Portland Adieu

Dateline Lincoln City.  A beautiful morning on the Oregon Coast.  Yesterday I took U.S. 30 out of Portland along the Columbia River to Astoria.  I thought maybe it would be pretty along the river...and it may well have been...except that visibility was down to about a quarter mile most of the way with fog.  Oh well...

I stopped in Astoria for lunch and then continued down U.S. 101 to Lincoln City.  Checked-in at a beach side joint called the Surftides.  Not bad digs.  Even a little gas fireplace.  Decent seafood fettuccine supper last night (not up to PDX standards, of course) and a beautiful sunset over the Pacific.

Today I'm going to take a hike...got lots of suggestions from folks at the bar last night.  I'm feeling a serious need to get some exercise and fresh air.  I am pondering the "Lower Cascade Head" or "Drift Creek Falls" trails.  Or maybe both.  Gonna let it warm-up just a tad more however.  Was in the low 40's this morning and there has been a decent north breeze.  Brrrrrrrr.  Supposed to be in the lower 60's this afternoon however; and the wind is supposed to die down.

In other news, my last couple of days in Portland were way fun.  I had lunch with Maria Keitahn on Thursday in the Hawthorne District.  She looks great and says she's happy as can be in Portland.  Didn't have enough time to cover all the territory that needed to be covered; but that means there's a good reason to get together again soon!

I underwent serious retail therapy with Amanda and Leah.  They both seemed pleased with their acquisitions.  And I was very pleased that they were pleased. We went to Nostrana for supper on Thursday.  It's been highly rated in all the restaurant surveys...and the desserts were VERY good - but I can't say that it made my top 10 PDX list.  The company was extraordinary however - spending time with the gals always puts me in a good mood for days. 

Indeed both Amanda and Leah seem to be in pretty good spirits.  Today Leah is interviewing with a local vineyard for a job as wine club manager...and she is positively giddy at the prospect.  And 'Manda is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her new beau who is relocating to Portland from the East Coast and at last report she had a couple of job and apartment prospects.  Next week the gals turn 27 years young!

Well, think I'll drive downtown for breakfast.  And then hit the trails.  And I need to decide where I'm going tomorrow and arrange lodgings.  I am torn between hanging on the Oregon Coast for a whole week - and then maybe a reprise of Portland - or rocketing down the coast to the Redwoods and the Bay Area.  I will contemplate the matter on my hike...