The Windseeker Restaurant

I just began my usual follow-up research for a post and landed on The Windseeker's website. In big bold blue letters in the middle of the page lies the claim that The Windseeker is the only restaurant on the river in The Dalles. Surely this couldn't be right, could it? A decent sized city in Oregon built there solely because of its proximity to the river has only one restaurant actually on the river? Yes, it's true. I would guess that the reason for this lies on the importance of the Columbia River in The Dalles formation. Even this restaurant is nestled in the heart of an industrial area. It seems to be the exception to the rule for waterfront property in The Dalles. Certainly this is somewhat sad, but it really just shows that The Dalles is still a lot about what it started as - a port.

Back to the restaurant experience. Does that make it sound like something special? It shouldn't. It was fine, I guess, but it was yet another case of a restaurant trying to be something it's not. The place is a pub and family dining style restaurant. We all know that 9 times out of 10, when you have this type of combination, the focus is usually on the bar side. The money comes from the alcohol and the lottery, especially in Oregon. The food is often an afterthought. Sometimes it is clear that this is the way the business was formed, with the food being an afterthought. In this case, it seems more like the care for the food waned over the years. The names of the dishes on the menu sound like 4 star entrees, but looking around you, you know they aren't. The food is fine, but remember that you're going to get something that tastes like what the place looks like, not what it sounds like on the menu. A place like this should be focusing on a few good dishes, not a recipe book's worth of options. When the options are too many, you know the skill in preparing the dish is low. I just got a cheeseburger and fries, which should be something a place like this would be good at, but it was nothing special.

The fact that this place is in the middle of an industrial area is well hidden. When you get to the parking lot, you are taken to another place. There's a fountain out front, a small garden and a decent looking restaurant amongst the trees. It gets away from the starkness of the surroundings. Once inside, you're taken back a couple decades in the decor (because of a lack of updating, not intentionally) and the view of the river is pleasant. The service is just fine, especially considering the fact that there was a railroad employee dinner being hosted in the main dining room that took well over half of the space available. There should have been more than two waiters on a night that this was going on, however. It was obvious this was planned ahead of time since there was a buffet line out just for these people.

Overall the restaurant is just fine, but it lacks anything that makes me want to go back. I know there are other interesting restaurants in the area for the next time I'm taking the I-84 drive to or from Idaho. Of course, you end up where you are when you're hungry. I don't know that The Dalles offers anything much better, but I'm sure there's something just waiting to be discovered.

Here are the specifics:

Price: Covered above. $$$ (out of 5)
Cuisine: Family Dining/Pub
Reservations: Probably if you asked, but not required
Pets: No

Parking: Parking lot

Address: 1535 Bargeway Road, The Dalles, Oregon 97058
Nearest town: The Dalles, Oregon (in town, but a couple miles from the core)

Nearest 10,000+ city: The Dalles, Oregon

County: Wasco, Oregon

My rating (out of 6): 4 for service, 2 for food, 2 for decor, 5 for view - average 3

More Information: Windseeker Restaurant

My Current Location: Home, Portland, Oregon

The Melting Pot

I haven't posted in over a month. Does this mean I haven't been anywhere in over a month? Actually, pretty much yes. I finally got out of town, in a matter of speaking, last week but will start with my review of the Melting Pot instead. I'll get there.

The Melting Pot sticks in my mind as one of my favorite places to eat in Portland (Oregon, of course! If you want my favorite in Portland, Maine, I'll have to tell you all about the Portland Lobster Company, but it is the only place I've eaten there). This time, we went here for a friend that was moving away. My opinion changed a bit compared to what I remember. This may be due to Tim being there (he has a way of making me question my thoughts on everything, being more critical of my memories). We spent $211.08 before tip. The tip was added at 18% automatically since there were more than 8 of us. My complaints about this practice abound, but I realize it's an industry-wide thing so there isn't much I can say about any one place in particular. I will say, however, that it means the waitstaff gets an 18% tip. I usually tip 20-25%, so they're really just hurting themselves. I never go over the presumptuous 18% and I will complain if the service doesn't deserve it. The staff here, however, has never not deserved it. They are well trained and what you expect from a fine dining establishment. I will also add that we had drinks galore and paid for part of our friend's dinner and the card/balloons (more on this later).

So, two complaints. First, the price. The food really is very good, but it's overpriced. You're buying the experience, but you can get the food at other places for less money. There aren't many fondue restaurants in Portland though. It's something that you don't do often. To give a more realistic view of the price, the decent dinner including dessert is around $100 for two people. If I may make a recommendation, I would suggest that you skip the salad and don't go with the around $100 "Big Night Out". Just get the rest ala carte. If you're going to be eating cheese fondue with bread and vegetables then cooking lobster and several other tasty meats in a well flavored broth (don't get the oil) and then finishing it off with chocolate fondue, why bother with a salad? This isn't what the Melting Pot does, they do fondue. If it doesn't come with something that gets heated in that bowl in the middle of your table, don't do it. This complaint wasn't much of one, was it?

Second complaint. This one will truly be a complaint. My grandfather went here and asked for the card and flowers that they'll have ready for you on the table beforehand for my grandmother. Of course you get charged for this. He wasn't very happy when the card said "from the Melting Pot". When you pay for a greeting card from Hallmark, it doesn't say "from Hallmark" does it? I hope not. My father wanted to do the same for my mom on her birthday, but he was aware of this and asked what the card would say. He was told that this should not have happened to my grandfather and it wouldn't happen to him. Of course since they were called out on it, it didn't happen to him. Go figure, it happened to our friend. Her going away balloons had a card that was signed "from the Melting Pot". This couldn't be more wrong.

Overall, a very good night. I was very happy, but that may have been the 5 or 6 drinks I had. Some places just make them too easy to drink! I'll go back, but it won't be until I want to sacrifice a car payment for one meal.

Here are the specifics:

Price: Covered above. $$$$$ (out of 5)
Cuisine: Fondue/Fine Dining
Reservations: Absolutely required unless you want to eat at 10:45pm
Pets: No

Parking: Street parking or validation for 1/2 of parking garage

Address: SW 6th & Main - Portland, OR 97204 (I can't find an actual address)
Nearest town: Portland, Oregon (Downtown)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Portland, Oregon

County: Multnomah, Oregon

My rating (out of 6): 5 for service, 5 for food, 5 for decor, 0 for view - average 4.5

More Information: Melting Pot

My Current Location: Home, Portland, Oregon

Golden and Silver Falls State Park

Let's start with a few details on the "lovely" trip we had to Golden and Silver Falls State Park which may or may not have tainted the opinion I have of this wonderful place.

A. I was falling asleep on the drive up. I was driving. My cohorts in the great trek to the falls were very much asleep. There was no having someone else drive, I was the most awake.
B. It was hot. Very hot, especially when compared to where we were camping. As noted in my Sunset Bay State Park Campground post, there was a cold cloud that loved the campground. A few miles inland, it was warm and humid.
C. There were bugs. God were there bugs. The kind of bugs that love to land on people that are hot and sweaty from their walk to a waterfall in 85-90 degree weather. Oh, and bees.
D. We decided to climb up to the base (or close to) of Golden Falls. This was fine, except for B & C, above. The problem was trying to find a different way down. I decided to take a different route back to the trail than Tim and Jason. My route gave me a nice slide down the side of a rock that decided to keep my right foot at the top. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to continue my trek back to the trail, but the pain subsided enough to get back and even take part of the walk up to Silver Falls.

