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Day 1 - "The eagles have landed"
After a restless night and morning, of pent-up excitable energy,
we leave around 1:30 or so for Seattle airport. I take the first leg of the drive, and Kerry tells me my knuckles get whiter
on the steering wheel as we are cutting it close and I realize that we are going to just make it in time for the flight...
The flight lands at 4:20PM Pacific Standard Time (PST) and aunt and cousin are out of customs and immigration around 5PM.
Seattle is a little screwy in that you get to meet your loved ones as they ascend the escalator to the baggage claim area,
and the folks on Flight 49 from London Heathrow are not coming off in a constant stream, but in dribs and drabs, or as Kerry
and I coined it "Brits and starts". We find our loved ones tired but happy, John having slept some on the plane, but Aunt
having stayed awake, wide-eyed not wanting to miss anything. We retrieve their luggage with no problems and thankfully it
all fitted in our compact (but bijou) Toyota Echo, ready for the long drive back to Portland. Sadly it is dark and there is
very little to see of the surrounding scenery. After about an hour and a half we stopped midway in Chehalis, so Kerry, who
is driving the second leg, can get a caffienated pop. We all de-car to use the restroom and all end up in Jack In The Box
for burgers and coffee, or in my case jalapeno poppers and a pumpkin milkshake. The British relatives get to savour the delights
of US fast food, first hand. A hot snack later and many jokes about not being able to eat in the car (Kerry was forbidden
to eat in the car until now, as I paid $120 to have the interior detailed), and we leave I-5 (Interstate 5) which runs from
Vancouver, BC to San Diego, California, to branch off to Longview, crossing the Columbia River, and finally leave Washington
for Oregon. 20 miles later and we reach out our destination of Columbia City. NW United States meets SE United Kingdom in
a blaze of hugs and welcomes and after a tour of the Jeffrey hacienda, the guests' rooms, and brief view of the river from
the deck, we sit down to clam chowder. We natter for a while afterwards, I fill the rellies with PG Tips tea, bought specially,
and then we pack them off to bed while we take off back to Portland. We all need our rest for Day 2.
Day
2 - Sauvie Island and NW 23rd Avenue
We decide to play it by ear as far as planning as we aren't sure how tired
Aunt and Cousin were going to be, but when we arrive they seem incredibly bright, so instead of lolling round the hacienda
we take off for Sauvie Island to show them something of picturesque Oregon and we wanted to take them to The Pumpkin Patch
so they can see pumpkins growing. Sauvie Island, which is halfway between Columbia City and Portland and accessible via bridge,
is home to wetlands, farms, a bird sanctury and a blue heron preserve. The Pumpkin Patch, however was closed. We had planned
to stop there, go to the farm shop for vegetables, stop in at the gift shop and maybe get a BBQ sandwich, but being so late
after Halloween, the place is shut up tighter than a drum. We drive on into Portland, and although the apartment is clean,
I hadn't tidied enough as I would have liked for their first visit.. We parked at the apartment and walked along the trendy
23rd Avenue to browse the shops, stopping at Moonstruck Chocolate for refreshment, and hot cocoa all round. Despite being
the crown jewel of Portland retail, 23rd is looking a little tarnished in this pre-holiday week, and Team UK pass us on the
retail opportities for just browsing. We drive them up to Council Crest on the highest hill above Portland where you can see
great views of the mountains and look down upon the city....It isn't as clear as we would have liked but it was beautiful.
When we drive back to Columbia City for BBQ ribs and chicken and to find out that Rosy had challenged the neighbours to a
footie match; suspicious of a ringer, Ron next door played a different tact and has invited John to play volleyball with him
and his sons on Friday. In addition, Rosy is going to teach John racquetball which she plays profusely at the local club,
and which is similar to squash. As we drive home I reflect on the things about our country which have so far fascinated my
aunt - school buses, paper grocery bags, the big trucks and makes of cars...
Day 3 - The
Woodburn Outlet Mall
I collect aunt and John and we take off in the pouring rain, for the outlet stores in Woodburn.
