DAY 16 - "Coeur d'Alene"
Idaho! A new day in a new state. After leaving Montana, I originally had planned on cutting through this sliver of my trek, and staying on Mount Rainier for two nights. But Coeur d'Alene looked like a cool little lake town, so I decided against the extra 300 miles and bunked here for the night. Those 500 mile days are kind of brutal.
Hit up the visitor center on the main drag, Sherman Blvd. They recommended a recently restored, 50's like place called the Flamingo. It was walking distance to everything, so naturally it was right up my alley. Reserved a room, and walked around. Downtown runs right up against the lake, similar in size and shape to Estes Park in Colorado. Plenty of shaded side streets and old buildings to give it a hefty dose of character.
Attempted to upload some photos at the library, to no avail. I had been sitting on a finished Part 4 ("Glacier") for a few days, and just needed to get the pictures online. Story of my life. Stopped for some coffee after a forgettable lunch, and checked out the lake. Huge public beach, and real pedestrian friendly. Found a cool old neighborhood with lush landscaping right along the shores. Great houses... felt like something straight out of the midwest.
Hiked to the pier, just in time to watch a sail-plane take flight. Thought he was going to obliterate a lone jetski that was caught in his path, but he got up off the waves just in time. And here I sit, waiting on a photo shop to transfer my pics to CD, enjoying a beer in an open-air bar called the Ironhorse. Plus I think I nailed down a place for live jazz later.
Had a light dinner back in the hotel room, and headed back outside. But I bored rather quickly with the nightlift, and then with Coeur D'Alene itself. Guess not much happens on a Tuesday night. Checked out the wine cellar I had scoped out earlier for live music, but instead of jazz, it was one guy with a guitar. He had some solid picking ability, but a voice that seemed to scare everybody away. Cool venue, but DEAD. I escaped back to the hotel and watched the All Star Game before bed.
DAY 17 - "Mount Rainier, Washington"
Skipped town early, even though I only had 300 miles ahead of me. Not much to look at during the first stretch of Washington. Then I crossed the Columbia River... HUGE! By far the widest river I've crossed this entire trip. And beyond the river, I finally had my first glimpse of Mt. Rainier.
Towering, snow-capped Rainier. Impressive, standing about 14,400 feet above sea level, and I was still about 100 miles away. What's funny is that would be the last I'd see of it until it smacked me in the face, 70 miles down the road.
And once I got onto the 12 West for those last few miles, it turned beautiful. It was more of the "mountain meets forest meets river" kind of scenery that just clears my head. I rolled the window down, breathed in that pine / fir tree air, and let Beefy do all the work.
Finally, after another corner, Mt. Rainier was in front of me, filling up the sky. Pulled off on the side of the road and took it all in. So good to be back in the brush again.
I arrived at my campground on the Ohanapecosh River about noon. Found my campsite and had some lunch, loving this place immediately. I'm surrounded by huge old trees, towering above. Setup the tent, and grabbed a quick nap in perfect temperatures.
Spent the rest of the afternoon following the river trail, to Silver Falls and the "Grove of Patriarchs". The Grove was absolutely majestic. I thought the trees back at the campground were tall. Some of these, mostly Douglas Fir and Cedar, stood 200 feet tall, and were over 1000 years old. The Grove was set on an island, and after crossing the bridge, I took the long, winding path between the giants, craning my neck.
Hiked back, and here I am as the sun starts to set, listening to a new Marian McPartland track on the satellite jazz station. Thinking about dinner. Man I love it out here... I shouldn't have any trouble falling asleep. Tomorrow it's the rest of Rainier, and 200 miles to Olympic National Park, and the Pacific.
DAY 18 - "Kalaloch, Washington"
Slept in a bit, and headed out of the Ohanapecosh Campground after my standard camping breakfast of hardboiled eggs, dehydrated bananas, and coffee brewed up in my Jet Boil (one of the best inventions EVER).
Entered the park at the Stevens Creek entrance, and followed the road to Paradise. Seemed like around every other corner, Mt. Rainier would blast onto the scene, larger than life as I got closer and closer. Stopped off at the Paradise Visitor Center, located on the base of the mountain, where climbers were gearing up for an ascent to the summit. Supposedly, the conditions get so harsh, that people train for Everest here.
Really, really enjoyed Rainier. Left the park, and left the sunshine. I hit some fog just south of Tacoma, and while it brightened in a few areas, the rest of the way to the coast turned dark and gloomy.