There, with that said let us continue. I had no idea that I should expect a set of falls that were this tall. I was honestly quite surprised when we got to the first view of Golden Falls. The hike is relatively short. I can't find how far right now, but I would guess no more than 1 mile round trip. When you get to the end of the trail, you have a pretty good view of the falls. Anything closer will require rock climbing. The falls don't have the biggest volume, but it was the middle of July, so I'm sure it would be better any other time of the year.

You're not going to set up a picnic here unless you want to bring all your supplies up to the top of a large boulder. You can do this at the picnic tables right next to the gravel parking lot (yes, I'm saying this may not be so pleasant). This is a nice place, but it won't be a place to set up a day long visit.

I can't say much about Silver Falls since I was in pain and we only walked just far enough to get a distant view. Golden Falls tumbles over a cliff in horsetail fashion. Silver Falls goes over a large rock that if you can get under it you can walk behind. I don't know how to describe it well apparently. It's very possible that Silver Falls would have an amazing base that you'd want to spend hours at. The falls aren't as impressive though, since there is barely a trickle going over them. Again, a different season and they may be amazing.

One interesting historical note - the trail to Silver Falls is an old road that has a small informational plaque about the road that drove right over the top of two falls. I found it interesting, maybe I'm the only one. Overall, if you have a couple extra hours and are in the area, I'd recommend it. Just don't pick a hot day.

Here are the specifics:

Fee: None

Pets: Allowed, as far as I know

Facilities: Vault toilets, picnic tables, no water
Attractions: Trails, viewpoints, old-growth forest
Waterway: Golden Falls - Glenn Creek; Silver Falls - Silver Creek
Waterfall Type: Golden Falls - Horsetail; Silver Falls - Segmented
Round Trip Hike: About 6/10 mile for each hike
Hiking Difficulty (out of 5): 1

Camping: No

Season: Year round, pick the best time that will combine decent weather with good flows over the falls

Coordinates: Golden Falls - 43.485278 -123.926667 (Unverified, these are the coordinates I have, but I can't find the exact point on Google Maps); Silver Falls - 43.488611 -123.933333

Governmental Agency Land: Oregon State Parks & Recreation

Nearest town: Allegany, Oregon (10.5 miles)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Coos Bay, Oregon (25.4 miles)

County: Coos County, Oregon

My rating (out of 6): 3 for beauty, 4 for crowds, 4 for play availability, 3 for surroundings - 3.5 average

More Information: Oregon State Parks - Golden and Silver Falls

My Current Location: Home - Portland, Oregon

Silver Falls:

Golden Falls:

High Tide Cafe

Since our camping trip was on the Oregon Coast, we had to go to seafood right? I had originally picked out a highly rated restaurant online before we left, but it was in downtown Coos Bay and did not have a water view. I thought it would be more fun (and hopefully better tasting) to go somewhere in the little fishing port of Charleston. This may have been true if we hadn't have gone with the "High Tide Cafe". Of the restaurants that we saw in Charleston (several looked old, dingy or stuffy, but one of them was actually part Thai food, part donuts), this one looked like it would be the best. It claimed to have a bay view. Seafood just always seems better when you have a view of the water.

When we first drove up to the restaurant, there was a board set out front proclaiming that there was "live music" inside. When you go to certain restaurants or are in a certain mood, this may be an invitation to come in. In reality, this was the first warning. It was a bar. We knew this once we saw this sign, but thought they could still have good food. We were seated at an old table in a building that looked as if it had been thrown together by 12 different people that never talked to each other. Well, this was true except for the restroom that had been beautifully remodeled. This actually shows that the owners care, they just don't know where to start on a larger project. Restrooms are small and easy to remodel.

We actually were seated by one of the best views in the restaurant and really all we could see was a large yard and a distant view of a little bit of water. This is not a "bay view" of a high quality. There was outdoor seating, but it appeared that it would feel like being at a family reunion picnic if you sat out there. Cheap plastic tables and an old deck that just screamed bad potato salad.

Okay, so the ambiance isn't great. Maybe the food will make up for that, right? Wrong. The menu was so long that you just knew you should avoid half of it. One kitchen staff in rural Oregon is unlikely to know how to cook this many things right. Even simple "fish and chips" had several options. Three of us had the deep fried fish and chips, one of us had the pan fried fish option. I didn't try the pan fried (although was told it wasn't bad), but the deep fried fish and chips were exactly what you would expect from a poor quality establishment. The quantity was too big (not a big complaint, except what it's making up for), the fish was soggy, more breading than fish and a little burnt. The fish needed a gallon of tartar sauce and we were only provided with a very small cup.

I could go on about the place. Even though it was cold and foggy outside, it was way too hot inside. The "live music" was honestly laughable. The paintings on the walls were disturbing. I don't see any reason to go on.

If you like okay food and a small town tavern atmosphere (minus the darkness), you may like this place. If you don't want to feel sick the next day (which a couple of us did), you may want to try somewhere else.

Here are the specifics:

Price: Overpriced. Dinner for four (one of us had a drink) was $93.
Cuisine: Unfocused. Everything from Asian and Mexican to American and Seafood. Let's file this one under "Tavern Food" and "Seafood" though.
Reservations: I highly doubt it. No.
Pets: Possibly outside, but no.

Parking: A very small parking lot and some awkward street parking.

Address: 91124 Cape Arago Hwy - Charleston, Oregon
Nearest town: Charleston, Oregon (center of town)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Coos Bay, Oregon (5.2 miles)

County: Coos, Oregon

My rating (out of 6): 3 for service, 2 for food, 2 for decor, 2 for view - average 2.5

More Information: High Tide Cafe

My Current Location: Home, Portland, Oregon

Cape Arago Lighthouse

Occasionally, I may post on something I know very little about. I may post information I get from the internet, but I'll make it clear when I do. Other times I may just post very little about it and not do any other research. I have two goals. The first is to see and do everything. That won't happen, but it's fun to try right? The second is to have the most complete information possible collected on what I have visited.

This post is going toward my first goal. I mentioned the Cape Arago Lighthouse in a post or two before this, so it wouldn't normally warrant its own post. Lighthouses are one of the "would love to find and see them all" things in the world for me. Waterfalls, covered bridges, counties, national parks, state parks, all lists I have to complete.

The reason the Cape Arago Lighthouse doesn't get much of a post is that you can't go there. This is the only private lighthouse on the Oregon Coast (per the "Lighthouses of the Oregon Coast" brochure I picked up from the lovely information kiosk at Sunset Bay Campground). You can, however, get some pretty good views from the road between Sunset Bay and Shore Acres, and of course from the trail between the two that is right on the ocean. I would guess, but can't be sure, that if you were adventurous enough you could get out to the spit and island that show on the pictures below. One theory I have on this is to find a way to the top of the mini-cape (what's the technical term here?) to the north side of Sunset Bay and then work your way down. My other theory would be to climb out to the north side of the bay (described in the day use area post) and keep going. I was pretty confident in my abilities to do this option, but not confident enough to be able to get back. One of my life goals is to never need a Coast Guard helicopter to come rescue me. Anyway, I of course recommend that you do neither of these. That would be dangerous. Looking at a map, it looks like you may be able to walk from Bastendorf Beach County Park (located just north of Sunset Bay and clearly signed) south down the beach around an outcropping to more beach and a good view of the lighthouse, but again I have no idea.

