We took a day away from Canon Beach to do this drive along the Oregon Coast. Called The Three Capes Loop , the 35 mile byway off of US 101 includes stops at the three capes called Cape Meares, Cape Lookout and Cape Kiwanda. In between the capes, the road winds its way along a super picturesque and rugged section of the coastline and then inland through dairy country, forest, and small beach towns. Highlights […]
Cannon Beach is located on the Pacific Northwest Coast of Oregon, 80 miles west of Portland, and is listed as “One of the World’s 100 Most Beautiful Places” by National Geographic. I would definitely have to agree and the research I had done prior did not prepare me for the true rugged beauty of the entire area. Wendy and I were almost giddy upon our check in at our hotel, Seasprite on the Estuary. On […]
Cathedral Park is both a park and subsequent neighborhood in the northernmost section of Portland, Oregon on the east shore of the Willamette River. The park is situated under the St. Johns Bridge, and was given its name due to the gothic arches that support the bridge. It was not a planned stop on our trip but one we had to make after seeing photos from a local artist at the Portland Saturday Market. From […]
Nestled in the foothills of Oregon’s Cascade Mountains, the sprawling 9,200 acre property is the largest state park in Oregon, and one of the most popular. The stand-out of the park is the Trail of Ten Falls, a spectacular 9 mile loop that weaves through a dense forest landscape, rocky canyons, and you guessed it…..10 waterfalls. And if you haven’t heard me say it before, I’m a sucker for a waterfall. Ten in once place […]
We had just one full day in Portland and were lucky enough to have it be a Saturday so we could go to the Portland Saturday Market. Open every Saturday and Sunday from March–December, the market is the largest continually operating arts-and-crafts fair in the United States, drawing up to 750,000 visitors during its annual season. I think there were at least 700,000 people there the day we visited (not really but it was very crowded) […]
A stop at the famed VooDoo Doughnut was a must for breakfast on our first day in Portland. The doughnuts are delicious and good luck picking just one or two. We decided to get four for the two of us so we could also get the signature pink box. With names like “The Dirty Bastard” or “The Gay Bar” you have to have a pretty open mind though. I was brave enough to try the […]
After leaving Multnomah Falls, we headed up to the Columbia River Gorge area in search of good food, and more importantly, good wine. This region is known for its excellent growing conditions producing some of the country’s best wines. Climate and terrain throughout the Gorge range from conditions found in Germany to France’s Burgundy and Italy’s northern Rhone Valley and northwest Piedmont. From the cool, western end of the Gorge come delicate Pinot Noirs and […]
Multnomah Falls is the tallest waterfall in the state of Oregon and is split into an upper falls of 542 feet and a lower falls of 69 feet. We made the 1/4-mile hike up to the Benson Bridge, a photogenic foot-crossing, which spans the falls’ second drop. Not just a great place to enjoy the view, it’s also perfect for catching your breath before forging ahead to the top or returning to the Multnomah Falls […]