The last three days have definitely had their ups and downs. The downs were fortunately more inconvenient than anything else and really put poor Trinity in the firing line.
Firstly, I got stuck behind a truck throwing tar all over Trinity and I (photo evidence below), which cumulatively took nearly 4 hours to clean with the aid of ‘bug and tar remover’. I have no idea how I’m going to get it off my rising jacket though. Then, I woke up this morning to a flat front tire. Hmmm! At this point I was very happy that I had planned for such an eventuality. I had an electronic pump in my pannier. Woohoo!! After a visit to a great little independent bike store, I was back on the road and in a better shape than I was before (they also sorted of my balancing issue).
I was so chuffed when my AirBnB hosts for the last two nights, Kerri and Kai, let me know that I had inspired them, and that they were off to Crater Lake tomorrow and to Yellowstone next week. That made my day!
As I had lost the morning, I headed straight to Hood River, which is a fantastic little city (population 7,400 people) on the Columbia River in northern Oregon. I drove up from Bend via highway 26 which was a beautiful drive, although I encountered rain for the first time in weeks crossing through Mt Hood National Forest. There was also quite a dramatic temperature drop. The temperature was between 8 and 12 degrees Celsius. Brrrr!
It was all worth it though as I love Hood River! It has such a vibrant feel about it; has beautiful houses; you can walk everywhere (downtown anyway): it is clearly very safe as my AirBnB host doesn’t lock her doors; and it is well catered for those who like to dine out and visit independent breweries. I am in heaven! Below is a photo is one of the houses I passed which is quite typical in the area.
The locals also clearly have a good sense of humour (see the photo below). It make me chuckle!
I went to a restaurant called Brian’s Pubhouse for dinner and had he most amazing duck and pear pizza, followed by a panacotta and pistachio desert, which was enjoyed with a brown hemp ale. YUM!
I must be one of few people in the world who comes to the U.S. and loses weight (this was confirmed when I jumped on a scale tonight). I think it’s all this sitting! It’s time to hit the gym when I get home I think.
Mel & Trinity 