Here are the specifics:

Fee: No fee (because you can't go there!)

Pets: At the viewpoint, yes

Facilities: None at viewpoint, available in nearby Shore Acres or Sunset Bay State Parks
Attractions: Lighthouse

Camping: Available nearby in Shore Acres State Park

Season: Year round

Coordinates: 43.34129,-124.37538 (Unverified), 43.32929,-124.38088 for the viewpoint (Unverified)

Governmental Agency Land: US Coast Guard (closed to public), Viewpoint - Oregon State Parks & Recreation

Nearest town: Charleston, Oregon (2.6 miles)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Coos Bay, Oregon (7.8 miles)

County: Coos County, Oregon

My rating (out of 6): 2 (It's hard to rate, but it has to have a low rating due to the inaccessibility)

More Information: There are a number of websites with information about this lighthouse. Do a search on Google for "Cape Arago Lighthouse" and you should find plenty.

My Current Location: Home - Portland, Oregon

O'Dysius Hotel

Let's go way back. The year is 2008. The month - November. It's Thanksgiving, to be exact. Tim, the dog and I decide to get away and have a holiday with just the three of us. Okay, the dog didn't have much say in the matter and we had just adopted him two weeks before.

I thought we should take advantage of the long weekend and splurge a bit. Stay at a nice hotel on the coast. Good idea. Wrong idea for "splurging". This hotel, the O'Dysius, is somewhere to stay only if you . . . no, there's no reason to stay here.

Again, I'm feeling a bit lazy tonight, so I'll just re-post what I posted on Google Maps. Mind you, this is the only time I've been treated badly enough to be moved to post a review on Google Maps (and report it to AAA as well).

"My boyfriend and I decided to spend Thanksgiving weekend at the beach. I've always thought the O'Dysius looked quite nice. It is newer and located right on the D River. I couldn't remember whether or not it was right on the beach or if it was slightly off. Don't be deceived by the pictures on their website. We had a fourth floor room in the five story hotel. The view did look over the ocean, but there was a parking lot and another hotel in the way. This was, however, forgivable.
The first night we were there, we went to put some food we had purchased in the fridge. There was leftover food in the fridge that was not removed when the room was cleaned last. The smell of garlic lingered throughout the remaining four days of our visit. This was, however, forgivable.
The hotel was in adequate shape. Overall still new, but clearly not maintained with high standards. The walls were dingy, the couch was worn out and the paint on the deck railing was chipped and pieces were falling on the deck. This was, however, forgivable.
The hotel is clearly geared toward people that are over 65. There is nothing to forgive for this, but being 30 it didn't appeal to me.
The price was higher than everyone else in town and they charged $25 a night for bringing a dog (again more than anyone else). This was, however, forgivable.
The real PROBLEM was that I went to take the dog out at 6am and couldn't get back into the building. I didn't bring my cell phone with me, so I had to go to the D River public phone and call my boyfriend to come let me in. The card reader on the door wasn't working. I would have forgiven this if the response to my concern wasn't "Well, just remember to bring your cell phone." Rather than apologizing and offering to pay for the $15 collect phone calls that I had to make (three to wake him up), they just told me that they have had the same problem and that I should make sure I bring my cell phone. It is completely unacceptable to not invest money in your hotel to fix basic necessities such as these. It is even more unacceptable to not apologize and make your guests create a workaround. I would take a lower quality hotel with friendly customer service (such as the Red Lion in Coos Bay that we stayed at after staying here for half the price) any day. I will definitely never return to the O'Dysius."

Here are the specifics:

Fee: Averaged $131.92 for our stay per night, including tax. Varies greatly depending on room.
Pets: Pets are welcome, the only good thing about this place. Of course, they charge $25/night.

Pool: Yes, small, practically on the highway
Elevators: Yes
Internet: Free wireless
Parking: Free, some covered, some uncovered
Best Season: Summer for outdoor activities, winter for storm watching

Address: 120 NW Inlet Ave - Lincoln City, OR‎ 97367
Nearest town: Lincoln City, Oregon (located in town)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Newport, Oregon (Actually just under 10,000 per census, but probably higher and has the amenities of a 10,000+ city)

County: Lincoln, Oregon

My rating (out of 6): 0 for service, 3 for amenities, 1 for view, 1 for quality - average 1

More Information: O'Dysius Hotel

My Current Location: Work, Portland, Oregon

Cape Arago State Park

It's time for a short post.

Pretty. Visit. Not to be missed.

We spent maybe 20 minutes here, what do you want from me?

We walked out to the point on the north side of the park, where there is a trail down to the beach (a steep trail, supposedly to tide pools). We walked to the south side of the park where there is a built up viewpoint of more beautiful Oregon Coast. The Oregon Coast trail (described in the Sunset Bay and Shore Acres posts) runs through this park.

I don't quite get the reason behind making this a separate park. These three state parks may be the most concentrated Oregon State Parks in the entire state. Three parks, 3 miles of road.

Oh, we saw a vulture, too. This was probably the highlight.

Again, it's worth the visit, but unless I missed something, there isn't much more than a couple viewpoints.

Here are the specifics:

Fee: No fee

Pets: Welcome on leash

Facilities: Flush toilets, picnic tables
Attractions: Trails, ocean views and access, wildlife viewing

Camping: No, but available nearby in Shore Acres State Park

Season: Year round

Coordinates: 43.306782, -124.397894 (Unverified)

Governmental Agency Land: Oregon State Parks & Recreation

Nearest town: Charleston, Oregon (5.8 miles)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Coos Bay, Oregon (10.9 miles)

County: Coos County, Oregon

My rating (out of 6): 3.5

More Information: Oregon State Parks - Cape Arago

My Current Location: Home - Portland, Oregon

Shore Acres State Park

I'm generally no fan of paying money to go see a garden. For that matter, I'm not usually a fan of spending time to go see a garden. I'm usually somewhere between underwhelmed and bored out of my mind. Maybe this is just a false preconception I have had or it may be true, but this certainly does not hold true for Shore Acres. Oh by the way . . . there are some of the most picturesque ocean vistas on the Oregon Coast right here in the park as well. Bonus!

Shore Acres State Park is a day use area just south of Sunset Bay State Park (see posts) and just north of Cape Arago State park (see post yet to come). As I'm posting this, I'm going through the state's park website and realizing that I'm a little embarrassed how few state parks (and waysides, recreation areas, etc.) I haven't been to. I know this is a side note, but for someone trying to get to every county in the United States, it seems I would do a little more exploration in my own state. Oh well, add another list of things I need to do.