We visit Ralph Lauren, Addidas, Puma, Helly Hansen and more... My aunt is thrilled to buy Ralph Lauren sheets for $4.99! John
buys a beanie for the mountain and we buy various gifts for the family back home. Poor John, despite the promise of Puma and
Addidas where he finds his £130 footie boots (soccer cleats) for $38 (£20), he trails behind aunt and self opening doors and
carrying the bags... A long time after we stop for sandwiches and coffee, where it's cheaper to buy 5 roast beef sandwiches
for $5 then three for $2.49 each... Good job we did as aunt drops hers on the floor, while John confirms my opinion that root
beer tastes like mouthwash. He makes a big hit with the female servers and with the cute blonde shop assistant in American
Eagle Outfitters in Pioneeer Place in Portland where we head to next... I take them on a brief tour before we pick up Kerry
and head to Henry's Tavern, for a light dinner, where they have over 100 beers on tap - http://www.henrystavern.com/. John
has the "Stone Brewing Arrogant Bastard Ale" http://www.stonebrew.com/index2.html and Aunt Gena has the "Bridgeport Blue Heron"
pale ale. We also have the spicy tuna sushi and the gorgonzola cheese fries for them to try. Tied but happy we deposit aunt
and child, and all their packages, back in Columbia City for a restful night before Day 4!
Day 4 - Multnomah
Falls and Crown Point
With a thick film of mist over Portland and its environs, I am not convinced that visiting
Multnomah Falls and Crown Point are the best plans. However, not wishing to "gang aft aglay" we decide to try our luck and
take off for the Historic Columbia River Gorge Highway around 10am. We arrive round 11:20 with the surrounding scenery looking
like the Misty Mountains out of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The falls are quite a sight to behold and we walk up as far
as the bridge for plenty of photo ops. http://trips.stateoforegon.com/multnomah_falls/. A turn around the gift shop and we
have lunch at the Multnomah Falls Lodge restaurant http://www.multnomahfallslodge.com/. My aunt seems quite taken with the
honeyed-tones of our waiter, Glen, who is very attentive and has a voice which could charm any female tourist it seems…
After trying the Multnomah Falls beer with lunch we’re off to the Bonneville Dam http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/b/home.asp
and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife salmon hatchery. We look at the fish ladders in the visitor’s center
and read up in the history of the dam. We drive to the hatchery and try and find a fish that isn’t on a slab, in particular
the 65yr old, 12 ft long Herman the sturgeon. Back on the highway to the falls and we detour up to Crown Point for the view
http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_150.php. Sadly there is construction work going on and vista House is fenced off http://www.vistahouse.com/
Back
in Portland we meet up with Kerry and take aunt and cousin to Jantzen Beach http://www.jantzenbeachsupercenter.com/ for a
little retail therapy (as if yesterday wasn’t enough). I introduce my aunt to one of my favourite stores Target www.target.com
and Kerry takes John to Circuit City to look at 60 inch flat panel TVs. We come out with clothes and cosmetics, they come
home with a (much needed) new computer! Exhausted we take off for Portland Brewing to try the beer sampler, and to have some
supper.
http://www.portlandbrew.com/. John enjoyed the Black Watch Porter:
http://www.portlandbrew.com/brews_blackwatch.html
we
take them back to the Jeffrey family ranch to recoup for day 5.
Day 5 - The Oregon Trail
We trail down to Oregon City to see the covered wagons and browse through the exhibits of Oregon history. Following the
same theme, we drive to Fort Vancouver, stopping for lunch at a small cafe on Hayden Island, between Portland and Vancouver.
John loves the fort and the officer's row and we take pictures of the cannons for Paul. The day is glorious, warm and sunny
a perfect day for walking and taking in the history. We repair back home around 3:30 stopping at Jantzen Beach to exchange
a toaster in Target for Rosemary and to get some more bits and pieces for the folks to take home. Back to the hacienda for
supper of take-out, we stop at Burgerville. I have the turkey burger and sweet potato fries... A perfect end to a perfect
day...
