As you'll recall, I have somewhat of a chequered history when it comes to road trips. My attempt to reach Timberline Lodge was thwarted by a snow storm. My trip to Astoria was more successful except that the only charging station in that entire town didn't work.
But at long last my luck has changed! I think it had a lot to do with the fact that I called ahead to make sure they had EV chargers, that they were working, and didn't require a card/membership to use. I also checked weather conditions beforehand to confirm the roads were clear of snow.
As before I made the trip with @amandarichards, who did all the driving so I could relax and take pictures. Here's a toll bridge we crossed. There was another, much longer route with no toll on it but it was worth the two bucks to get there in one hour instead of two.
"Do you want to stop at this heritage site?" Amanda asked as she pulled off the road and parked. Rhetorical question apparently. I did want to though, as the view looked amazing. It was, and afforded an opportunity to take another nice photo.
Even in the parking lot, we immediately began to see cool stuff. Like a zip line running perhaps twenty feet above the lot, from one tree to another. Also treehouses for rent, and some much higher tree platforms with rope bridges in between, like the Ewok village from Star Wars.
We then enjoyed a light lunch in the lodge dining room, with spectacular views...of nature. There are big windows just about everywhere you go in the lodge and it's easy to see why. There's natural splendor on all sides! Sometimes right in front of you as well.
I had one of the best reubens I've ever eaten. They're hard to get right and a good measure of the quality of a restaurant. The corned beef was tender, the dressing was spiced just right and the toasted bred was crispy even on bottom, where the sauce usually makes it soggy. Amanda had a salad with bleu cheese after nearly choosing a sun dried tomato pasta.
The view from the restaurant demanded we go out for a walk. There's even a fire pit for night time chats, with cold beers in hand. This is really how to best enjoy the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, at least in the colder months. Getting out for a walk, but with a big cozy lodge handy.
We didn't do zip lining, the spa, the pool or any of the other cool activities this time. Just came to eat lunch, hang out and be cozy. It's free to enter, free to hang around. You only pay for food, activities, and the room if you're staying the night.
It makes for a very comfy but affordable date, and is a testimony to how nice it is that we have so many such lodges in western Oregon. They really facilitate convenient enjoyment of the natural pleasures that this state has to offer.
Stay Cozy!