Back to the point at hand. We first entered Shore Acres by trail from the Sunset Bay day use area. I highly recommend taking this trail. It follows the road (roughly) from Sunset Bay to Shore Acres, but does it much closer to the coastline. Normally I wouldn't take a trail that goes somewhere I can go by car. This isn't because I'm lazy, but because I know there are so many trails out there that I will never have enough time to take that go somewhere I can't get by car. I had a very pleasant shift in my outlook on this theory when I realized all the things I miss. We took the trail up to Shore Acres and walked the road (mostly) back. In doing so, I realized how much would have been missed if we had driven to the park. We saw stunning ocean vistas (this trip has been plagued with these), we saw wildlife that I don't see everyday from my condo window (there usually aren't elephant seals on the Stadium Freeway), we saw a trail that had decided it would rather be on the ocean floor than on the cliff we were walking (thank you to the nice people at the Oregon State Parks that moved the trail so that we didn't fall right off), we saw crazy natives (wait, that was Jason and Tim being weird . . . disregard this one). The pictures I took would take up all the room I have left in storage for this blog.

The trail will be steep and moderately difficult for a short time as it climbs up the cliff out of Sunset Bay. Don't let this discourage you. The trail is pleasant and all but easy the rest of the way into Shore Acres. You won't notice that you've walked for two miles because you stop every two minutes to take in the view or even extend your trip with one of the many side trails leading to something more than worth it. This trail is just a small portion of the Oregon Coast Trail leading from (correct me if I'm wrong) the Washington to the California border. It definitely makes me want to hike more of this trail, maybe even building up to a hike of the entire trail. That will never happen . . .

I started by mentioning gardens, didn't I? Well, on this visit to the park, we had a dog with us (it wasn't me, it was one of my friends) and dogs are not welcome in Shore Acres park outside of the parking lot. Since we were breaking the law enough already, we didn't really feel going into the gardens was something we were going to get away with. I hate going against rules as it is and wanted out the park quickly even though I was enjoying the area as much as I was. I do find it incredibly annoying that a portion of the Oregon Coast Trail does not allow dogs on it. I don't know if there is any kind of exception for those travelling through the park and not stopping (I have a feeling you would be required to walk the road instead), but it seems like someone may want to walk the whole trail with their dog. Don't allow dogs in the garden, fine. I more than understand that, but on the trail? No no. Bad.

So, as I mentioned, we didn't go to the gardens on this trip (although we did walk right past the gate to get a picture of all of us on the . . . what was it Temple? The "crazy" tree?). If you do enter the park via this trail, I would recommend taking the trail that is near the entrance of the parking lot back. This will cut a lot of time off your trek back. Of course I would also recommend making the whole loop up to Cape Arago State Park and back (although I did not do this, I can't imagine it not being worth it). End of visit number one to Shore Acres.

Begin visit number two. We decided to drive up to the park and further to Cape Arago the next day. Again, well worth it. We spent a decent amount of time in the gardens. The entire park was purchased by the state for $29,000 from the Simpson family (of Simpson Lumber fame) in 1942. The park was briefly used as a lookout during World War II. Evidence of this exists on the "Pack Trail". Although we did not go on this trail, there is a concrete bunker that still exists from when the area was used for this purpose. The estate was a residence, which is still evident. The concrete foundation of what used to be tennis courts on the bluff overlooking the ocean still exists along the trail up to the park. I can't say I know much about the history of the gardens, since the interpretive center was closed, but I do believe they are a hold over (on some level) from when it was the Simpson estate. The gardens include oriental and rose gardens as well as a gazebo which clearly accomodates special events such as weddings. The gardens are quite large (seven acres). We were there on a late Sunday afternoon and had the gardens almost to ourselves aside from a couple other visitors and a caretaker carefully tending to the flowers and other plant life. During the Christmas season, the gardens are decorated with more than 250,000 lights. I'm sure it is quite busy during this time, but I still intend to make a point of visiting to see the lights.

Here are the specifics:

Fee: $3 per vehicle, waived if you have a current valid camping pass

Pets: Allowed only in vehicles

Facilities: Flush toilets, picnic tables, areas for group events (weddings, etc.), viewing shelter, gift shop
Attractions: Trails, ocean views and access, interpretive center/information, wildlife viewing

Camping: No, but available nearby in Shore Acres State Park

Season: Year round, Thanksgiving through New Years for viewing lights

Coordinates: 43.3233, -124.3853 (Unverified)

Governmental Agency Land: Oregon State Parks & Recreation

Nearest town: Charleston, Oregon (4.1 miles)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Coos Bay, Oregon (9.2 miles)

County: Coos County, Oregon

My rating (out of 6): 5

More Information: Oregon State Parks - Shore Acres

My Current Location: Home - Portland, Oregon

Sunset Bay State Park Campground

Here's my take on the campground at Sunset Bay. In my last post, I fawned over the day use area. Here, I won't do the same. The campground is very nice, the volunteers were friendly, the bathrooms were clean, there was plenty of hot water for the showers (although the only loop with no showers was our loop, a tent loop. Why does the RV loop need showers?), there were few bugs (amazingly few bugs, thank you bats!), the sites were well laid out, the . . . okay, I'm fawning a bit. The campground is great, but I don't think I'll stay there again. There are just too many beautiful Oregon State Park campgrounds on the coast. While I may look past a few minor unpleasantries about say, a restaurant (that I can go to over and over in a year), I want a place that I at least think there is a chance for a perfect vacation when I only go camping once or maybe twice a year. That was an incredibly convoluted sentence. Take a look at my "Le Happy" entry. The service is poor, but the food makes it worth it. I wouldn't take a week out of my life to go to Le Happy because I know it won't be perfect, but I will take a night to go there. In this case, I'll try one of the other great campgrounds on the Oregon Coast and just make Sunset Bay a day trip.

The reason? The weather. I could be horribly wrong, but I have an odd feeling that you don't stand a good chance at hitting good weather. While the weather was 90+ degrees in the valley and 70-80 in Coos Bay and just a few miles inland, it was maybe (I'm being generous) 60 degrees at Sunset Bay. When the weather on the beach just a few miles north was sunny and beautiful, it was misting and damp at the campground. Yes, I know all about the inversion that hits Oregon (hot hot hot in the valley and cloudy at the coast). This didn't seem to be what was going on though. After a short 10 minute drive to Coos Bay, the small cloud bank that had attached itself to Cape Arago was incredibly apparent. No clouds north, no clouds south, no clouds east and I couldn't tell for sure, but probably no clouds even to the west. The clouds (and dampness that really wanted to make everything we brought wet) look like they have a special kind of love affair with the cape. So I, for one, will take the 50% chance of having great weather when camping in many of the other coastal campgrounds over the campground that has a 15% chance. I don't know, maybe it's actually the other way around, but this is my take on it.

A couple of other good notes. On my first day there, I saw a rabbit, two bats and a raccoon. The birds are plentiful and the only bugs were bees (bring something to keep them away). The bats may have scared the hell out of me when I was just in the bathroom brushing my teeth, but it's always nice to see wildlife you don't see all the time and they did a great job of keeping the bugs down (I believe the statistic is something like they eat six times their body weight in bugs each night).

