Bob's Red Mill and Multnomah Falls

Before we left our brief introductory visit to Portland, there was something I had to do.

 

See Bob's Red Mill. Aka a baking pilgrimage of sorts. A paradise of organic bulked goods and health food products for bakers and gluten intolerants.

My one bit of advice before going here, because you simply must someday, is to make a plan! I had no shopping or wish list beforehand, so I was a bit overwhelmed when I got there. This usually leads to 1) shopping with zero restraint whatsoever or 2) becoming paralyzed by indefinite options and buying basically nothing.

I spent a little over $6 and got two dog biscuits, 4 pounds of sea salt, a little over a pound of mixed soup beans, some black Hawaiian sea salt and some snackie sesame sticks. When I got to the car I thought 1) is that all I got? and 2) geez, I am boring.

Next time I will do things differently, include go to the production warehouse for the mill tour and not just the flagship store.

Still, seeing the store was thrilling and had some lovely surprises, like antique flour milling stones and an instant nut butter making machine.

If I see the real Bob playing piano next time, I will have died and gone to heaven. And I will want this to be my tombstone.

After my dad calmed me down from my breakfast sandwich on sprouted wheat and side of grits, we regained our focus and headed back on the road. We had a date with a massive year round waterfall less than 20 miles away.

Welcome to Multnomah Falls, the second highest waterfall in the country after Yosemite Falls.

And this is during the dry season. A picturesque lodge waits at the bottom, greeting hundreds of tourists throughout the day looking straight past it up to the mesmerizing falls.

There is nothing like starting a week with sensory overload.

Bridges, Beer and Box Scores

When we woke up near Coos Bay this morning, we needed to get some more miles under our wheels and were quick to get back on the road. Of course, we did make a few stops on the way.

 How can anyone turn down the chance to see the world famous sea lion caves? The sea lions weren't inside, but we could still see America's largest sea cave.

 And some marine anthropology specimens throughout the cave.

 Back on the road, I was surprised by the number of bridges in Oregon. This is one out of about a million.

 My dad isn't much of a city guy, but I've been aching to go to Portland for a while now so he had to yield. We kept it mellow with an obligatory trip to Powells Books, a stroll along the river and a fancy cupcake downtown.

Of course, we couldn't forget the multitude of microbreweries and great food, either. At Hair of the Dog, a flight included an aged beer from bourbon barrels. Over Caesar salad and duck confit, my dad asked me to check the Niners score on my phone. Wow. I was not expecting their win to put us in such a great mood.

Little did I know it would lead to an involved explanation of how to read a box score. I guess anything to make me more well-rounded! What I love about beer is how much smaller it makes the world and all its problems, even if they are just about the intricacies of sports statistics.

Extra thanks to the Niners for making a 45-3 victory help a guy feel comfortable in a new city.

Red Tide at Dawn

 

I went to the coast earlier this week and finally saw the thing I've heard so many talk about. Do you ever think you know something because you hear it so much until you actually see it for yourself and realize you had no idea what you were talking about?

 For me, that was a red tide. This algae bloom was the first I'd seen, and you can see for yourself how it gets its name.

And fishing just a week before showed no trace of it. Even a mass as infinite as the ocean can change quickly.

 The algae blooms are part of the season and provide food for lots of species- just harmful to us if we eat shellfish from the water during a red tide.

 

During my hike with Chuck on a glorious sunny day, we looked out at seal rock to see whales feeding and seals barking their heads off. Here's a little video I shot so you'd get a picture of just how loud those cute little flippery fur-balls really are.

Bat in the House!

Bat in the cave! No, that's not code for a booger in your nose, that's a video of an actual, live, wild bat who let himself in when I was housesitting. I tried to capture him on video without screaming, but that was a challenge when he insisted on dive bombing me. Repeatedly.

Yep, that's pretty much the most exciting nightlife I've seen in a while.

Yosemite- Day 3

For the last day camping and hiking in Yosemite, my dad and I had our biggest hike yet up to the top of upper Yosemite Falls. It's a good 7.6 miles, nothing we can't handle. And lucky timing, too, since in a couple weeks this seasonal waterfall will most likely be dried up till next year. Did you know this is the highest waterfall in North America? Here are some views on the way up.

I wasn't a fan of the ravenous, immune to human, zombie-like squirrels, but I liked to see this little guy laying on his stomach. Or maybe he was on a stakeout for his next meal from an unsuspecting hiker?

This could be a repeat photo, but I seriously couldn't get enough of this view.

Scared of heights? Me, too.

Yosemite hosts many youth programs throughout the summer to help kids (like here below) develop their connection with the environment.

For more info on protecting Yosemite, check out the Yosemite Conservancy page.