St. Louis, MO celebrates its role as the launching point of the Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark expedition with the Gateway Arch. Oregon marks its position as the final destination of the Corps of Discovery with a recreation of Fort Clatsop: where Lewis & Clark wintered before returning to the East Coast and a place in the history books.
The Mary D. Hume was the longest operating service boat on the Pacific Coast and can still be seen, half sunk, one hundred feet from where it was built over a century ago.
After evicting our unwanted visitor, we were wide awake and set out on the road early. The morning mists lounged over the ocean, resulting in photographs that would strive for "atmospheric."
Oregon Caves National Monument preserves stalagmites, stalactites, and rock formations such as Joaquin Miller's Chapel, The Ghost Room, and Paradise Lost.
Deep in the woods of South West Oregon is Clear Lake. Deep in the depths of Clear Lake is an ancient forest. Trees that had grown on a prehistoric valley floor were flooded 3,000 years ago when a lava flow blocked up a river and flooded the valley to create Clear Lake.
I'm not sure if Willamette Valley pinot just appeals to a different taste than mine or if the people of Oregon are getting ripped off. We've spent the last few days touring vineyards and tasting rooms across the Willamette Valley and expected more than what we experienced.
Nearing the conclusion of our trip to Portland, we couldn't help but draw it out a little longer by taking the "fruit loop" around Mount Hood. As 84 got busier, we diverged onto 35 where produce stands sell fruit, nuts, vegetables, and other locally grown produce from the side of the road.