One thing I have to say to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is get your act together! In reserving the campsites online, we were told that each of the sites we reserved could only hold one small tent. We could easily have fit four decent sized tents in each of the sites we reserved. Since we thought we wouldn't be able to fit many tents, we reserved three sites when we really only needed two for our group. In giving back one site, we confused the living daylights out of the ranger woman that "helped" us. Since she just randomly assigned my car to a site without letting us look at where we'd want it, she had to move it and the extra cars and and and and and . . . well and all hell broke loose. An easy task became complicated because they insist on knowing which car is in which site rather than just assigning a group a range of sites (i.e. B-9 & B-11), they felt the need to know specifics that made no difference. In the morning, a ranger came to our site telling us that we had to pay for an extra car in one site and wondering where the extra car was in the other site. Could they not put those two things together to come to a reasonable conclusion of, oh, I don't know? It's right there in the next site under the same reservation??

I'm done with my rant. I don't hold this against this park in particular, I'm sure this is more of a statewide problem. I know new software costs money, but common sense shouldn't.

There. Now I'm done.

Really, though. It's a good place. If you don't mind dampness (it was dry and beautiful our last day, which made the whole trip wonderful), go ahead and stay here.

Here are the specifics:

Fee: $16-20 per night per site (depending on amenities - electricity and full hookup) $5 per night for an extra vehicle (2 vehicles per site maximum)

Pets: Pets are welcome on leash

Facilities: Flush toilets, showers, electricity and full hookup available, yurts, picnic tables, fire pits, firewood for sale
Attractions: Beach access, trails, creek (see day use area for additional information)
Reservations: Available (recommended on busy summer weekends)

Season: Year round (of course depends on the weather)

Coordinates: 43.330861, -124.370558 (Unverified)

Governmental Agency Land: Oregon State Parks & Recreation

Nearest town: Charleston, Oregon (2.7 miles)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Coos Bay, Oregon (7.8 miles)

County: Coos County, Oregon

My rating (out of 6): 4.5 (yes, this good - I expect 5-5.5 from my coastal state parks though)

More Information: Oregon State Parks - Sunset Bay

My Current Location: Home - Portland, Oregon

Sunset Bay Day Use Area

I have to break Sunset Bay into two posts, primarily because of the sheer beauty of the area, but also because I'd like to keep the accommodations separate from the actual scenery and activities. So, here is my take on the Sunset Bay State Park day use area.

It's beautiful.

I suppose I should write more. It's the Oregon Coast, but it's still remarkable even when compared to the other numerous state parks along the coast. It is one of the most beautiful areas on the coast. While it is popular, you still feel isolated from the rest of the world. Even with the 50 or so other people there when we sat on the beach to watch the sunset, I still felt like we were the only ones there. There's something about the frame the rocky points on either side of the beach create that focuses your attention on the ocean and not on the people around you. Of course there's a reason they call it Sunset Bay - that frame works perfectly to give a frequently amazing sunset some substance. Every picture you take will be a good one. Look around at sites that have any pictures of Oregon and I bet you find quite a few of Sunset Bay.

Okay, so we were there five nights and were only able to view a sunset once. The first four days and nights were almost completely socked in with fog that Cape Arago just refused to let go of. A drive of not more than 10 minutes would take us to temperatures in the 70s and 80s, but the damp Sunset Bay didn't get out of the 50s . . . maybe the low 60s. I honestly can't say if this is common or if it was just our luck, but if you get to the beach with any glimpse of the sunset, it will be a good one. Our sunset was not the most colorful the bay has ever seen, but it was still well worth it.

The highlight of the area was not, however, the sunset. The tide pools were what made this trip most worth it for me. I went out to climb on the rocks and look at the tide pools three times. The best viewing for me was in the morning with the tide at about a +2 and fog thick enough to not be able to see the beach from the rocky point we climbed out to on the north side of the bay. The amount of sea life in these pools made the trek out well worth it. We also went out after dark (don't tell the rangers - this day use area closes at 9pm. Don't get me started on this. You close a place called "Sunset Bay" at 9pm??). During this visit, we were able to see more of the crabs and other non-vegetation life. The crabs were not so quick to scurry away from our flashlights as they were from seeing us walk up to them in the daylight. The rocks are treacherous to walk on in the best of conditions, however, and doing so at night did not prove easy. Tim fell in the water and the rest of us got muddy in one way or another. We also went out at the lowest tide when we were there, about -2. This tide was actually too low, however. The best tide pools are up higher and with the water as low as it was, we tended to stay closer to the water's edge. There wasn't much here, but getting up early in the morning and seeing the birds hunting for food, the fishermen beginning their morning trip and the people start to come out to see the sights was well worth it. We climbed out to the north point and watched the ocean beat against the rocks for at least a half hour. I could have done it all day, but there was plenty more to be done and the tide wouldn't have allowed for us to stay out there all day.

We saw pelicans, of course plenty of seagulls and other birds I couldn't begin to name. Big Creek pours into the ocean at Sunset Bay, which makes for an even better setting. I recommend a walk out to the edge of the sand, or for the more adventurous explorers, a climb on any accessible rocks. Of course, be careful. I would have ventured further, but I didn't want to not be able to find a way back down. I definitely do not ever want to be able to say I have been saved by a Coast Guard helicopter. One day, however, I will find a way out to the sand spit that goes out to what would be an island in high tide so I can get a good look at that Cape Arago Lighthouse (more on that later).

Here are the specifics:

Fee: No fee for the day use area

Pets: Pets are welcome on leash

Facilities: Flush toilets, picnic tables, areas for group events (weddings, etc.), volleyball courts, horseshoe pits available

Camping: Yes (see camping entry, to come)

Season: Year round

Coordinates: 43.332861, -124.373558 (Unverified)

Governmental Agency Land: Oregon State Parks & Recreation

Nearest town: Charleston, Oregon (2.7 miles)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Coos Bay, Oregon (7.8 miles)

County: Coos County, Oregon

My rating (out of 6): 5.5

More Information: Oregon State Parks - Sunset Bay

My Current Location: Home - Portland, Oregon

Let's Go Local

Well, local to me at least . . .

This is a travel blog, but I feel that even something across the street is travel. If not to me, it probably is to you. Either way, travel is really about taking something in. It's about the culture and people, the man-made and natural sights and just about experiencing what the world has to offer.

Look at me, I'm justifying posting something to my own blog. It's mine. I'm posting it. Get over it. There, that's better.

Le Happy has become, without a doubt, my favorite restaurant within 2 blocks of my house. That doesn't sound like much of a rave, but living in the Pearl District of Portland there are 9 restaurants within two blocks. I'd also go so far as to call Le Happy one of my favorite restaurants in Portland. Since my favorite restaurants are in Portland, I suppose that makes it one of my favorites in the world. Okay, enough of the rambling.

Le Happy bills itself as a crêperie restaurant and bar. I don't have any experience with the place as a bar in terms of "whoo hoo, it's 1am and I'm at the bar," but I do have experience with the bar as a place that provides me with alcoholic beverages. They're tasty. Well, the prickly pear margarita is tasty. This is my favorite drink and it's hard to find anywhere else, so that's all I have when I go there. The people I've been there with seem to like the other drinks though. Good enough for me.

