When Mark and I crossed the border into Oregon mid-October, we were welcomed with blue skies and friendly smiles. A tad different from the Olympic Peninsula. An Indian summer had arrived and the outdoors was calling. Before heading into nature again, Mark and I stopped in Portland. We met up with a dear friend we had last seen in Luperon, Dominican Republic, ten years ago. It was another reunion that will make it into a separate blog. As a matter of fact, we reconnected with three sets of friends in this state. I ought to dedicate my next post to all the beautiful friendships we experienced while on the road these last four months.
Portland
The biggest, most vibrant city in Oregon is not its capital. That honor belongs to Salem, which we would visit with friends later on. In Portland, we succumbed to urban camping. We had read about a 24-hour parking lot in the funky Alberta neighborhood, NE of the city center, where one could “settle” for $1.50 a day. This small piece of land, the size of a parking spot, became our home for a couple of days.
Our home base for a couple of days
We explored the popular bar and restaurant scene of Alberta on foot.
We rode our bikes across the Willamette River into the city center to soak up the vibe along the waterfront park (with its many homeless people), downtown and in Washington park.
And then, we had three days left, before we would meet good friends in Monmouth, near Salem. The city life (and its noise) wasn’t very accommodating to our wallets and ears, so east we headed in our camper van, towards the town of Hood River.
The Columbia River Delta
We had heard a lot of nice things about this area, so added a few stops to our itinerary, before reaching Hood River for the night. Here are some of the views we encountered along our drive and (short) hikes. To read the photo captions, hover your mouse over the images, tap them once, or click to make them larger.
Mt. Hood
From Hood River, we turned Zesty’s snout south for two days of bliss in nature. From the moment we entered Mt. Hood National Forest, the snow-capped peak held our attention. What an awe-inspiring sight!
As we got closer and closer, we stopped along the way to hike the easy 4-mile there & back trail to Tamanawas Falls, joining dogs and families being out and about on this cold, yet beautiful Sunday.
Next stop: Timberline Lodge, famous from the movie “The Shining”. We couldn’t afford to eat here, but lunch in our camper provided the same, fantastic views. And, snooping around inside was free. The big fireplace attracted a crowd at 6,000ft in fall.
Mark and I finished our first day in this area at Trillium Lake, where we had yet another pretty view of the mountain and where a free primitive campground is located.
Trillium Lake with Mt. Hood in the background
And, day two in Mt. Hood National Forest is the day that will be etched in my memory for some time. You know how (in our case quite often) you go on these hikes, climbing hills, suffering through muscle aches and dripping sweat, feeling hot when moving and icy when stopping for a break while your sweat dries and cools you off tremendously, to then get to a destination where there’s nothing special to see? Or, where the clouds have rolled in or the fog rose, so the promised views have been obliterated? Or worse, it starts raining, so all that effort was for nothing? Well… not on this particular day. Yes, it was chilly, and the hike was a bit of an uphill battle But the reward? Incredible.
Mark and I had a late start, because I unexpectedly had a job arrive in the morning, which I accepted, since T-Mobile worked for a change. So, it wasn’t until after lunch that we were ready for our day trip. We had been told the climb to Tom, Dick and Harry Mountain – the top with the best views – was strenuous, so a 7-mile hike didn’t appear to be in the cards this late in the day. We’d hike to Mirror Lake, along the way to the peak, and see how we felt.
Mirror Lake – there was too much wind to see the reflection of Mt. Hood
Once there, after a lot of up, up, up, we figured it couldn’t be too much further to reach the top. Mark and I looked at each other, and went for it. Since it was getting late fast, we hiked at a steady clip, all the way to the end. So worth it! We spotted five peaks (four with some snow) from our vantage point: Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Adams, Mt. Rainier and the “chopped off” volcano Mt. St. Helen.
Crater Lake National Park
Before we left Oregon and after meeting up with more friends (and staying much longer than planned on one of those occasions), I wanted to make a little detour to check out famous Crater Lake. It was the last sunny and “warm enough” day of the season, so I was adamant about our visit. Ignoring the “It’s just another lake” comments, we had a short, but sweet drive by this not so ordinary lake within a dormant volcano.
After our trail south, it was “Bye, bye, beautiful Oregon” and “Hello again, California!”
Have you ever used an all gender restroom? Where? Did you find it offensive or complicated?
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November 23, 2018 at 13:20
Wow, gorgeous photos, Liesbet. I really like the waterfalls, the mountains, and Crater Lake. No, I haven’t used an ‘all gender’ public restroom.
November 23, 2018 at 17:49
Thanks, Natalie. I don’t think there are a lot of these all gender restrooms around yet. The one in Portland was certainly the first one we ever saw.