Day 6 and 7 - The Oregon Coast
Rosemary drives to Astoria where we stop to climb the 164 steps to the top of the column, the view is amazing, despite
the day being overcast. Back on terra firma, we browse the shops and have lunch of fish and chips on Pier 11 where there is
an fabulous view of the bay and the seals swimming there. After a hunt for The Goonies house for photo opportunities we drive
on to Seaside when the darkness and rain begin to fall. The view of the Pacific is stupendous.... More browsing and sluicing,
we stop at the Pig 'N' Pancake, a Jeffrey favourite - http://pignpancake.com/ - for some "fine dining". We go on along the
coastal road south to Nadonna Beach where we are spending the night at Rosemary's friend's beach house. After a comical searching
for the key amongst the local floral, we let ourselves in a watch a Bette Midler concert until lights out. Day 2 at the beach
starts with breakfast in Wheeler, where Team UK sample the American-style pancakes. We browse the shops and meet a friendly
couple who own an antiques and collectibles store. John swaps business cards with the owner who also deals in car parts, before
heading back to Nadonna Beach for a walk on the beach and a paddle. What a glorious morning, blue skies and warm air - it
could almost be spring! We search for sand dollars, but only find halves. Back at the beach house we pack up and move on,
arriving at Tillamook to explore the cheese factory and sample the cheese and ice cream. We wind back along the coastal road
stopping to take photos of the Haystack Rock in the distance. We finally head back inland home on Sunset Highway, stopping
at Camp 18 lodge to eat before I am dropped off in Portland.
Day 8 and 9 - San Francisco
We collect Team UK from Columbia City and head out to Portland Airport. After a quick bite for lunch we embark the plane
for a new adventure, landing at SFO at about 3pm. We take BART to the hotel and fight our way along the busy sidewalks to
the Maxwell Hotel. We are extrememly disappointed with the hotel, the state of the rooms and our service, and were we not
subject to a fee for cancelling, I would move us to the Hilton. After the shock of such a dingy place, Kerry and I take
off for some much needed retail therapy, leaving aunt and John to recoup from the flight. We regroup at 6pm for the short
walk to John's Grill - http://johnsgrill.com/frmst1a.htm - where we have a reservation in the Maltese Falcon room. The usual
jazz guitarist is strumming favourites like "Moon River" and "As Time Goes By". All our party have steaks and wine except
me who has the Sam Spade lamb chops and a Jack Daniels. Kerry has the "Bloody Brigid" cocktail and gives the souvenir glass
to John. We stagger on, after a photo op under the John's sign, to continue the drinking, not at the Starlight Room as
hoped because their visa machine was out of order and we didn't have enough cash for the $15 per person cover charge and drinks,
but back to Max's at the hotel.
Kerry and I are up with the lark as usual, but leave aunt and cousin to lie in. We have breakfast at Max's and are joined
a little later by our tea and toast crowd. We catch the cable car from the end of Powell to Fishermans's Wharf to start our
day. We take a tour of all the t-shirt and souvenir shops but then walk along the jetty to the view the Golden Gate Bridge
from afar. More browsing and we come to the boat tours line where we wait for the last boat to the bridge and back and around
The Rock. My aunt is in her element; this is a dream come true to finally see the bridge she has wanted to visit for a lifetime.
