Roger and I headed up to Oregon to take part in the Portland Century bike ride, a 100 mile "catered tour around Portland and it's Fringes," on August 18. Since this trip required our bikes, we drove from Salt Lake City to Portland and made an overnight stop in Boise, Idaho to break up the long drive. We also made brief stops in Hood River, Oregon to have lunch at the Full Sail Brewery and the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River to view the famous fish ladders.
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| All the beer for me! |
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| Viewing windows at Bonneville Dam |
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| Fish ladders at Bonneville Dam |
Roger's friend, Wayne, was awesome enough to let us stay at his beautiful home during our trip and he spent a few days showing us around the city and some of the surrounding area. On Friday, we headed out of the city to explore Mount Hood and do some hiking around the 11,249 foot volcanic peak. Although the peak was obscured by clouds during our visit, we enjoyed several miles of hiking through forests, flowers, and various volcanic landscapes. There was a beautiful waterfall at the end of our trail and we rewarded ourselves at the end of the hike with cocktails and food at the historic Timberline Lodge.
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| Mount Hood hiding in the clouds |
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| Mid-hike beer with Wayne |
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| Waterfall at the end of the trail |
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| Group shot |
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| Timberline Lodge |
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| Post-hike cocktails at the lodge |
On Saturday, we spent some time hiking around forested hills above Portland, checking out the Portland Japanese and International Rose Test Gardens, and relaxing in a nearby park. We also spent a good amount of time eating and drinking because Roger loves food and I love beer, and Portland has a lot of both.
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| Downtown Portland and Mount Hood |
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| Portland Japanese Garden |
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| Portland Japanese Garden |
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| International Rose Test Garden |
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| International Rose Test Garden |
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| Roger's nap time |
The Portland Century ride started on Sunday morning in downtown Portland and took us on a westward loop through farming towns and wineries. The weather was perfect and the ride provided well-stocked rest areas every 15 or 20 miles to keep us well fed. By early afternoon, we were headed back towards the city with spectacular views on Mount Hood in the distance. Wayne met us at the finish line to celebrate with food, beer, and music. It was a very enjoyable 100 mile ride and it was nice to see such beautiful country just outside the city.
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| Portland Century bike ride |
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| Rest stop at the Portland Century |
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| Elvis sighting at the Portland Century |
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| Portland Century finish line party |
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| Bikes and beer! |
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| Portland Century finish line party with Wayne and Roger |
We enjoyed a performance of "Trek in the Park" on Sunday evening and a fantastic Cuban dinner with cocktails at Pambiche. It was a great trip and I was sad to leave for the long drive back to Salt Lake City on Monday morning. A huge thanks to Wayne for being such a great host and showing us around his beautiful city.
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| Trek in the Park |
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| Trek in the Park |
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| Cathedral Bridge |
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| Cathedral Bridge |
