My dear friend Becky has finally decided to settle down temporarily in the uber rain filled land of Portland, Oregon. I decided to help her cope to her new surroundings and pay her a visit for a long weekend ('cause we KNOW how to conquer a good weekend: i.e. Venice). I arrived super late on Thursday, but somehow we managed to get moving mid-morning on Friday and drive up to Meadows on Mount Hood. Rain trickled on us off and on during our drive up. Becky was worried it would be raining on the mountain and therefore not doable to ski...an unthinkable thought for me coming from Colorado, but rain would continue to be a backdrop to our adventures.
Thankfully the rain did turn to snow once we climbed to higher elevation, and I had my best day of boarding so far this year. Meadows was much more homey then any of the big resorts in Colorado I usually go to. There were much fewer people, less fancy lifts, snow topped mossy trees, and a ski patrol that made me want to sit down and chat with them. They have a hut at the top of the mountain with the smell of coffee oozing through its windows and doors. I borrowed Becky's board, which they gladly helped tighten when the screws became a little loose. They left me with a positive impression of Oregoners.
We got our turns in, then returned to Portland, ate some amazing Mexican food and explored the OMSI IMAX theater in Portland. Becky and I went to an incredible 3D IMAX show about bugs when we were in college (with about 100 grade schoolers surrounding us) and it was the best one I've ever been too. Although this one was about extreme sports, it still wasn't better. In fact, it made me a little nauseous. But we enjoyed looking at the gift shop and buying each other nerdy birthday gifts (I got Becky a fossil book and she purchased me one about muscles and exercise).
Even nerdier was our trip the next day to see where scenes from Twilight were filmed at Cannon Beach (or "La Push" as they call it in the movie). To our defense, the place is beautiful and worth the trip in and of itself.
Haystack Rock, I believe
Recreating a scene. Shame.
On our hike along the coast. The trail kind of reminded me of the Cinque Terre path in Italy because it was high up on a cliff, but, of course, this Oregon version was much, much more drenched.
"Goonies never say die!" A view of Goonies Rock from Cannon Beach
A magical tree along the our hike. The gnomes were living in the one next to it.
After getting our fill of wave crashed rocks, moss and fern strewn foliage, and lots and lots of rain, we returned to Becky's house to celebrate our birthdays with some fellow January born fellas. We baked pizza, chatted, and played an intense game of quiddler.
The weekend went all too quickly, but we had a little time left on Sunday to explore the Columbia River Gorge with Multnomah Falls as its crowning glory. I was also curious to see more of the city, so we perused Powell's City of Books (which is worthy of being one of the top Portland tourist sites), ate vegan pizza across the street, ambled by the art museum and endless food carts, and drove into the hippie Southeast part of town. I was actually less impressed by the city then I thought I would be...probably because the nature portion of Portland and its environs is so much more magnificent. And, well, it was raining.