November 23, 2018 at 13:36
Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos. I lived twice – briefly in Beaverton, OR just outside of Portland and was DAILY struck by the magnificence and splendour of Mt. Hood – infront of me or filling my review mirror.
November 23, 2018 at 17:51
What a novel experience, Janet, to be living so close to this amazing mountain. I think the view of that snow-capped peak would put a smile on my face, every time I spot it. That’s awesome!
November 23, 2018 at 13:47
Yes, to the as ever interesting and stunning photos Liesbet. Regarding the “all gender” public restrooms, yes I have. No urinal thank goodness. Though there have been on a few occasions where I have had to sit in cubicle due to realising I had gone into the male zone and not realised. The looks I got were classic 🙂
November 23, 2018 at 17:54
I actually had that happen once, recently in Canada, Suzanne, where I entered the male restroom, and used the one cubicle, since I didn’t recognize the gutter along the wall was the urinal. I thought it was an old public shower set-up, where the water running down along the wall was still a part of. 🙂
The all gender restroom we used was very new and modern, where it was obvious where to go. As a matter of fact, it had a full-time attendant in it to show everyone the way!
November 23, 2018 at 13:57
Thanks for sharing your gorgeous photos with us, Liesbet.”The Shining” that book freaked me out! 🙂 I’ve never used an “all gender” restroom…I guess I’m too old-fashioned. 🙂 Safe travels!
November 23, 2018 at 17:57
I never read the book “The Shining,” Jill. I actually didn’t know that the movie was based on a book. Creepy, indeed!
The “all gender” restrooms, like the one we used, are not wide-spread (yet). Once they become more common, there is no choice than to use them (or pee in your pant, I guess :-)). There are separate stalls for everyone using them, in any kind of way. The only common area is where you wash your hands.
November 23, 2018 at 14:21
Thanks again for sharing your travels. It’s fun to see you visit places we’ve been and what different choices you make while there. 7-mile strenuous hikes are definitely NOT on our itinerary. Many years ago I got to dine and stay at that hotel on Mt. Hood. It’s a pretty amazing place. Have not yet seen an “all gender” restroom, but will check it out when/if I do. Startling how many homeless people live on the sidewalks of downtown Portland, isn’t it?
November 23, 2018 at 17:59
I envy your stay at Timberline Lodge, Leslie. What a cool experience!
We have actually seen quite a lot of homeless people, once we entered Oregon and California. Many coastal towns seem to have a “problem” as well. But, where their presence is most noticeable is in ALL of the libraries we visited in the Pacific Northwest and California so far.
November 23, 2018 at 15:46
Urban boondocking for $1.50 – what a deal! I think I’d like to visit the Shining Hotel and Crater Lake looks beautiful. We try to keep our hikes to 3 or 4 miles, but I am hoping to work up to doing longer hikes soon – I am just so out of shape right now.
I think I was in a genderless rest room when I was a teenager in Europe – maybe France – but that was a long time ago and I don’t remember much about it. I think it would be unusual, but I don’t think it would bother me especially if it was clean and the stalls were private – I mean after all I sit on a box in the van every day to go in front of my husband.
November 23, 2018 at 18:04
I borrowed your term “urban camping” for this post, Duwan. I hope you don’t mind. 🙂
I hear you about being out of shape, though. From the moment we entered Monterrey a few weeks ago, I have barely had exercise, due to work. As far as those 7-mile hikes, I think I’d have to do a few 3-4 mile ones before we get into one of those again. Unfortunately, we don’t have much hiking or traveling on the agenda in the near future.
The stalls at the all gender restroom were private and the whole “complex” was clean, with an attendant to help if needed. Or, maybe to keep an eye on things, since it seems to me that this is a very new concept. Our van has a door to the bathroom and toilet, but I find it more spacious and liberating to leave that open, so I know what you mean. 🙂
November 23, 2018 at 15:54
I love that sculpture of the woman with her dog in Portland ???? The forest, lakes and rivers look beautiful Liesbet and the views from your hike are fabulous, especially under a clear blue sky ???????? xxx
November 23, 2018 at 18:05
You really have an eye and love for all things dogs, Xenia! 🙂 That hike and the views were awe-inspiring – I could look at Mt. Hood under a blue sky forever.
November 23, 2018 at 18:25
Hi Liesbet,
Loved the Shining, book and movie…but creepy that you saw the lodge where it was filmed…admire your wunderlust spirit and love the comment about how your view was the same as the expensive one. We say that all the time from our little 26 foot sailboat. We often have very big, very expensive neighbors in slips and anchorages but our view is the same.
Found you through Retirement Reflections…what a great site you have.
