find a website, but if you're ever in Redding, DON'T MISS THIS PLACE!!!  Here's the address and phone number:  942 Hartnell Ave  Redding, CA 96002  530 221 6270

A great sign of great food to come.

Dollar bills on the ceiling and flying pigs.

We split The Fat Meal - pulled pork, brisket, spare ribs, BBQ beans and coleslaw.  It tasted as good as it looks.

Whenever I see Redding on a map or read about it, I go back to 6th grade and the best teacher I ever had, Mr. Fields, who moved to Redding after he finished teaching at Rio Vista Elementary in El Monte, CA.  He was the man who encouraged my art and made me promise that I would go to college.  If you're still out there, Mr. Fields, you are not forgotten. 

Deeper in our trip, we came across Shasta Lake and Dam.  We decided to make a detour (why are we traveling by car if not to stop at these places we've never been?).  We drove through charming Shasta Lake, a small, old school-type of town and found our way to the dam and lake, which we caught glimpses of through the trees as we drove to the visitors center.  I had been to Hoover Dam before, probably 20 years ago, so it was pretty thrilling to see something of this scale.  There were very few people there, so access was easy.  The weather was interesting, 75 degrees and cloudy with quite a bit of wind, so Stan had to hang onto his hat as we walked the span of the dam.

Soon to follow was Mt Shasta, covered in snow, which rose in the distance in front of us as we drove up the 5.  The top of the mountain was shrouded in clouds, but Stan was able to click off a couple of shots as we drove past. 

That's Mt Shasta in the distance.

You can't see the top of the mountain, but Mt Shasta it is!

The moment we crossed the Oregon border, it began to rain.  And it poured.  Great.  We got to our second Best Western Inn at the Rogue, near Grants Pass.  Best Western Inn at the Rogue  Our room here is better laid out, bigger and nicer than the one in Petaluma.  We dropped off our stuff and went out for dinner.  The rain had stopped, and we decided to get gas before we drove to Grants Pass for dinner.  I pulled up to the pump, Stan got out with his credit card, but was stopped by...a gas station attendant!!!  It was like coming across an extinct animal! His name was Jim, and he filled up our car, washed our windows and told us it was illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon.  Amazing!

Jim the Gas Station Attendant

A seven-mile drive in the pouring rain to Elmer's Restaurant, a traditional coffee shop...plus.  Elmer's 

Nice to have a fireplace going at Elmer's on a rainy night.

The food was basic and good.  I got the small portion hazelnut crusted cod with rice and steamed veggies.  Super good, especially since it came with a big side salad.  Stan got the roast turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy and cranberry sauce.  It came with clam chowder.  His dinner had vegetables too, but he wouldn't eat them no matter how much I asked him to eat something green!  And oops!  I forgot to take pictures of the main dishes, so this adorable photo of Stan with his clam chowder will have to do!

Tomorrow we're off to the Columbia River and hopefully to good weather, sightseeing and golf!

Three Week Road Trip - First Leg to Petaluma, CA, September 23, 2013

It's official!  Stan and I are on a three-week road trip!  This is something we have talked about forever, with one thing or another getting in the way, and now it's happening!  We bought a cargo carrier for the Volvo to put our golf clubs in because they take up so much room.  That will make our traveling so much easier!

After a restless night of very little sleep (for me - Stan slept like a baby), we left the house at 5:20 a.m., it was pitch dark.  We made our usual stop at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Montecito for Stan (he gets a coffee and the cheese crumble and I got a plain yogurt), and then made a second stop at Starbucks.  Sorry CBTL, I just like the lattes better at Starbucks.  And they're bigger too!  We ate in the car and headed north to Petaluma for our first golf stop; Adobe Creek Golf Club.

After a quick bite at Chipotle's in Palo Alto, we took the 45 minute drive to Petaluma.  The weather was beautiful today in the Bay Area, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge was as clear and crisp as I'd ever seen it.  Everyone was out walking or biking across the bridge, there were sailboats in the Bay; it was a picture-perfect day.  Unfortunately, as I was driving and Stan was resting, we didn't take any perfect pictures.

We had originally planned to play golf at Rooster Run, but they were aerating the greens, so we opted for Adobe Creek.  Adobe Creek Golf Club   It turned out to be a good choice.  The weather held in Petaluma, it was a lovely 82 degrees.

Adobe Creek is a links-style course.  There aren't very many trees or water hazards, there is tall grass that can get you in real trouble, and the fairways are wide and forgiving.  There were Canadian Geese everywhere, so we were constantly side-stepping to avoid goose poo.  The course was pretty wet and muddy in places, and there was little to no water in the ball washing stations, which was rather irritating considering the mud, etc. 

I was jacked up from the coffee I had for breakfast and the iced tea I had for lunch, plus I was suffering from the long drive and the lack of sleep.  My hands were shaking through the 11th hole, but then I settled down and felt better.  Oddly enough, my front nine was better than my back by four strokes.  50 on the front, 54 on the back (one par) for a total of 104.  Not bad for my first time on the course, but maybe I should overdose on caffeine more often before playing golf. 

The opposite was true for Stan.  He struggled on the front and did very well on the back.  He finally got his mojo back on his drives and his fairway shots were going straight and far.  He had two pars and a birdie and shot a 99!  The video below was taken on the 18th hole.  His drive was fantastic, and he hit this 200 yard approach shot with his 3 wood.  It landed just off the green. 

Our scores are proof (at least here) that we're getting better.  I felt like I shot a horrible game and still wound up with a 104.  Not great, not perfect, not what I was hoping, but not terrible.

Checked in to Best Western Petaluma Inn. Best Western Petaluma Inn  Lindsey at the front desk was just terrific.  She even offered to help us drag up all of our stuff to our room (which we declined, by the way).  There are no elevators here and we're on the 2-1/2 floor.  Nice enough room; pretty basic but clean with a comfortable bed and enough pillows.  Just what you'd expect at Best Western.  

We left our luggage in the room and walked next door to Palms Grill.  Palms Grill  According to the hostess, they had been open only a couple of months.  They certainly had their act together.  I had the petite size chicken piccata covered with mushrooms and capers with a lemony sauce, white rice (I substituted this for mashed potatoes) and fresh, steamed vegetables (zucchini, carrots and broccoli, perfectly cooked).  The chicken was fork tender and the portion was just perfect.  Even though it was a petite sized dinner, I was very full and didn't even finish the rice.  

Stan had the bacon, bleu cheese burger (shock!), and thought it was very good.  He asked for the bacon on the side, and he thought it was so-so.  The burger was juicy, tasty and slightly pink inside, just as he ordered it.  He ordered a side salad for an additional $1.50 and loved the feta cheese vinaigrette with the crunchy greens.

Tomorrow we go to Grants Pass, Oregon.  The weather forecast is rain, so I doubt that we'll be playing golf, but we may find out a thing or two about Grants Pass.  Stay tuned...