Two Days Of Adventure

Hello my friends.  How has your week gone?  It's been a good one here.  On Wed. my friend Gracie and I headed up the Columbia River for  lunch in a new (to us) place called Clark & Lewie's in Stevenson, it perches right on the edge of the river.  This is the outdoor dining patio.  The day was moody, clouds clung to the top of the craggy cliffs and mountains on both sides of the river.  We even had some rain, which we gratefully enjoyed after many weeks of hot weather.

The graphic on the building is funny.. Lewis and Clark next to a windsurfing board and a pair of skis?  LOL! The building is from 1907 and was called the Old Saloon until the recent reopening in 2013 and the new name.

I enjoyed the decor... even this big buffalo head on the wall.

A beautiful old wooden canoe hung on the ceiling and there were a lot of other neat items on the walls.

After lunch we headed off to the hot springs for our swim.  The pool was quite full this time.. but we managed to dodge people and get our hour of lap swimming done.  Then we headed off across the Bridge of the Gods to Cascade Locks to get something to drink and enjoy the river.  I found this photo on my camera that I don't remember taking.. :-)  But I liked it.

Gracie pointed out a flock of geese flying by and I quickly snapped a photo.  I didn't know I'd captured them until I downloaded the pictures off my camera. 

We watched two young men rig up their trimaran and roll it down to the riverside to launch.

I tried to capture the beautiful low clouds on the craggy mountain tops.

We pulled into the tiny state park under the Bridge of the Gods and I enjoyed watching a barge heading downriver towards the Bonneville Dam to pass through the navigational locks.

The barges ply this river up and down, many of them go by in a day, they do this all year in good and bad weather.  I bet the tug boat crew members prefer the summer, fall and spring over the winter!

Have you ever heard of the Pacific Crest Trail?  It runs from Mexico to Canada and passes right over the Bridge of the Gods.  I noticed two healthy young people with big packs and battle scarred legs and asked them if they'd just come off the trail and they said yes.  I asked them where they started.. on the Mexican border!  I then asked where they were headed.. Canada!  Oh my!  Wow!  I asked if I could take their photo and told them I was a blogger and did they mind if I put their photo on my blog and they smiled and said sure!  I asked their names and he said he was Maverick and she said hers was Sunshine.  I know that PCT hikers use nicknames while on the trail.  The trail has recently gotten quite famous with a book called Wild by Cheryl Strayed in 2012.  The book was made into a movie in 2014.  They asked only one question of me.. where is a good place to eat?  :-)

On Thursday I met my 2 sisters and friend Shirley - we try to go out for a girl's lunch as often as possible.. and guess where I took them?  To Big T's in Stevenson!  LOL!  I counted 28 different kinds of burgers on the menu.  My sister Denise and Shirley both ordered the "Peanut Butter, Bacon and Pickle Burger".  I know, it doesn't look good but the girls both said it was delish.  They mix something in the peanut butter but would not give us the secret ingredients - I guessed maple syrup?

The girls all claimed Big T's a fun and yummy place to go.  Afterwards I took them to Bob's Beach by the log cabins.  You can rent this cabin - the place is called Riverside Lodge.  We all enjoyed the park and the river.

Here is the view from the park and cabin.  The Sternwheeler Columbia Gorge was churning along across the river.

Zoooooomm...

A bright spot of color caught my eye in the rock lined shore.. a last bloom of wild sweet pea grew in the stones.

The wild roses all along the edge of the park were covered with bright red rose hips.

Looking back over the grassy river bank.. my sister Roberta looking for acorns.

Denise's collection of acorns.. they are so pretty.. yellow, orange, green and brown.

I had shown the girls the boat landing and park I recently found in Stevenson and we saw a pair of people rigging up to take their kayaks out for a paddle.. and while we were at Bob's Beach we saw then going past.  :-)

Back across the Bridge of the Gods.. I drove them around the Cascade Locks Marine Park and we were treated to the Sternwheeler heading out after picking up new passengers.

The Canada Geese that love the grassy park.

Next we stopped at the Brigham Fish Market and 3 of us bought some smoked salmon spread to take home to share with our families.  Then I took them to my little state park and we felt a bit of rain begin.  

We all admired the beautiful black acorn that Roberta found in the park.  Isn't it pretty?

Sister Denise did a selfie of the 4 of us.. funny ol' girls.  LOL!

Also a neat thing happened this week, our son Shawn who moved with his family to Temecula, California, drove up for a short visit and to pick up his car hauler trailer with the boys dirt bikes inside.  He left it here when they moved 4 months ago and wants the boys to be able to use them down there.  One less trailer on the farm now!  :-)  Anyway, we're really enjoying his visit and are having lots of hanging out time and catching up with family news on both sides.  Our little grandsons adore their uncle Shawn and were outrageously happy to see him when they arrived home from school.   How is your week going?  ((hugs)), Teresa :-)