Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Hood River, OR

Our friends left today, so we spent yesterday trying to get in a few more of the sights in the area.  Jim and I had appointments in Hood River for our annual physicals, so Roger and Mary Jo went along for the ride, and wandered the downtown shops for an hour while we were at the doctor’s office.  Since they were staying in Stevenson, we drove along the Columbia on Hwy 14, on the Washington side. Caught this train coming through the tunnel as we passed. It looked like there was barely enough room for it to fit through.

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We crossed the Hood River Bridge into Oregon for the first time. This is the view of town and Mt. Hood from the bridge.P9150036

We then drove up to Panorama Point to see the view of Mt. Hood, as it was a fairly clear day.P9150037

Then we drove part of the “Fruit Loop”, a back roads route that takes you by numerous orchards and wineries. We bought some more of those wonderful red pears, and did a wine tasting at one of the wineries.

On our way home, they decided they wanted to take the hike up Beacon Rock, so we came back and changed shoes and made the climb.  It was a beautiful evening and there were only a few other people on the trail, unlike the first time we went there.

We capped off the day with dinner at Big River Grill in Stevenson, a place we’ve been wanting to try.  They make a great veggie burger, and Roger enjoyed the prime rib.  The owner, Joe Schlick, has an interesting history.  He pioneered the first municipal Wi-Fi in the country, and got the city to fund it.  So anyone can log on for free WiFi anywhere in downtown Stevenson.

Our vacation came to an end, and we had to go back to work today, but we really had a great time playing tour guide for a few days.

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