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Gas Stations in Oregon and an Entertaining Summer Show
Terraced lawn at Carson Ridge Cabins, Carson, Washington
For a state without a sales tax, Oregon has managed to maintain impeccable roadways. We drove from Portland to Coos Bay and across to the Columbia River Gorge during our vacation, and every single highway featured picture-perfect surfaces, whether shiny blacktop or rock-infused cement, down to the artistically painted white and yellow lines. How does Oregon do it when California can’t even fix its potholes? Oh, wait, Oregon’s governor is a woman, to start with. Diversity, I suppose that has something to do with it.
Elizabeth Weintraub and friends at Brian McEney Wood Carving Gallery in Seal Rock, OR.
You also, apparently, can’t pump your own gas at an Oregon gas station. No self-serve gas stations in Oregon that we found. Which I love. Anything that prevents excess action on my part such as digging in my bag for my credit card and inserting my health benefits card (that looks just like a VISA card) into the card reader over and over, getting more irritated by the moment as to why the machine is broken, not to mention having to actually get OUT of the car, figure out which hose I want, unscrew the damn cap and then stand there while I depress the lever and nothing happens because it’s never read my card, well, I’m all for full-service, yes sirree.
Elizabeth Weintraub and Big Foot in Stevenson, Washington
My husband, on the other hand, finds it annoying to speak to another person when he’d prefer the zen of filling his own gas tank. He doesn’t really enjoy anybody fussing over him, which is a good thing he’s married to me. I’m not much of a fussor as I am a fussee. Which is probably why I like the new Comedy Central show with one-half of the Garfunkel and Oates team (Riki Lindhome) in Another Period more than he. It’s sort of a Downton Abbey in that it’s about rich people around the turn of the century, but it’s also like Arrested Development in its family dynamics.
I would not mind getting ready to go bed at night and standing there in my bedroom with my arms outstretched waiting for somebody to undress me and slip a nightgown on over my head. But instead what I get are cats chasing Q-tips around my feet.
Still, it’s good to be back home and in our house, with my own WiFi and internet services. It’s back to selling Sacramento real estate without any interruptions of a vacation. And, unlike gas stations in Oregon, pumping my own gas. Above are several photos I thought you may enjoy that could not find a place in any of my other blogs about our trip to the Oregon Coast and the Columbia River Gorge.
A Visit to Hood River, Oregon, Involves Pubs and Wineries
View of Mt. Hood and vineyards from Mt. Hood Winery in Oregon
While strolling along the dock on the Columbia River in Stevenson, Washington, I met a young couple from Atlanta. The wife mentioned they chose this area of the country for vacation because they are doing a “pub crawl.” I thought about their quest for a moment and then offered my own personal reflections, which are all based on the assumption that if I tried to do it, I probably wouldn’t get very far.
Craft beer is trendy-hot in Sacramento right now, and craft beer joints are popping up all over, especially in Midtown. Everybody is an artisan. I think I should call myself an artisan real estate agent. If you create something with your own two hands, become obsessed by tiny details and use only the finest ingredients, that makes one an artisan; especially when you’re never satisfied with the finished product and continue to tweak and improve. In the old days, you’d probably go into a straight jacket but today you’re an artisan.
In Washington and Oregon, you’ll find craft beer joints all over, doesn’t matter where you are, small town, large town, they are there. They don’t call them beer joints, though or even what they truly are, which is a bar, because that sounds so crass, so pounding-the-table-like-a-leering-caveman at Hooters. They call them pubs. Because it sounds so British and upper-crusty-like. Just what the Northwest needs.
The train runs along the Columbia River near Mitchell Point in Washington
You’ll also find pot houses in Washington, run by the government, where you can buy pre-rolled joints with filters on the tips that come individually packaged in a plastic tube so if you’re planning to leave it outside somewhere for somebody else to find because you can’t possibly smoke the entire thing and walk at the same time, it won’t get wet. Not that I would know anything about that.
Hood River, Oregon, from the steps of Big Horse Brew Pub
We began bouncing on the sidewalks of Hood River searching for a lunch spot. Initially, I had my heart set on a Sunday brunch at the Columbia Gorge Hotel, which was built in 1921, a beautiful old hotel with many of its original architectural details intact situated on a cliff over the Columbia River. There is also a waterfall right there on the property, and you can stand on top of it and look down, watching the water roar over the rocks and drop below. But we missed brunch by 15 minutes. So, we went downtown Hood River.
Bonneville dam from the Washington side of the Columbia River
It was hot. More than 100 degrees. Little shade regardless of which side of the street you walked on. Lots of little shops, many businesses were closed, and a bunch of cafes featuring sandwiches. After circling a 6-block area, we decided to try up the hill, a restaurant perched at the top, The Big Horse Brew Pub. By this time, we had scorched ourselves in the sun, my iPad was almost too hot to touch to play Ingress, and we pulled our tired selves up the hill and then up another 3 sets of stairs to the restaurant.