And I made it! The Pacific Ocean finally came into view about 30 miles south of Kalaloch. Beautiful road into Olympic National Park... rain forests sliding up to the roadway, with random views of the ocean through the trees.
Pulled into Kalaloch, and before I moved into my room at the lodge on the coast, I sat down for some fresh seafood. Solid clam chowder, followed by decent fish n' chips, all washed down with a pint of my fave: Mirror Pond. The service was less than stellar, however... people working up here in the middle of nowhere seemed pretty miserable.
The more I explored the Lodge, the more I realized that I probably would have been just as happy (and 270 bucks richer) staying at the campground next door. Let's just say the Kalaloch Lodge is quaint. And I've had worse nights... I hung out in my cabin, reading before a fine night's sleep.
DAY 19 - "Portland, Oregon"
At first light I was more than ready to bail on Kalaloch. It was easy driving down to Portland, with just a bit of backed up traffic approaching downtown. And then, across the river, and I had arrived!
I've always flown into Portland, so my first time driving into the city was eye-opening, to say the least. The sun popped out for the first time after 24 hours of gloomy gray soup, just as the buildings welcomed me in. Dumped the truck in a parking garage, and hiked around town a bit. Met up with my good buddy from Michigan, Tom Vesbit, at The Red Star, a bar we hit up frequently over New Years 2007. Best bloody mary's in town.
Hung out a bit, and Tom was off for wedding duties. He and his wife, Jen, just happened to be in Portland for a friend's wedding the SAME weekend I was rambling through. Amy, and her hubby-to-be Shawn, promptly invited me when they heard the news. Too, damn, COOL!!! Love it when a plan comes together.
Worked on the blog and showered back at the Hotel Paramount, and headed out to sushi down the block. It was hard to choose which one, as there were at least two Japanese restaurants within sight of the hotel. Decent fish, and now I'm waiting on the wedding party to finish up with the rehersal. Found a great spot in Pioneer Square, where they've got a Sand Castle competition. Listening to a pretty solid bluegrass band cover Green Day, of all things, and enjoying some more perfect temperatures. Ahh, Portland.
Hopped on a street car for a few blocks, and met up with the wedding party at a swank little bar / restaurant. So great seeing both Vesbits, Amy and Shawn, and their friends. Had a few drinks, and headed back to the Paramount for bed.
DAY 20 - "Portland"
Slept in a bit, and took a street car uptown a bit with Tom, and to a cool little neighborhood of Portland. Walked up to Forest Park, and explored a great hiking trail through what I thought were the jungles of Portland. Nice walk through thick vegetation, past a moss-covered old house which sat along the path. Such a great city... you hop on a free street car, take it 10 minutes from the city core, and have a great forest walk waiting for exploration.
After a few miles, we returned to the hood next door and grabbed some blunch (brunch) at a great little house / breakfast joint. Fantastic omelets, great service, and a solid cup of coffee. On the way back downtown, we hit up a cool CD shop, and of course, Powells Books. No trip to P-Town can go without a visit to Powells. It's one of those bookstores where it's way too easy to lose yourself; the building itself takes up an entire city block. Browsed a bit, and it was back to the hotel to clean up. Wedding time!
Such a fun night, and I'm still in awe (and so thankful) that I was able to be a part of it. The ceremony and reception were both held a few blocks away, at the Portland Art Museum. Very impressive. Beautiful ceremony for Shawn and Amy, with Jen Vesbit as maid-of-honor and Tom picking up the guitar and absolutely KILLING with a version of Ben Harper's "Forever".
After the ceremony, we headed upstairs for the reception, in what could only be described as the ultimate ball room. HUGE. Just unbelievable... the whole thing. Amazing food and drink from start to finish, and the DJ kept us dancing all night long. Jen hit a homerun with her toast... just nailed it. (It's funny how Tom and Jen both mentioned how nervous they were before the wedding... singing the song and making the toast, and they both were total pro's).
Finally, things wound down around midnight, but many of us headed down Park Avenue for one last drink at a bar we like called the South Park. Great time... such a fun crew. About 2 am, we stumbled back to the hotel and crashed hard. Another great weekend in Portland... If you can't tell I'm a BIG fan. And a serious congrats to Amy and Shawn!
Well folks, that's all for Part 5. Stay tuned for the conclusion, as I finish my trip through California, down along the Pacific Coast Highway. Then it's a left turn in Manhattan Beach, and I take that last long freeway HOME!
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