Day 2: Brunch in downtown Vancouver, WA at Mon Ami. Had a delicious pear, brie, and Boar’s Head ham crepe along with a homemade chai. Nom, nom, nom. Then we went on the prettiest drive of our little lives on Route 84 to get to Multnomah Falls. This place looked like it belonged in Lord of the Rings: an 800 foot tall waterfall with a bridge arching over the stream. We went hiking the rest of the day and saw even more waterfalls and got to play in the ice-melt-filled creeks.
Day 3: Lunch in downtown Vancouver at Rosemary Cafe. Fantastic sandwiches and cookies! We drove through Astoria, a neat little seaside town (that apparently was where The Goonies was shot––didn’t know that until we returned). Canon Beach was our final destination and, let me tell you, this place was gorgeous. It was a little chillier than inland, but there was something charming about needing a cardigan and leggings on a beach. You could look miles down the beach and not see any people––only rocks jutting up out of the water and the occasional seagull. My favorite part was a hill of wildflowers just off the beach. Dream-like, really. This day ended with us chomping on some fish and crab right from that ocean on the patio of The Wayfarer as the sun set. (Sigh.)
Day 4: Drove up, up, up the side of a mountain to shoot guns with his (licensed) cousins and his (registered) guns. Bullets and things scare me, but I have to admit some of the shooting was slightly therapeutic. We drove back to have dinner with the whole family. His uncle grilled halibut and salmon that he’d caught in Alaska along with sweet corn from the stand up the street. We washed it all down with some local microbrews. Perfection.
Day 5: Ate brunch at BeaterVille Cafe in Portland and then walked along the river and went to the Portland Art Fair. Drove to Seattle, met up with some friends and ate at Thaiku in Ballard. Had some effervescent brews at Two Bit Saloon. Walked down hilly roads to see the yachts at the pier.
Day 6: Watched the sun rise in the plane and flew towards it as we traveled east. When we arrived in Dayton we picked up some brochures of places we’ve always wanted to go––for future explorations.
