#36: The Beaver State

My time in Oregon was a bit of a mish-mash of different types of activities and experiences. Regretfully, I neglected to take many photos of Bend and Portland - my bad.

Bend

Since I was inland already, I decided to hit up Bend after Crater Lake. Before visiting, I knew nothing of this small city. I had just heard it is cool. Welp, I loved it there. I found some dispersed camping not far from downtown and took a day to drive around and check it out.

It felt like a new city, by that I mean recently built up. The architecture was modern, and the development looked fresh. It’s interesting because my year of travel is also serving as a chance to check out different places where I could see myself living. Bend is the type of small city where I could see myself, but when I asked around about what kinds of industries are there, the answer I got was none. There are some small companies, of course, but I wondered if it’d be tough to find a job - and the cost of living is high(er). Regardless, I liked the vibe there, and the people were friendly.

I can’t believe I didn’t take any photos!

The Coast

A few nights spent in Bend was sufficient, and I headed toward the coast. Camping locations on the west coast are challenging, so one needs to get creative. I found Salmon Harbor Marina, which also hosted a parking lot-type dry camping option. I opted in for only $20/night (not to mention it was the only place available). Plus, there were showers there. And - I may have mentioned this before - but sometimes I like asphalt because I can keep the Airstream cleaner by not trekking dirt in and out.

WIN (only $20) - WIN (showers) - WIN (pavement).

Umpqua Lighthouse State Park was close to the marina, so Addie and I took a little tour over there. The marine layer hadn’t lifted yet, so we couldn’t see much, but we happily got our feet in the sand.

There was also a lot of ATV activities happening. The sound of dirt bikes and quads was constant.

Later that day, we took a ride down to Coos Bay - about an hour south of where we were camping. Coos Bay is the largest coastal town/city in Oregon. We popped into some shops but mostly walked around. Coos Bay was a place I had always heard about, but it’s nothing too special.

Portland

Along the drive up to Portland, the coastal scenery was gorgeous.

Using the Harvest Hosts app, I found a place outside Portland to stay for the night. It was an aviation museum in McMinnville, OR, and it was a perfect stopover. Again, it was asphalt, so nice and clean for the Airstream. Other people were staying there, too, which made me feel safer camping in a parking lot.

We arrived in Portland on a Friday. First stop was to the VW dealer for an oil change in my car. It had been a while since we were in a large city, so I took the opportunity to get some “housekeeping” done. I also swung by the Airstream dealer - I wanted them to take a look at my hitch. They were so helpful and made a quick fix free of charge.

To make the city's exploration a little easier, I made reservations at Jantzen Beach RV Park, an RV park in town. This type of place is not my ideal type, but my priority was close vicinity to downtown. Note: At this time, it was late July, and protests were still taking place. I steered clear of that area.

The highlight of my time in Portland was seeing a friend of mine from high school I hadn't seen in 20 years. She and I played basketball together, and a mutual friend put us back in touch. It was so lovely to see her and catch up after a few socially-distant hours on her patio.

After getting some recommendations from my friend, Addie and I explored different pockets of the city for the remainder of the day. I grabbed an outdoor beer and burger at a local brewery, taking in the Portland vibes.

The next morning, after a quick shower, we headed an hour and a half east for Mount Hood.

Mount Hood

After a few days in a large city, I was ready for the mountains again. In my research, I found that the town of Government Camp serves as a basecamp for Mount Hood, so I sought dispersed camping in that area. Given that it was the dead of summer, the place I chose - Trillium Lake Airstrip - was busy. But, it was late in the day, and I didn’t feel like seeking out another location. I maneuvered the Basecamp into a small spot at the edge of the central area, and that was that. This was yet another instance I was so grateful to have a small trailer - she fits in so many places!

In the morning Addie and tackled a hiking trail called Tom, Dick, and Harry. While in Portland having lunch, I started talking with a few people who recommended this hike. It was about 9-miles and included beautiful lakeside sections and insane views of Mount Hood from the summit.

A popular tourist spot in this area is the Timberline Lodge. If you’ve seen The Shining, you will recognize Timberline Lodge as The Grand Overlook Hotel. Only the exterior was used in the film, though.

In “real life,” this is a ski lodge and hotel. The interior is typical of a ski lodge, with a rustic, historic feel.

I ordered a beer at the bar, sat outside on an Adirondack chair, and took in the scenery. There is nothing like a beer in the mountains - one of my favorite things.

Government Camp was my last stop in Oregon. It wasn’t until long after I left the state when I realized I completely forgot to visit Cannon Beach. That was supposed to happen before or after Portland. Whoops.

I’ll just have to go back one day…