Nancy
November 23, 2018 at 18:45
Hi Nancy, and welcome! Thanks for swinging by and leaving a comment.
I love it that you have a little sailboat as well, since Mark and I lived, cruised and worked on a 35′ catamaran for eight years. (I wrote about those adventures on a previous blog, called It’s Irie) We bought it in Annapolis, MD, and sold it in Tahiti in 2015. You are so right about all those people spending so much money in marinas, while being at anchor is free and freeing! We probably stayed at a marina once every one or two years, when we needed the electricity and dock space to do boat projects. I often remember thinking how awesome it was that we had all those amazing views (like in Bora Bora for example) for free from our sailboat, while tourists paid thousands of dollars for their over-the-water bungalows. 🙂
Enjoy your sailing trips and views!
November 23, 2018 at 18:54
You guys are just such hiking troopers! So glad it paid off this time! The views look absolutely glorious and I imagine even more so for you both, after an urban environment. Crater Lake National Park, just magnificent. Mirror lake and Trillium lake look so beautiful and tranquil too.
It is such a treat to have reunions with good friends.. especially I think for nomadic types such as we are. The friendships and relationships run strong and deep.
Beautiful post.
Peta
November 26, 2018 at 22:05
I certainly second your statement about friendships being important to us, nomadic types, Peta. The positive thing is that, because of our travels and meeting people all over the world, crossing paths with old friends becomes easier, as the amount of friendships increases. 🙂
As far as hiking goes, I guess we have our active periods and then, when we house sit, focus on work or slow down a bit, our passive periods. Then, we suffer doing longer hikes, until our bodies have adjusted again. I’m glad you liked the featured lakes. They have to be pretty special to get mentioned on my blogs, as we pass by so many lakes and most of them are blah.
November 24, 2018 at 02:38
Mountain scenery has always been a favourite for me, looks like this area has plenty. I love hiking up mountains to get the reward of a gorgeous view, I am glad you got your reward many times during your stay in this area. I remember a hike we did up Pen-y-Fan in Wales, it was a hard hike and we got to the top it was shrouded in fog…no views???? Having the van must be a great way of travelling around the USA? We just bought a motorhome to travel in Europe, I hope we will enjoy van life as much as you guys do????
November 26, 2018 at 22:12
How exciting that you guys acquired a camper in Europe! Will you travel in it full-time? What kind of van did you get? So many good choices over there, as opposed to in the States. Much better designed and constructed. We hope to travel Europe (and beyond) with a camper in the future as well. Have fun!
And, oh no about the mountain in Wales. We have a few similar experiences. Sometimes we knew the view would be gone and did the hike for exercise anyway, but other times we hoped for a reward at the top, but were surprised to find none.
If you love the mountains, Gilda, I would highly recommend spending time in Colorado, if you haven’t already.
Enjoy your European travels!
November 24, 2018 at 05:24
That all looks so fabulous. I’d love to visit some day, it’s on my (ever increasing) list. I can’t remember visiting any all-gender restrooms, but I don’t object in principle, as long as people don’t line up and do Barry White song and dance routines ????*
Frequent occurrence on the TV show Ally McBeal.
November 26, 2018 at 22:15
I’ve heard about the Ally McBeal TV show, but have never watched it. Sounds funny! I guess next time you return to the US, Oregon has to be part of the itinerary. We didn’t experience any smoke in that state. 🙂
November 25, 2018 at 09:47
So now I know where you are:) What an exciting area – love those views over Mt. Hood with a sprinkle of snow on the top. And I have always wanted to visit Crater Lake:)
xoxo Inger
November 26, 2018 at 22:20
Hi Inger! Welcome back – virtually – to my neck of the woods. 🙂 Oregon is certainly a destination you guys should add to your list, when you’re done with arctic destinations. 🙂
November 27, 2018 at 02:51
Urban camping! I wonder if there if there are similar ‘sites’ in all major US cities or if Portland is just special that way.
Love, love, love the endless beauty of Oregon and delighted to visit it again with you virtually. Have never made it to Mt Hood although one of my BFF’s has a house there. Next time.
I have used single ‘Unisex’ restrooms in too many locations to count. That may not be the same as an ‘All Gender’ Restrooms which I assume are shared but with multiple, separate stalls rather than a single private room. If I came upon one, I would have no issue using it.
November 30, 2018 at 12:46
I think spending the night in your vehicle in a city (wherever allowed – California is VERY strict in regards to this) is called urban camping. We ended up staying at a 24-hour parking lot in Portland, which is sometimes allowed for RVs.
Lucky you, having a BFF near Mt. Hood. The scenery through the window of her house must be amazing. I hope you get to experience it one of these years, Lisa. Very different from watery surroundings.
