Our first Portland hike!

We finally broke out the 100 Hikes of Northwest Oregon hiking book (given to us by our landlord, who used it for the first two years after his move to Portland from Cinncinati) and chose a hike about 30 miles outside of Portland. After spending a little extra time trying to get out of the city (there was a bike race, of course, running right through downtown) and trying - but failing - to get a cup of Stumptown coffee (line too long), we hit the road and followed the Columbia River until we reached the exit for Horsetail Falls.

Weather was perfect - sunny and breezy. The hike was great - a well-traversed trail that, as it grew steeper, became less crowded (shocking!) There were so many amazing waterfalls along the way, cool moss-covered trees, and overlooks to the Columbia River (not to be experienced by anyone with vertigo). We decided to go for the "extra" portion of the hike to the Triple Falls, which was (you guessed it!) three waterfalls side by side. We stopped to have lunch there and enjoy the view. Because we were seated right NEXT to the waterfalls, I worried as I was watching people taking pictures from afar that we were in the process of destroying their beautiful landscape photos with our presence. Portlanders did not disappoint. A younger man approached us as we were hiking out and said that his Mom had snapped a really nice photo of us next to the waterfall. Maybe if he saw us in the parking lot, he said, he'd get our email addresses so they could send us the photo. I mean, really?!

We spent the rest of the evening actually trying to make the apartment feel like home - we've finally started hanging pictures and arranging furniture. We even discovered that we have enough New York-centric artwork to create a theme for our guest room! So, for those of you planning to come to visit, you won't really be far from home when you get here!! I know, it sounds corny - but trust me, we'll make it look classy!

Click on this link for more pictures of our hike today, as well as our adventures in trying a new recipe. There's also a photo of Victor and his lil' sis ;)

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=10ed246p.9p48bl7p&x=0&y=-qqzf7b&localeid=en_US

xo
Lee