TWO BROADS AND A JEEP #7

Today was a very long day...but a good one.  After spending a night in that horrific awful motel room, we couldn't wait to get out of there.  We hit the road before nine this morning.  Cottage Grove isn't as cute as its name.  Nice.  But not cute.

We decided to take the secondary road, the 99 west, all the way to Portland today.  And we did take a few side trips looking for exciting stuff.  I spent a great deal of time going from john to john. Poor Cookie.  She is so patient and kind about it.  Me?  I'm just pissed off.  I am glugging pepto bismal but of course it comes with its own set of trouble.  Sigh.  (Shovel list)

We stopped in at a lovely little park under a bridge and along a creek.  It was so flipping hot though we couldn't really get out and enjoy it.  I took a couple of pics then got back in the jeep and the air conditioning.

We also took a trip down a country road and in the distance saw some cows with babies, not their babies though.  I have no idea where the mothers were.  We got out to take pics and I warned Cookie that they would likely come running as cows are super curious.  There was a fence so we weren't too worried.  And sure enough.  They came barrelling toward us.  But when they were still a little ways away, the head white cow stopped, turned around and mooed really loud at them.  They all stopped right there and waited.  Then she came right over to the fence and sniffed and looked and now and then would check to make sure the others were not coming too close.  It was amazing!!!  She was protecting them!  It really was quite something to see.

We mozied on down the road, stopping at various gas station bathrooms along the way...some nice and some not so much.  And no matter what the time, or what the road, someone was always riding up my ass.  Jeez!!!  I pulled over a lot to let people by.

One place we sought out was a wildlife refuge.  What an awful sad place that was.  Cages of pigeons, pheasants, squab, quail etc...  And a fake elk that had been shot up, in the worst way.  It was creepy and weird.

We finally, after battling terrible traffic for about an hour, got through Portland going east to Troutdale.  We wanted to stay in a nicer hotel tonight and I know that with all the outlet stores in the huge mall there should be hotels around.  Plus we are near the airport.

We picked the Holiday Inn.  And it was full, as was all the local hotels around Troutdale.  Damn!! The girls in the Holiday Inn got on the blower and found us hotel of similar ilk thirteen miles away in Gresham.  So off we went and sure enough there was room at the inn.  Its quite a lovely place with a fantastic pool.  I didn't bring a swimsuit so I am going to see if I can find one tomorrow at the mall.  We are so enjoying this treat of a nice room...so much we have decided to stay another night.

  There is lots to do around here...lavender farm, the gorge, Columbia dam, Mt. Hood etc...  Then we shall skedaddle home.  Had a lovely dinner at Heidi's Restaurant right near....chicken pot pie for Cookie, meat loaf for me, both off the senior menu and we still couldn't finish it!  Anyhoo we is tired tonite.  I shall tune in tomorrow....TTYL

A MELTING ICECREAM BREAK

THERE THEY ARE...WAY OVER THERE, THIS IS WHERE I WARNED COOKIE THAT THEY WOULD COME RUNNING

THAT MAMMA KEPT THEM ALL BACK TO KEEP THEM SAFE UNTIL SHE CHECKED US OUT.

SHE STOOD HERE AT THE FENCE AND SNIFFED AND LOOKED AT US...CHECKING BEHIND HER FREQUENTLY

AND THEY STAYED THERE...AMAZING

CREEPY SHOT UP FAKE ELK

ALL THE BIRDS IN AWFUL HOT DRY CAGES

THE MUDDY CREEK UNDER THE BRIDGE

FINALLY...PORTLAND

BIRD POOP ON THE WINDSHIELD....ENDLESS TRAFFIC

OUR LOVELY ROOM

JUST ONE OF THE MANY GAS STATION BATHROOMS I WAS IN TODAY

I WANTED IT TO HIT FORTY BUT IT DIDN'T.  IT STAYED HERE A LONG TIME THOUGH