You assumed right in regards to the all gender restrooms! 🙂
November 27, 2018 at 07:49
As the queen of long hikes ending in rain, snow, and mist- or cloud-enshrouded “views,” I was very happy your paragraph took a turn for the better! When I next make it out to the PNW, I really hope for clear skies; I have not been there for decades (way too long) and your posts are reminding me that it’s time to return. What a bonus that you were able to meet up with old friends!
November 30, 2018 at 12:49
You have no idea how often I think about you on these hikes, Lexie, as I so well remember some of your descriptions when hiking in nature and up mountains. 🙂 It was a big bonus to meet up with friends these last four months. Hopefully, you and I will find ourselves in the same area next year as well! We are leaning towards returning to the East Coast in Zesty next summer, so hopefully, we are in the Southwest the same time, this winter or spring.
November 27, 2018 at 17:19
I never knew there was an Alberta in the States…interesting stuff.
I’m sure I have used an all-gender washroom. I’ve also used the men’s when it’s empty but there’s a long line at the women’s. That kind of thing doesn’t throw me. Once you’ve used the bathroom in the third-class compartment of a Chinese train, nothing fazes you.
November 30, 2018 at 12:51
I guess Alberta is a neighborhood in Portland – much smaller than your Alberta. 🙂 Haha – kindred spirits, JH, in regards to not wanting to wait in line and using the men’s. I often do this as well for just washing my hands and not wanting to wait. And, I hear you about the Chinese “bathrooms”. I don’t think I’ve used one in a train before, but some of the ones I used in less than urban areas are worth a story. 🙂
November 27, 2018 at 18:25
What a spectacular trip that looks. And Crater Lake looks beautiful. Can’t say as I’ve ever even seen a gender neutral washroom. 🙂
November 30, 2018 at 12:53
I think the all gender bathrooms are a new concept and will spread over time, especially in (liberal) cities. Toronto might already have one somewhere! 🙂
November 28, 2018 at 19:05
Hi Liesbet
Sounds like you had a beautiful trip through Oregon. As always, your photos are awesome. How wonderful it must be to touch base with old friends along the way.
Travel Safely
Laura
November 30, 2018 at 12:55
We had a beautiful time in Oregon, Laura. The sun and the company helped. If we ever return to Monterrey, I’ll be sure to get in touch. Like I mentioned before, I’m sorry I missed you this time around.
November 29, 2018 at 09:47
Oregon looks like a beautiful place, Liesebt. And that photo of Mark and you with Mt. Hood in the back ground is gorgeous. What a spectacular view. I’d have wanted to see Crater Lake, too. Just the thought of it once being a volcano would have wanted me to go and check it out. I’m glad you did.
I’ve never used an all-gender washroom. In fact, I’ve not seen any…yet. My guess is that it won’t be long before start seeing them everywhere.
November 30, 2018 at 12:56
I think your guess about all gender restrooms is a good one. Especially in European cities as well. It makes sense to me to put all the amenities in one building.
I think Oregon would please you, Hugh: the scenery and the climate. And, it’s a four season state! 🙂 The views are spectacular!
December 1, 2018 at 03:16
I’d really miss not living somewhere that has four seasons, Liesebt. Oregon sounds a great place with lots of great unspoilt scenery.
December 1, 2018 at 17:17
Oregon might be the perfect alternative to the UK for you, Hugh, if you ever decide a big move. 🙂
December 2, 2018 at 03:40
If the people on the customs’ desk let me in, I’d be there, Liesbet.
December 2, 2018 at 18:38
🙂 I cannot imagine you’d have much trouble. Or, at least not as much as I’ve had here over the years…
December 6, 2018 at 09:29
Beautiful photos Leisbet! This was like a step back in time for me. We love Oregon, such beautiful scenery. Thanks for the memories.
December 6, 2018 at 11:45
Thank you and you’re welcome, LuAnn. Oregon is a beautiful and versatile state and much cheaper than California. If only it would be warmer in the winter, we might consider spending more time there.
January 5, 2019 at 00:27
The first time I ever used an all-gender washroom labelled as such was at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign a couple of years ago. However, it was a single-person washroom, not a multiple cubicle one. In Canada, we have lots of washrooms ladled “uni-sex” or “family” for anyone or more than one person to use, but again, these are not multiple cubicle washrooms. In fact, I just used one today in a fast-food restaurant while travelling.
Jude
January 5, 2019 at 11:45
Hi Jude! Yes, we have seen some of those all gender “single” restrooms all over California and the more liberal states and provinces as well. This public one with different stalls was a first, though. And, I haven’t seen it again. Maybe in the future?