The menu is simple. What do you want in your crêpe? Sure, they come up with fancy (or not so fancy - e.g. "Le Trash Blanc") names for some of their favorite options, but these are really just suggestions. The options are, while statistically calculable, immeasurable. If your crêpe doesn't taste good, it's your fault. After all, they make it right, it must be that you ordered the wrong combination. The food is consistently good.

Crêpes may be technically French, but this place is all Portland. It's liberal, it's quirky, it's unique, it's just plain . . . bizarre. Maybe it's the disco ball in the middle of the room. The waitstaff is quintessentially Portland as well. Unfortunately, this isn't necessarily a good thing. Portlanders are in their own world. The trend here has not been buc`ked. Be prepared to wait a bit. Be prepared to not be quite sure if you're not exactly welcome. After a number of visits to Le Happy, all I can tell you is that you are welcome there. It's how everyone is treated. The service will usually be slow, but you'll get the food. It does almost seem like the place knows it has good food and no matter how the service is, you'll still come back. They're right. Luckily the service isn't deporable. It's just tolerable, and I can handle that.

Oh, I almost forgot! This is the only place that I consistenly order dessert. Do it. You know you want to. Do I really have to say why? It's crêpes. It's not too rich, it's not too sweet. It is, as Goldilocks would say, just right.

Here are the specifics:

Price: Reasonably priced. As little as $4 for an entree, up to $13.
Cuisine: Crêpes
Reservations: Generally, no. The place is small so be there at an off time or be prepared to wait.
Pets: With the outside seating, I would assume so.

Parking: Street only

Address: 1011 NW 16th Ave - Portland, Oregon
Nearest town: Portland, Oregon (Located in Pearl District of Portland)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Portland, Oregon

County: Multnomah, Oregon

My rating (out of 6): 3 for service, 5.5 for food, 5.5 for decor, 4 for view - average 5

More Information: Le Happy

My Current Location: Home, Portland, Oregon

From Le Happy's website. I could go for the two block walk to take my own picture, but I'm feeling lazy.

Hurricane Ridge

This post is more to show a picture Tim took, since I actually really like it. Don't tell him, it's best that he continues to think that I don't like most things he does. It's just better that way, I promise.

I know there are a million pictures of flowers out there, but I like this one.

This is somewhat representative of the area, though. There were a number of wildflowers up near the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center in Olympic National Park. The view is probably what attracts most people, though. Having a great view seems to be the general theme of the Olympic Peninsula. The steepness of the mountains protruding right from the surrounding lowlands and water seems to make for some great places to take a picture or two. The Olympics are certainly nothing in comparison to the Cascades . . . at least on paper. The tallest peak in Olympic National Park only reaches 7,980 feet, puny by comparison to Mt. Rainier at 14,441. The prominence (the height of the mountain over the surrounding area) of Mt. Olympus is 7,838 feet, compare this to the 7,706 foot prominence of Mt. Hood. This is what makes the mountains of the area just as impressive. They're tall compared to where you're standing. Unless, of course, if where you are standing is Hurricane Ridge. The elevation of Hurricane Ridge is approximately 5,200 feet. All of this means smaller glaciers and (I would think) less snow overall than the Cascades, but other than that it still seems impressive.

The view from Hurricane Ridge is interesting. When I've had a good view of the Olympics from the other side of the sound (either Whidbey Island or Seattle), they always looked tall and jagged. From Hurricane Ridge, you feel like you're looking right into a rugged but relatively flat landscape. Sure, the ridges are steep and quite the odd formation of land, but overall everything doesn't seem much higher or lower than where you are standing. Mt. Olympus is barely distinguishable from the other peaks in the range. None of this detracts from the overall beauty of the area, it just makes it unique. When you're up here, you feel like you're in a slightly different world. It's alpine, it's open, but it's still the Pacific Northwest. Even on a perfectly clear, warm day you can still tell that it rains. There are wildflowers and the green of a Washington forest. There was even still a pile of snow in the parking lot (on July 3rd), clearly from plowing, but still late in the year for 5,200 feet above sea level. Don't hold me to it, but I would guess that the ridge is poised at least partially in the rain shadow. The Hoh Rain Forest on the southwest side of the park gets around 12 feet of rain a year. I'm sure that number is a lot higher than Hurricane Ridge.

The point . . . what was the point? I don't remember. We didn't spend much time here because of the dog, but it was clear that there is a lot to do. Don't bring your dog and you'll be able to do one of the many hikes in the area. Next time though for us. For now, a few pictures is enough for me.

Here are the specifics:

Fee: $15 or a National Parks Pass

Pets: Pets are welcome in the parking lots, but not allowed on trails.

Facilities: Flush toilets and picnic tables available.

Camping: In the park, yes

Season: Year round, check for conditions out of summer

Coordinates: 47.969123, -123.498259 (Unverified) (Google shows a through road to Elwha, from what I've seen this is a trail and not a road - keep this in mind when looking up directions online)

Governmental Agency Land: Olympic National Park

Nearest town: Port Angeles, Washington (18 miles)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Silverdale, Washington (18 miles)

County: Clallam, Washington

My rating (out of 6): 3.5

More Information: Olympic National Park

Cites: Elevation information from Wikipedia

My Current Location: Work, Portland, Oregon

Mount Walker

After having about two days' worth of energy drained out of us in just one day from walking our crazy dog amongst other dogs out to Cape Flattery, we decided that a day of relative rest would be welcomed. For me, this means sitting in the car for hours. After going to Dungeness and eating at The 3 Crabs, we headed out to our only other main destination of the day - the Mount Walker Viewpoint.

Nothing is ever quick and easy when I'm involved. This may be obvious from the length of some of these posts, it may be obvious because you know me, or it may be news to you. In this case, I didn't realize quite how far the viewpoint was from Dungeness (where we ate lunch) nor did I realize that there would be few options for gas between the two points or anywhere close to Mt. Walker for that matter. We had more than a quarter tank, so I figured it wouldn't be a big deal. After 4 1/2 miles uphill (on a steep incline) with the four wheel drive and air conditioning on, the quarter tank quickly disappeared. Luckily this time it worked out fine (unlike the last July 4th weekend trip that included a couple hours on the side of I-5 just north of the Washington/Oregon border). Point of the story, make sure you have plenty of gas whenever you venture into the forest so that you can focus on things like the view at the top rather than whether or not you'll be able to make it to the next gas station.

The viewpoint from Mt. Walker would have been much more impressive had it not been for everything else we saw up to this point. It was still well worth the drive. The view is nearly 360 degrees between two separate viewpoints on the north and south sides of the mountain. Do the north side first and save the best for last. The north side looks toward the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Peninsula. The south side has views of Mt. Rainier, the Puget Sound and even a pretty clear view of all of downtown Seattle. I don't have pictures to show this due to the clouds and (probably) smog, but it was there. I have a feeling the number of days with perfect conditions for seeing great views are very limited. This is the Pacific Northwest afterall. Even days that are beautiful typically have some haze.

The drive up is steep, gravel, washboarded and narrow. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone that doesn't feel comfortable driving in these conditions, although I would think any car with the right driver would be just fine. Just make sure you have gas. You could also park at the bottom and hike your way up (there is a trail off the road). I, for one, don't like walking when the car can take me there. I'd rather save my energy for walking when it will get me somewhere the car won't.

