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On October 22, I flew out of Dulles International Airport headed for Portland, Oregon. My latest trip to the great Northwest had several purposes including hanging out with friends, being in a wedding, and escaping from the DC sniper. Upon my arrival in Portland, I was informed by my friends that our rental vehicle was ... A WHITE VAN. In an instant, I was scanning for blue flashing lights as I remembered my fellow DC motorists who were being harassed and persecuted merely for the color of their box truck or the size of their ladder rack. But fortunately we were thousands of miles away, and the DC killers would be captured while our journey was still young.
The first few days were spent with friends from VA Tech. We drove south from Portland, making a quick stop in Corvallis, and ended up in Vida, OR. Here, we rented a cabin and enjoyed a couple of days away from the city life. Vida offered some great hiking and biking opportunities, including a trail to the mysterious "blue punch bowl."
Biking in Vida.
Greg and Carter, after a refreshing
plunge in the "blue punch bowl."
Dave and Jeff at the cabin.
Leaving from Vida, we made our way toward the magnificent Oregon coast. But before we reached the waters of the Pacific, we took a pit stop in Tillamook, home of the famous Tillamook cheese factory. Here, we had the opportunity to take the self-guided tour of the factory where we saw that, yes, cutting the cheese is hard work. We quickly made our way to the free cheese samples and the plethora of dairy products available in the dining area. But I must say, everyone's favorite was the "squeaky cheese curds."
After leaving the factory, we drove up along the coast, stopping occasionally to take in the surroundings. Scenic beaches, massive cliffs with waves pounding far below, and "hey, look ... there's Goonies rock." "No, not yet. It's in Cannon Beach!" And Cannon Beach was where we were heading.
Phil flirts with death hundreds of feet above the crashing waves.
Dave, taking in the scenic coastline.
Cannon Beach is a quaint little town on the Oregon coast and home to several powerful tourist attractions. In this small town, you can walk right on the beach where scenes from the movie "the Goonies" were filmed And what's more, only in Cannon Beach can you visit the largest spruce tree in the US. But for our journey, Cannon Beach was where our friends Isaac and Danielle were getting married. Upon our arrival, we checked into our spacious beach house, complete with outdoor hot tub.
The real Goonies rock.
Treehugger Dave??
A warm welcome from our nation's largest spruce.
Certainly, the climax of the trip was the marriage of Isaac and Danielle. It was an honor to be a part of my good friend's wedding. And the ceremony was complete with memorable moments, including stumbling vows and rogue flower girls. A banquet followed the ceremony, and the guests were entertained by an impressive talent show featuring, among other things, the acting debut of yours truly. (ok, so it was just a minor role in a skit, but I'm thinking I should get an agent.) After the festivities died down and the bride and groom headed off to honeymoon land, we contemplated our trip to Oregon and realized an important truth ... "Quick, back to the beach house! There's still time for another dip in the hot tub."
The newlyweds, Isaac and Danielle.
The patented Ike self-photo, perfected over the years.
The VA Tech crew, after the wedding.
