Day 14: Forest Grove (Portland Area)

Luckily the 25 year winter storm had ceased to pound upon Seattle today. 

I awake this morning and the temperatures are above freezing with minimal precipitation.  I shower (as always, being clean and lookin good is important!!) and then start to pack up.  Trying to be a good and courteous house guest, I pack up the air mattress and wash the sheets and towel I had used.  (without Dana's knowing.  She probably would have tried to stop me otherwise.  She was an excellent host)  By about 10:30 the T Rex is packed up and ready to go.  I call Dana and tell her I am on my way to give her my key.  I drive to the hospital where she works and say goodbye. 

I hit the road.  It is raining.  I am about 30 miles out of Seattle when I see a sign by the road: "Bonsai tree Garden next exit". Sweet, I love bonsai trees!  I decide to take the exit and check out this garden.  I have plenty of time anyway.  I drive 5 or so miles down a winding road and see many trees downed from the ice and snow.  Wimpy trees, I think to myself.  Alaskan trees don't do that, what is these trees' problem?  I guess it's all about what you are used to.  I get to the turnout for the Bonsai trees and not only is the place closed, the entire road leading to it is closed too.  Bummer.  No Bonsai trees for me today.  I head back to the highway.

I then realize that I am hungry and T Rex is down to half a tank. I drive to the next exit and again get off the highway for food and gas. I take care of everything and get on the highway, again.  I drive 100 miles or so and see another road sign: "Mt St. Helens national park next right".  Sweet, I like volcanoes and I have read about that one in books; let's check it out. So I do.  I take the 7 mile detour to the park.  I miss the first turn in to the visitor center.  Luckily, there is another one that I am able to make.  I drive to the parking area and see the closed gate that I thought I saw from the road at the first turn in.  What the hell kind of visitor center is this?  There no building, bathroom, or even trash can.  There is a pavilion with an uninformative information sign.  I need to pee and was hoping I could stop here.  Well, there is no one else here....  So I pee in what appears to be the garden area surrounded by walls to shield me from anyone who might see from the road.  I then put on my rain jacket and X tuffs (it is still raining) and walk around the boardwalk area of the park.  It is pretty enough and I snap a few pictures of what I think is Mt St. Helens. I head back to the truck and drive the wrong way through the visitor's area.  I then realize that the gate I thought I saw from the road is in fact a different gate than the one I thought I saw from the pull out.  And there is a nice visitor's center. With trash cans and bathrooms.  Oh well.

Mt. St Helens is in the background... somewhere

The rest of my drive to Portland is uneventful. Close to the city, my GPS determines that there is traffic ahead and send me on a slightly out of the way, but untraffiked route. I arrive at Angela's house.  She is a friend of a friend(/my boss) who has asked me to pick up his snow board for him while I am in the area. I pick up the snow board, chat for a little while, and then head on my way to Forest Grove, right outside of Portland.  20 miles later, I arrive at the Grand Lodge (http://www.mcmenamins.com/426-grand-lodge-home), and old Masonic lodge, awesome!!! 

The Grand Lodge

Unfortunately, the check in area is not clearly marked.  I drive all around the parking lot and finally conclude that "main lobby" is where I should check in. It turns out that I was correct in that assumption.  The front desk lady informs me that my room has been upgraded and asks if that is OK.  Of course that is OK! I get my key and head to my room.  The rooms here are named after famous people.  My room is names after Aldie Howard (who is he??) who was apparently responsible for first bringing liquor to Forest Grove. Other rooms are names after people I have actually heard of.  I decide to check out the Frisbee golf course.

The nicely decorated hallway

I came all the way from Alaska to play some Frisbee golf here so despite the fact that the entire course is void of people and it is pouring rain, I am going to plan, dammit.  I put on my X tuffs and my rain jacket again and head to the course.  After much searching, I finally find a starting pad.  I find hole one and start throwing.  5 tosses to get it in.  I wonder how far over par that is?  Probably very.  I look for the pad for hole two.  It is no where to be found.  I toss the Frisbee at the holes haphazardly and actually manage to make a nice forehand shot from 10 yards away.  My next attempt is not so well executed.  I am soaked and decide to give up. The management probably does not appreciate me wandering all over their soaking wet, partially flooded grass anyway. This has been a good Frisbee golf experience. 

Kind of a wet and lonely day for Frisbee golf

As I am leaving the course, I spot an Ace Hardware on the far corner across the street.  I thought I had a spare key in my truck but it has disappeared and I need a new one.  Now is as good a time as any to get a new one made so I walk toward the store.  I hit the crosswalk button and patiently wait. What seems like an eternity later, I finally cross.  I go to make my final crossing and there is no button.  I look up and see a sign: "Crosswalk permanently removed".  Shit.  I hit he button to cross back and wait for a long time again.  I finally make it to the other side and decide to take the other way.  I hit the button.  As I am waiting, I realize how wet I am. Fuck it, I will get my key on the way out tomorrow.  I walk back to my room. 

I take off my soaked jacket and decide to wander the hotel.  There is a gift shop, spa, soaking pool, multiple restaurants and bars, a movie theater, and tons of artwork.  The movie has not started yet so I head to the restaurant to get some food. Since I am by myself, I sit at the bar. The bartender is working alone and swamped. I order a Rubenator (recommended by my boss this summer)  It is a mix of two locally brewed beers.  It is the best beer I have ever had.  I order some food and also try the special beer while I am here.  The special isn't bad but not as good as the Rubenator. As I eat, I watch the bartender mixing drinks.  I have a few short conversations with him and watch him light one drink on fire. (Cool!).  I get my bill and it's missing a beer.  Since he is busy I decide to let him know.  I end up getting a free beer! 

That brings me to now!  I am chillin in my room.  There is live music in one of the bars and another movie playing soon.  I will probably go check both out before sleeping and continuing on my way to Lake Tahoe tomorrow.