The Route
We drove 193 miles from Boardman to Newberg. The route was simple. Leave Boardman on I-84W, make a stop at Hood River, continue on I-84W to Portland, then take I-5S to OR-99W and follow it to Newberg. We're staying at Carol's daughter's family farm just outside Newberg.
Along the Way
We left Boardman at 9:15 with a plan to meet a friend for lunch in Hood River.
The drive along the gorge was beautiful. The sun was out and the sights were clear most of the way.
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| Columbia River from I-84W |
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| Washington is across the river |
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| Wind farm on the plateau |
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| I-84 descends into the gorge |
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| The highway offers great views of the gorge and the river. |
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| There's a lot of rail traffic on both sides of the river. |
Hood River lunch with Cheryl ...
Cheryl Patchet worked with Dick for many years in San Diego. We've connected a number of times during other trips west. We learned a few days ago that she was visiting family in Parkdale (about 14 miles south of Hood River), so we arranged to meet for lunch for when we came through Hood River.
Trailer parking in downtown Hood River looked like a challenge. We parked in the Walmart parking lot and Cheryl provided transportation to the Sixth Street Bistro and Loft. The restaurant was small, attractive, and a great place for conversation and an excellent meal. Our time was short, but this was surely a special moment with our friend.
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| It was sunny all during our lunch time with Cheryl. |
The rest of the trip ...
The sky darkened as we headed down the gorge.
About 20 miles from Portland we were hit with a torrential downpour. It didn't last long. The windshield wipers couldn't keep up, visibility dropped to about six car lengths and traffic slowed. The good news is that much of the dust and dirt from yesterday got washed away.
Arriving in Newberg ...
We arrived at Kenny & Barbara Bagley's farm at around 4pm. We were greeted by two waving, jumping grandchildren. Lucy and William were the first in a hug-fest.
The farm has RV connections for electricity, water and sewer. We got set up in front of an audience and were almost able to keep William and the hitch grease apart in the process.
Kenny smoked a chicken and Barbara fixed a delicious dinner to go with it.
Now, about the chicken. It wasn't your normal chicken. They raised it last year on a high protein diet. It was really big (they had some even bigger). It was smoked with a marinade. It was moist and tasty.
What's next ...
We'll be at the farm for a week and then will move into Portland to stay with Tim, Elizabeth, Jacob and Anna Winslea for a week. Elizabeth is Carol's daughter.
After that, everyone will decide it's time for us to go home and we'll realize it's a long way away.
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