Bend to Portland, a journey through the seasons

We arrive very late in Bend and had a little trouble finding a motel.  However, when we head slightly out of town, we score because we are upgraded free of charge to a suite which includes a kitchenette.  It's so lovely, we decide to stay an extra night.

We have a very lazy day and a half in Bend, achieving not much more than exploring coffee shops, but it was lovely to slow the pace down for a little while.

On Friday, we have a long drive from Bend to Portland.  Perhaps it had something to do with crossing the 45th parallel, but we had some very weird weather.

It started when we went to visit Timberline Lodge, a historic monument that was also used in some scenes in the movie The Shining.

And it also happens to be a ski resort, where it is possible to ski up until July.  This explains the mandatory use of snow chains signs that we saw on the way up.  Since it is the month of May we ignored the signs, assuming that they were Winter related.  We were fine on the way up, but when we arrive, there is a pretty serious snowstorm.  In the time we spent having a cup of tea in the lovely lodge an inch of snow falls.  If the storm hadn't been as severe I think we would have been seriously tempted to hire skis for the afternoon.

Later on in the afternoon, the sun comes out and we see some lovely fluffy clouds sitting on the hilltops of the Columbia River Gorge

Unfortunately the sun doesn't last too long and the heavens open. When we get to the viewing point, we can't even decide which way we should be looking to see where the view should have been.  Eventually, it clears a little to the West, but for the view up the East of the Gorge we'll just have to imagine what that looked like.

The journey along the Columbia River Gorge has many stopping points to view the waterfalls, which unsurprisingly were all flowing very well today.

The first three we get out the car to take pictures, the fourth one we just take pictures through the car window, and the fifth one is a half mile hike away and the rain is so heavy by this time, I just take a photo of the sign telling us about the falls.

We've had enough of the weather for today!

On the way back into Portland we stop at a lovely restaurant that we had spotted on our bike ride the previous week.  It was fairly fancy, and we looked a fright in our bedraggled wet clothes, but fortunately the restaurant staff were lovely, and even gave us a table right next to the fire so that we could finally warm up.

Satuday morning in Portland, the bags are all packed and we head to the Max train line ready to go to the airport.  We don't have a whole lot of time spare (and we have failed to check in) so we really should not be wasting any time.

However, just over the road from the Max line, it's the annual Portland Doggie Dash this morning, and they are also trying to beat the world record for most number of a dogs in fancy dress.

Me, I'm in Doggie heaven, Stuart less so.

Stuart volunteers to watch the bags whilst I run round the park like a mad thing, taking photos of all the dogs and watching the doggie competitions.  (Frisbee catching and licking peanut butter off the spoon).

Here are just a few of the crazy characters (owners and dogs!)