SEASIDE, OREGON

Seaside is a cool little town in northwestern Oregon. It's about 1 hour and 45 minutes from downtown  Portland. Its known for its large beach and a places that caters well to tourists. 

We chose the best day of the week, which turned out to be really nice with temperatures in the low 60's and very light wind. 

I also really enjoyed driving on Route 26 from Portland because its a very windy road that goes over some hills ranging around 1000 ft above sea level. Prior to this trip I had never seen lumbar companies cutting down the forest and logging trucks everywhere along the highway. 

The simple directions call for 2 turns that leads you to Broadway St. that heads toward the beach and turnabout. At the turnabout there is a monument of Lewis and Clark, marking the "End of Trail" in their expedition. 

 The low tide was earlier in the day, at 1038 am, as we were making our way to the beach the higher tide was noticeable coming in. The kids had a great time running away from the ways but it kept the parents on their toes as the water continue to come closer and closer. They really enjoyed splashing in  the low tide pools and posing for some photos Lesya wanted to take.

After about an hour at the beach, we walked over to Norma's Seafood Restaurant. Both the adults and kids enjoyed their meals. The service was nice, although it did take longer that it should have been. Lesya and her sister really the Grilled Seafood Combo. While I had a Crab sandwich with some Tillamook cheese. 

After the hearty meal we decided to visit Ecola State Park. (Please see the next post)

MULTNOMAH FALLS, OREGON

Just a short drive outside of Portland, there are some beautiful falls to enjoy called Multnomah Falls. It sits along the Columbian Gorge, which in itself is very scenic with tall rocky mountains that have  several waterfalls coming off the sharp ledges along highway I-84.

The weather was cloudy in the high 40's with rain forcasted in the early afternoon. But we decided to go anyways and check out the views.

When reviews on Tripadvisor stated that the falls are "right off the highway" it literally means that the visitor parking lot is between the westbound and eastbound lanes. Then there is a walkway going under the highway.

At the base of the falls there is a gift store and a small muesum. The kids decided on coins as souvenirs.

At the base of the 620 ft falls the views are spectacular. 

There are several trails leading to higher elevations along a ridge trail. The distance was going to require much more time. 

The trail leading up to the overlooking bridge is paved and an easy ascent. The loss covered trees and fern covered slopes provide a rich green view. 

A STROLL THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARK, OREGON

Checking out beautiful Oregon started out by walking across the street to the Powell Butte Nature Park. The weather was in the low 50's and it was nice to get out of the house after dinner for an evening stroll in the neighborhood. The park itself has a series of trails that are used by the neighbors for walking their pets, jogging, and even mountain biking. In this wooded area we came across many places with beautiful ferns and mosses which are seen on anything made out of wood. We had 4 kids under the age of 6 so we opted out for shorter loop. Lesya also had the opportunity to shoot some very nice photos of the kids.

(moss on the trees)

As we walked out of the forest we came across a place that had a horse. My kids are fascinated with horses, especially Adrian and so it was difficult walking way. 

 (moss on the roof top)

It was a nice end to a busy day of travel. Both the kids and the adults got a lot of fresh air before turning in for the night. 

Thanks to my lovely wife, Lesya, for taking some awesome photos. 

A TASTE OF OREGON!

Before our trip to Oregon, I did some researching on Tripadvisor to get some ideas. A well know place to Oregon and the west coast is the Tillamook Dairy Factory. They produce most dairy products such as cheese, ice cream, yogurt and many more things! Of all of these dairy goodies,  the 9-month aged sharp cheddar cheese is an all time favorite.

Although we didn't actually visit the factory, there is a tour offered to check out the cheese producing process. There is also an opportunity to sample all of the dairy foods such as the ice cream. 

Our first day into our Oregon trip we stopped by the local grocery store, Fred Meyer, and I was amazed at the amount of Tillamook products on the shelves. For starters we got some yogurt and the sharp cheddar cheese. 

The cheese hit the spot when eating dinner later that evening. It's a very tasty cheese definitely  I wasn't really impressed with the yogurt! But the kids devoured 10 yogurts in less than 12 hours.We have yet to try the ice cream!

HIKING PLAN 2015

Today was one of those days when I just couldn't help myself but look over some of the Adirondack peaks that I haven't hiked yet. In fact I created a list of those peaks, 26 left. Out of that list I noticed that there were some pairs that would make a good day trip as well as a couple stand alone's.

1. Colvin and Blake

2. Street and Nye

3. Sawteeth and Gothics

4. Tabletop

5. Esther

I hiked Gothics a couple of years ago with Lesya, my wife, via the southern approach (Beaver Falls). However, it would be nice to hike up the northern steep trail and experience the cables. 

Tabletop is more or less a stand alone and not too exciting of a peak on the way to Marcy. I have contemplated adding Tabletop to a Marcy hike but I would much rather add Gray peak on the other side because it is so isolated. 

A while back I thought it would have been a nice trip to do Esther and Whiteface but since I did Whiteface via car it doesn't make sense doing it again. Thus Esther is a stand alone for me.

I would probably have to do at least 3 trips in order to hike these 7 new peaks. Definitely looking forward to the later spring, summer, and fall to do some hiking. One of these years I will invest in some cold weather gear and do some winter hiking. 

Absolutely love the beautiful ADK! 

SESAME-CRUSTED SALMON!

This evening was the evening that I did some cooking again. It's always a great pleasure to work with food, follow a recipe, and hope for a great tasting meal. But the best part of the whole cooking experience is to spend some time by my lovely brides side in her world of the kitchen. Its a great honor that she actually trusts me with the kitchen and all of its toys. Its fun cooking and I can always use the wonderful advice of the Master Chef!

I always read the recipe ahead of time to make sure I know what I am getting myself into. Actually I would prefer to study it and think it through a bit but this evening I didn't have enough time to do all of the pre-dinner prep. I only confirmed with Lesya to make sure we had all of the ingredients in the house.

Lesya cooked up some delicious mashed potatoes before I even started the fish. But it all worked out because I need some extra hand-holding during this cooking experience.

This recipe called for a 3 part prep: the fish, the glaze, and a sauce.

I got the fish all ready with sesame seeds and was frying it up on moderate-high heat. My fillets were a little thicker so they need a little more time that what the recipe called for. So meanwhile Lesya was helping me make the sauce. It called for 3 tsp of cornstarch to be added in while simmering. Instead of reading 3 tsp, I read 3 tbsps. I had never worked with cornstarch before and when Lesya heard that some RED FLAGS when up for her. So she double-checked and I made a mistake. It also helps to bring the sauce to a simmer before you add the cornstarch or else it may take a few minutes longer for things to thicken up properly.

Lesya also made some fresh cucumber, tomato, and onion salad which worked really well with the fish and mashed potatoes.

In retrospect the fish tasted really good but it could of used some more salt and pepper. The recipe doesn't call for neither.

You can find this recipe at the following link:

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/sesame-crusted-salmon

Bon appetite!