It will be a 30-minute wait, the guy at the seating sign predicted. Well, I was too tired and sticky hot to go anywhere else. I imagine my husband was ready to sit down, too. We grabbed at spot at the bar and ordered a couple of drafts while we enjoyed the tremendous view of the town of Hood River below and made fun of the signs warning guys who had too much to drink what not to do. Like, don’t climb the ladder to the loft, which seems decorative anyway.
Sacramento Realtor Elizabeth Weintraub visits the Mt Hood Winery in Oregon
We considered renting paddleboards at the beach, but just the thought of the hot sun beating down on us, even though we could feel the cold water rolling over our bare feet, well, it just didn’t seem like a lot of fun. It was also a bit windy for paddelboarding. Nope, visiting the Mt. Hood Winery, on the other hand, seemed like it offered more air conditioning and peace and quiet. Of course, we didn’t leave there without ordering a future shipment. I highly recommend the 2013 Estate Dry Reisling or the 2012 Grenache for a nice summer wine.
Which is why we never made it to a hiking spot. We were on our way to at least visit the trailhead when we got sidetracked by the Mt. Hood Winery. Hiking or wine tasting? Over 100 degrees outside. Easy choice.
The 4th of July at the Columbia River Gorge
Columbia River and Vista House (right) from Chanticleer Point
The problem it seems with smaller towns and tony bed-and-breakfast resorts is guests are not made a priority at holidays, and it’s not much different along the Columbia River Gorge in Washington over the 4th of July. There is little benefit to publicly badmouth the owners where we are staying so I won’t say where we are because I think it is terrible that some idiots today feel the need to jump online to target small business owners who are just doing the best that they can. The crooks and major corporations are exempt from this policy, and I will blast them all day long. But not the little guys.
Bridge of the Gods links Oregon with Washington across the Columbia River
When we checked into our resort, the owner asked if we would like her to arrange an activity. I mentioned her guestbook said it was never too late to schedule a fishing adventure, and I would like to fish the Columbia River. Not a long trip, maybe just four hours. She would make a couple of calls and get back to us.
Windsurfers on Columbia River in Stevenson, Washington
On our way out to tour the Columbia River Gorge, we stopped by her office. She was in the back on the phone and did not hear us come in. She was talking loudly. “Oh, yes, I agree, all of the information is on our website and our guests had access. Yes, they should have booked with you before arriving, and I don’t blame you for wanting to spend time with your family.” In other words, it was our fault that we could not go fishing. The resort did not send us an email about needing to book activities in advance.
I am so freakin’ busy selling real estate in Sacramento that I had zero time to even peruse the website to confirm our reservation before we departed on our vacation. We made those reservations for the 4th of July in March, for crying out loud.
Kiteboarders leap into the air at the Columbia River wind tunnel in Stevenson, Washington.
Instead, she offered the opportunity to board a large sternwheeler in town, filled with college-age revelers and families with screaming toddlers, to sit body-to-sticky-body in the 90+ heat and bang around on the water for two hours. Which is not at all like fishing.
Stevenson Waterfront dock on the Columbia River features Adam and Elizabeth Weintraub.
Then, all of the restaurants in the area closed at 8 PM. So, we could not make a dinner reservation at 7:30 and ended up ordering take-out from a Mexican joint. Thank god for the in-room wine bottles on the wall, is all I have to say. Now, I realize there are more problems in the world that my complaints might seem small and insignificant in comparison to but it doesn’t matter.
Latourell Falls Bridge built in 1915 along the Historic Columbia River Highway
I really dislike having to make reservations for anything. Preplanning, bleh. But you either adapt or you starve to death. It’s not like the old days when you could go on vacation and do whatever you wanted at the spur of the moment, just go with the flow, because there are too many people in the world. It’s hard to predict exactly how I might feel at a certain hour of the day. In my real world of selling Sacramento real estate, I am organized to the 10th degree and all of my activities are generally scheduled. I prefer more leeway when I’m on vacation.
Happy dog at Clark and Lewie’s Restaurant along the waterfront in Stevenson, Washington
Like, when I’m in Hawaii, most of the resorts require dinner reservations, and it doesn’t matter where you stay. Although, I will say at least the Four Seasons staff will come to your room and serve dinner. You can’t come up off the water for dinner whenever you feel like it; although, you can in Vanuatu. In fact, you can go to dinner in your swimsuit and barefoot if you want at The Eratap, and enjoy a 5-star meal.
The thing is when you visit other places, you might find your expectations are dashed when it comes to service, and if you want to be in that place, that’s what you get. It comes with the territory. I don’t regret coming to visit the Columbia River Gorge just because we could not go fishing or get dinner at a preferred time.
Train tracks, highway and river along the Historic Columbia River Highway at Bridal Falls Wayside
We enjoyed a lovely lunch on the Columbia River at Clark and Lewie’s, a beet salad with greens, candied pecans, cranberries and grilled salmon on top. Plus, we enjoyed watching people kiteboarding and windsurfing on the river and met a beautiful dog who was initially tied up outside the restaurant but cried so much they let him inside. Afterwards, we hiked a little and toured the Historic Columbia River Highway, stopping along the way. I hope you enjoyed the photos of the Columbia River Gorge.
Photos by Elizabeth Weintraub, Sacramento