Here are the specifics:
Fee: None
Pets: Pets are welcome.
Facilities: Vault toilets and picnic tables available.
Camping: No
Season: Year round, but pick a sunny day for best views
Coordinates: 47.788435,-122.903398 (Unverified)
Governmental Agency Land: Olympic National Forest
Nearest town: Quilcene, Washington (9.6 miles)
Nearest 10,000+ city: Silverdale, Washington (49.7 miles)
County: Jefferson, Washington
My rating (out of 6): 4
More Information: Olympic National Forest

My Current Location: Home, Portland, Oregon

View to the south (Mt. Rainier & Seattle)


View to the north (Strait of Juan de Fuca, Olympic Peninsula)

A Note About Research

This is really more of a note for me than anything, but in writing my "Mt. Walker" entry, I stumbled across this page - Points of Interest in Olympic National Forest. I did quite a bit of research for our relatively short three night trip to the Olympic Peninsula. I didn't find this page then, I find it now. I am now wondering if there is a similar page for all national forests, but from what I've seen in the past, there is little consistency between websites for the national forests. I'll keep looking, though.

The only reason that this caught my eye was the entry of "High Steel Bridge". To some, this may sound benign, but I love architecture both old and new. Maybe next time.

Here are the specifics:

None!

My Current Location: Home, Portland, Oregon

A Deeper Warning?

LaPush, Washington. Quileute Nation.

Is this really a problem or is there a metaphor here that I’m missing?

Maybe you should be careful because the bridge of your life is unsafe.

Whatever the case, I don’t recommend crossing this bridge even in the best of conditions.

LaPush is a cute, albeit depressed appearing little town. The setting is spectacular. Remote. I felt bad being a tourist in this tiny town. Even though I don’t think I did anything to disturb it, there are just some places where you feel like “another one of those damn tourists”. It’s worth the trip just to see the scenery if only for a minute, though, if you are willing to disturb the place. However, I have a feeling that if you were to ask around you’d be welcomed warmly.

Here are the specifics:

Fee: None
Pets: Not really applicable, but I suppose they may be welcome.
Facilities: None.
Camping: No
Season: Year round.
Coordinates: 47.915003, -124.63540 (Unverified)
Governmental Agency Land: Possibly private property on Quiletue Tribal Land
Nearest town: La Push, Washington (0.5 miles)
Nearest 10,000+ city: Port Angeles, Washington (68 miles)
County: Clallam, Washington
My rating (out of 6): 4.5, although not sure what I’m rating here.
More Information: Quileute Nation

My Current Location: Home, Portland, Oregon

3 Crabs Restaurant

In researching for our visit to the Olympic Peninsula, I stumbled across someone's note that stated something along the lines of 3 Crabs being the place to eat in the area. For some reason this stuck in my head and we went there. Who knows, this could have been something planted somewhere on the internet by the owners of the restaurant itself, but I'm always up for trying something new. That hasn't always been true, but I've been taught that when you're in a new town, you try the local fare (thanks, Victoria!). I've enjoyed this new way of travel . . . a lot.

When entering the restaurant, I questioned whether or not it would be too fancy for us based on the settings on the table. Trying to be a fancy restaurant for the older crowd is not what I would expect from a restaurant in a tiny town on what is essentially the beach. I was a little worried at this point and then we were asked if we had reservations. This question always bothers me since if you have reservations, you would mention it. If you don't, you just feel like an idiot for trying to get into a restaurant that (as I found out later) recommends that you have reservations. It isn't an appropriate question for a place that isn't even 25% full. I felt a bit out of place there as it was just the two of us dining with several families, but it wasn't too bad.

When we were seated, we were ignored for a bit (a little longer than I think is acceptable). When we were helped (by a woman in a t-shirt and jeans - not fitting to the decor), she noticed a bug on our table, took it, excused herself and came back. She explained that this had never happened before, which is probably true. She was friendly enough, but left our drinks sitting on the counter until she realized we didn't have anything to drink when our food came out. The service was certainly fast enough.

The food was pretty good. Tim had the halibut sandwich with coleslaw and seemed to like it a lot. I had the crab cake sandwich and potato salad. Be warned that the potato salad has olives in it (I know, I know, most people would probably love that but some of us don't . . . right Charlotte?). The crab cake sandwich didn't have the best sauce on it, but the crab cake itself was quite good.

The thing to note about this restaurant is that it is situated on a piece of property right on Dungeness Bay. The view from the window seats in the restaurant? The parking lot. Sure, you can see the lighthouse out on the spit (next time we won't bring the dog and we'll walk out to it). Sure, you can see the bay and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. You're just overlooking a gravel parking lot and cars to see it. Not much that can be done about it now, but who decided to build the building back so far? We weren't even in a window seat (even though the host told us we would be), so it didn't matter much. We took some time when we were done with lunch to let the dog out of the car to play around on the beach a bit. That's another thing this place should have, though, clearly marked beach access at least for customers. Certainly the appeal of a restaurant like this lies in two things - its fresh seafood (I'm not exactly an expert on food, so who knows if it was or not) and its location. When most of the division between the . . . parking lot (I can barely say it) . . . and the beach is marked "Stay off the rocks and flower beds", it certainly isn't inviting to take a walk on the beach when you're done with your meal. Maybe the reasoning for this is to keep people that haven't been to the restaurant off of their beach. Maybe the reasoning is that they don't even want those that have been to the restaurant on their beach. Who knows, but it should be a welcoming dessert. I know the desserts on the menu weren't. They seemed to consist of just over-fluffed pies that were $32 each. Sure, $4 a slice sounds reasonable, but when you aren't able to buy a whole pie for a lower price, it just sounds ridiculous.

Here are the specifics:

Price: Ranging from about $10 for a sandwich to $20 for a steak or seafood meal.
Cuisine: Seafood
Reservations: "Recommended"
Pets: No outside seating, so no pets.

Parking: Abundant and abundant with gravel

Address: 113 Crabs Rd - Sequim, WA (in the community of Dungeness)
Nearest town: Dungeness, Sequim, Washington (0-5.2 miles)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Port Angeles, Washington (19 miles)

County: Clallam, Washington

My rating (out of 6): 3 for service, 4 for food, 2 for decor, 4 for view - average 3

More Information: 3 Crabs

My Current Location: Home, Portland, Oregon

View from beach in front of 3 Crabs Restaurant (looking out over Dungeness Bay toward spit and lighthouse)

Red Lion Hotel - Port Angeles

I wanted out of the condo and out of the city. I always do. I've used up all of Tim's vacation in planning out the entire year with camping and a number of other trips. I've always wanted to spend some time on the Olympic Peninsula, so I thought I would take advantage of the three day weekend. I looked around and figured that Port Angeles would be the best central point for doing everything I wanted to do. I think I was right.

In doing my usual research for where to stay, I found that Port Angeles is not brimming with hotel rooms on the water, as you might expect. I'm sure there are some out of town a bit, but I couldn't find any online other than the Red Lion and I didn't see any when driving through the town. It is important to point out that I have an aversion to hotel chains I haven't heard of, so those are usually removed from the list of possibilities right from the beginning (I don't remember seeing any of those on the water either). I also don't usually look at hotels in the national parks, since I assume they charge more and may also be run down (I'm sure I'm often wrong and missing out here). I liked the idea of staying in a larger city and on the water, so I booked the room at the Red Lion.