We were a glad to be part of it. On dry land once more, we walk along the busy Pier 39 and stop at the Eagle Cafe which has
been a waterfront landmark since the turn of the century. Kerry later tells us part of its historic past started on the wharf,
until it was later picked up and move to atop of Pier 39. Afterwards we take the cable car back to the hotel where the team
splits as Kerry and I go out for a little more retail therapy. We meet back at the hotel for dinner at Lefty O'Doul's across
the street. Early to bed as we are all tired. Kerry and I check out, book a limo to take us to the airport and have a late
breakfast at 8am. At Max's we are soon joined by aunt and cousin. We start the day by walking to Union Square, but with nothing
open we keep walking, with a brief stop to view the interior of the Hyatt at the Embarcadero Center - http://sanfranciscoregency.hyatt.com/property/hotelinfo/slideshow/index.jhtml
- to eventually arrive at The Ferry Terminal Building which been written up in so many food and travel magazines for its market
shops and cuisine. We catch the cable car from California Street up to Chinatown to explore the shops. A short walk back down
the hill and we hit the basics - Macy's, Neiman's and Gumps ("Oh my"). Lunch at The Cheesecake Factory atop of Macy's and
then one last tour of the Union Square shops before we head back to the hotel to wait for the car. As we kept the limo a secret,
Team UK are suprised and delighted when a stretch limo arrives to pick us up. Our trip to San Francisco is complete, we didn't
get to see or do it all, but we packed in as much as time would allow... Next stop on the whirlwind travels with my aunt -
Portland and preparations for Thanksgiving.
Day 10 - Historic Portland: Pittock Mansion and The Heathman Hotel
Overcast and foggy, we stay close to home today, at the apartment reminiscing about John's and my grandparents, and the
books I own which belonged to them. With a couple of hours to go before we meet Jane, my best friend, for supper in the Heathman
Hotel's bar, I take aunt and cousin to Pittock Mansion - http://www.pittockmansion.com/ - Portland's stately home. It is beautiful this time of year, being elaborately decorated for Christmas. When the weather
is clement, the mansion has great views of the city from its windows, but not today as there is a thick fog, so we concenrate
on the interior and the decorations. We leave just as the mansionis closing and turn our attentions to our date with Jane
at The Heathman - http://heathmanhotel.com/ We meet in the eucalyptus-paneled h istoric Tea Court Lounge (pictured above) and have wine and
drinks over a little supper, while my aunt and Jane catch up. After photos we head back to the car, but not before stopping
at Nordstrom's - http://nordstroms.com/ - where John and I lose my aunt, before finding her in the company of a personal shopper in the sparkly outfit section.
She finds a "posh frock" for her office Christmas party and I find a pair of shoes on the sale rack. Late night shopping completed John and I stop at the Espresso bar before heading home for Columbia City....
Day 11 - The day before Thanksgiving
With a long shopping list from Kerry, we start at Jantzen Beach and work our merry way to Target for some last minute
items for my aunt to take home, including a new bag to carry it all in. We then head back to Portland and the Uptown shopping
center, for Cost Plus, Phil's Meat Market, Elephant's Deli and the liquor store. Back in the car for a quick pit stop
at Trader Joe's and then back to the apartment for a cup of tea. Kerry calls to say he has finished work early and I drive
down to pick him up. We inventory our herbs and spices and when we drive Team UK back to Columbia City, we stop at the Fred
Meyer in Scappoose to pick up one or two more items. A quick take-out supper from KFC and John pays the eye contact version
of 'footsie' with a pretty server in the drive-thru. We unpack our load at the Jeffrey hacienda and Kerry and I leave
for the night to find that we have a flat tire. We leave the Echo and borrow Jimmy's F150 to get home.
Day 12 - Thanksgiving (Turkey Day)
We drive out to Columbia City on top of the world, or so it seems from the truck. I toast my buns on the heated
seat. We arrive and find that our flat tyre has been changed. Thank you Jimmy! The turkey is already in the smoker outside
and Kerry sets to work on several of the side dishes. We all congregate in the kitchen while Kerry cooks and even though it's
just 10 am we start on the Jack Daniels which was bought to cook with. More cooking, chatting and drinking and dinner is finally
ready! We sit down to a feast fit for a king, and about several hundred courtiers! There's turkey, mashed potatoes, Jack Daniels
glazed carrots, candied yams, sausage dressing, brussel sprouts, cornbread dressing, and two types of gravy. We have several
photos using the timer and eatuntil we can eat no more. Unable to manage dessert, Rosy, Aunt, John and self talk a walk around
the neighbourhood.
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