Bill and I head out of town in the morning for a hike and we picked up his friend Rachel
Driving to the trailhead: 2 hrs westward from Portland
Finally get there and we park
Time to hike the Saddle Mountain Summit Trail.
I love this sign.
The various views on the trail
Ooooh berries
Group picture.
Reach one of the overlooks. Half way there but still not at the summit. The view on this side is wonderful.
Oh look a moth on my shoe.
Time to walk some more.
Raspberries
Bill is eager to munch down.
Finally we get to the top
And there is a great view on either side.
Walk over to a nearby cliff to get a closer view.
You can actually see Mt. Rainer in the distance but the iPhone may not capture it.
We start the trek back down and stop half way to eat and refresh ourselves.
And then continue to run back down to the trail head. Bill and Rachel trying to get me in shape forcing me to run (headshake).
At the trail head Rachel stretches out by showing off her acrobatic postures. :-)
We decide to drive to the beach at Seaside, Oregon.
And I touch the Pacific Ocean for the second time in my life but first time on the northwest side.
Group picture. Now, lets get out of this cold water.
As we are walking back, we notice a Lewis and Clark statue
Then we head over to Seaside Brewing Co.
Time to celebrate the long hike with a beer. Unfortunately all their local beers are sold out due to the big race a few days ago. Wow! A brewery that ran out of its own beer. So I get some non local beer options.
After the beer we head back home. I get a shower, nap and then plan to meet up with my friend's friend Amanda. I haven't met Amanda before but she is a good friend of one of my good friend's Heather.
We plan to meet at Portland City Grill on the 30th floor of the Bancorp Tower. It is a restaurant with a great view of the city of Portland.
While I'm waiting I might as well try some cocktails.
And some happy hour Sushi. That was delicious. The cocktails ... not so much.
The view from the top.
We bounce around to another bar: Henry's 12th St Tavern.
And then Pix Patisserie which is famous for its desserts and champagne.
Amanda is serious about her champagne ... she is seriously studying the lists.
We get a bottle and two glasses.
Wait three glasses, one for our dear friend Heather.
And something to eat.
After a good evening, Amanda drives me back home to Bill's. Tomorrow I plan to venture out to downtown Portland.
Reflections:
I had a fantastic time with Bill and Rachel on the hike today. It was definitely challenging at parts and I had to brace some fears when I was standing near the cliffs. Meeting Amanda too (although she disagrees it was our first meeting) was great. We laughed, chatted and got to know each other well while missing the company of our dear friend Heather at the same time. Bill, thank you for the hike, driving me around Portland and showing me around Oregon. Amanda, thank you for the company and champagne and hilarious sense of humor. Fun adventures!!
Expenses: $30.95
Dinner: $17.95
Beverages: $13.50
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