I ended up being pleasantly surprised by a few things and a little disappointed by a few others. The first impression was, as always, at the front desk where the woman helping me was very friendly and personable (even if the lobby seemed a little unprofessional - loud music clearly meant for the workers and she was singing along while she helped me). I had searched for information regarding the hotel's pet policy since we were bringing along our 75 pound German Shepherd/Golden Retriever mix, but couldn't find it. I made a note that we were bringing him and for them to let me know if this was a problem. I later found that the pet policy was right on their website, I just missed the link (it's under "amenities" then the pet policy link). I was told that the fee would be $20 per night, but it was waived if we were a Red Lion club member.

Entering the hotel and then our room, it was clear that it was older. The place was dated (as I've found most Red Lions to be), but for the most part they had repainted or replaced what was needed. The shower was in need of a re-grouting and the fan was rusted out, but other than that everything was in very nice shape and was clean. Each room seemed to have a private deck the width of the room (in our case looking out on the harbor). I was instantly impressed and amazed by the view. Of course it was a beautiful weekend weather-wise, so that made it all the better. The room looked right out at the spit, a freighter anchored in the harbor, the city's pier and the ferries that come and go to Victoria, British Columbia. I was quite happy with my choice of hotel.

The next morning, I was a little less impressed with my choice of hotel when I realized that we had gone through the night without air conditioning and the room was pretty warm. I didn't bother saying anything though, since it was right on the water and the air could cool the room on its own just fine. I also forgot to mention it when I checked out, so I can't say that they wouldn't have come right out and fixed it. When we came back from touring around the area, our keys didn't work. Since it was both of our keys, I have to assume that it was programmed wrong the first time. Mistakes happen, no big deal. I went up to the front desk and explained that they weren't working. The woman that helped me this time was rude and didn't apologize for the mistake. She acted like it happened all the time and almost seemed put out by me for asking to be let back into my room. This was the only negative of the experience here.

That night (July 4th), once everyone started camping out along the path in front of the hotel, I realized that we were going to be in perfect position for the fireworks show put on by the community. This was a complete surprise; I did not book the hotel room with any intention of seeing fireworks (this may explain the somewhat high fee, although the view, location and being the only place in town that could offer these things may make it this price all summer). The show was not bad at all for a town of 18,000 people. We very much enjoyed it.

All in all, this is a very nice hotel. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone overly picky about service or quality, but if you want a place to stay with a beautiful view right in the heart of Port Angeles, I definitely recommend it.

Here are the specifics:

Fee: Averaged $175.10 for our stay per night, plus 10.4% tax
Pets: Pets are welcome. The fee is $20 per night, which is waived if you are a member of their rewards club.

Pool: Yes (in the middle of the parking lot)
Elevators: No (2 story building)
Internet: Free wireless - decent quality
Parking: Free, uncovered
Best Season: Summer for outdoor activities

Address: 221 N. Lincoln - Port Angeles, WA 98362
Nearest town: Port Angeles, Washington (located downtown)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Port Angeles, Washington (located downtown)

County: Clallam, Washington

My rating (out of 6): 2 for service, 3 for amenities, 5 for view - average 3.5

More Information: Red Lion Hotels

My Current Location: Work, Portland, Oregon

City Pier from hotel room - slightly foggy morning


Boats in the harbor from hotel room


View from hotel room at night

Cape Flattery

Here is where I introduce the fact that we have a dog. A crazy one. He's a thousand times better than he was when we adopted him 7 1/2 months ago, but still crazy. We felt he needed a home and that we had a connection with him even though we knew he'd turn our lives upside down. Out of all of his neuroses that he came with, we have him down to just two that make our lives a little more difficult. The first is that he can't be left home alone, the second is that he can't be out in public. This makes the whole travel thing a little more difficult, but luckily there's daycare. Not this time though.

As part of our Port Angeles/Olympic Peninsula trip, I wanted to go out to the "most northwestern point" in the contiguous United States. This point is said to be Cape Flattery, Washington. The hike is 3/4 miles long (each way) and one of the best hikes I have been on in a long time. Even after the dog threw his fit about seeing other dogs about 20 times and bit me once in the process (he didn't know my finger was there), I'd still do it again. The hike itself it worth it. Just the work the (I'm assuming) Makah Tribe put into building this trail is beautiful. The boardwalks, the properly placed tree stumps, the well-maintained rest of the trail, all of it is great. It's a very leisurely walk (ignore their warnings about it being "moderate" or "not advised for those with weak ankles, knees or backs" - this is probably a fair warning that I don't actually want you to ignore, but in terms of trail ratings it really should get an easy). There are a couple observation decks on the way out to the end, where the true beauty of the area is found. The water at the tip of the cape where the Pacific Ocean meets the Strait of Juan de Fuca is the bluest I have ever seen in the Northwest. The rocks are amazing formations that rival even the Oregon Coast. The viewpoint looks right out at what I believe to be Tatoosh Island with its lighthouse marking the entry to the strait. The weather here is absolutely perfect. Okay, that last one may have just been luck on our part. This is one of the rainiest places in the country and we happen to be there on a day that you can see for miles with perfectly blue sky. Maybe this is also the reason for the beautiful blue water, but it doesn't take away from the rest of it. I can't imagine the hike not being worth it in any weather condition, but who knows.

We're not done with our trip yet, but I would bet that this will remain the highlight of it. If you're in the area, I would recommend making this the top priority if you aren't taking the time to hike deep into the Olympic National Park, where there may quite possibly be better beaches or better sights on the top of a mountain or deep in a valley that we were not able to go with the dog. It also gets one of those bizarre things checked off my list - visit the most northwestern point of the contiguous United States. Done. If you like this type of thing, there's also the most western zip code in the contiguous United States (La Push, Washington) and the most western populated place in the contiguous United States (Ozette, Washington). Just be warned that to my knowledge, there isn't a short path between these three locations, even though they are relatively close together. We attempted to follow our navigation system's instructions from Cape Flattery to Ozette, and ran into a logging gate halfway down a road that nature did not want to be a road. This is to say that it was not often used, dirt and very overgrown. It may be advised to go back to the main road between each location you try to reach in this area.

Here are the specifics:
Fee: There is a $10 recreation pass that is necessary for parking on the Makah Tribal land. This pass can be purchased at a number of places in Neah Bay. See signs upon entry to Neah Bay.
Pets: Pets are welcome.
Facilities: Vault toilets are available at the parking lot to Cape Flattery. Picnic tables available. Pack out your garbage.
Camping: No
Season: Year round, but pick a sunny day for best views
Coordinates: 48.383118, -124.714411 (Unverified - I forgot to do this!)
Governmental Agency Land: Makah Indian Tribe
Nearest town: Neah Bay, Washington (7.9 miles)
Nearest 10,000+ city: Port Angeles, Washington (74 miles)
County: Clallam, Washington
My rating (out of 6): 5.5
More Information: Makah Tribe

My Current Location: Red Lion Hotel, Port Angeles, Washington